Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-07-11
GOLD TURNED DOWN
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONNEN-
TION TO DECLARE FOR SILVER.
Senator Daniel Elected TempOrnr!
Chairman and His Speech Was
Pure Bimetallism.


ana capacious coliseum in Jacks On park
beneath clear skies with cool nvig-
Grating breeze. the democratic national
convention met today. After a brief but
decisive battle in the arena the silver
men Nind!cated their supremacy. They
wrested from the hands of the gold oh:t-
lanNes the control OF the convention and
secured the reins of power in their own
hands. There was reminiscence Of til t
other great coliseum, whose fall market
the destruction Of an empire, where men
We're butchered to make a Roman holi-
day, about it all The champion who has
50 often entered the lists to do batule in
dcmocracys cause. amid the ringing
shouts ana the wild acclaim of his party.
was put to the sword that silver might
be supreme. 1t was with reluctance that
many Of the friends of Senator Hill turned
their thumbs downward as the arrogant
patrlcans of the empire that ruled the
world dil when the populace cried for
mercy. But, like the gladiators who en-
tered the arena to the blare Of the trum-
pet and the clang of steel. the silver men
beat back their sympathes and harlenel
their hearts that the issue might he
squaTely divided. even though it involved
he doom of whom they delighted to
honor in the past
BY one of those strange fatefu coin
cidences, it was Senator John w. Daniel
Of Virginia, who four years ago. at the
WigWam nominated Mr. Hill for the
presidency, who was selected to give tho
fatal blow to the man whom he would
have exalted to the first place in the re
public. No more eloquent commentary
on the reVo' 'ution which had divided The
party and made this convention SO Inein-
oiaD.e could be needed. 1t was not With
out Il wall of agony that some of the
spectators who could not fathom the mys
ferries of political maneuverng and the
necessity of grinding men beneath the
heel. saw the old champion. whose slogan
and proudest boast was II am ,lemo-
crat. go down. Even after Senator
Daniel had reached the platform and as
Sumed the gavel. they called loudly for
the defeated leader but the experieuael
general who has tasted the bitt tarn"ss
OF defeat before. only smiled grimly.
This was the first result Of this re
markabe convention, which is ready to
sacrifice all else that the white banner
of silver may float about the party as its
ensign and rdllying cry.
The convention itself was Il most in
spring sight Never before since the
present. system of national conventions
was lnauSurated by the old national ie |
publican party in Baltimore in 1881. has |
Il convention met in such Il caDacious |
and admirably adapted structure. The |
acoustic properties OF the building aIe |
perfect that every word could be els |
tinctIy heard. The decorations are SIM |
pie but effective. From the lofty sirdcrs |
which hold the roof flutter gay trappings. |
The galleries in front are entWined with |
national colors while at regular inter-
walls large cr&yon portraits Of the patron
saints of the narty-Jeffersor" IN c,Ison
ana other"--ook down u,on the success
sOrs of their faith. \ sr portrait of
Cleveland was off to side, the only
one displayed Of living democrat. With |
the vast space filled. almost to the outer
most walls. with forest Of people, an
unusually large number Of women We're
present.
There was no demonstration during the
day for any of the candidate but many of
the leaders, like Hill and Whitney Of New
York. Blackburn of Kentucky, eX-Gover-
nor Russell of Massac chusettS, Daniel of
Virginia. Harrity of Pennsylvania, We're
the recipients of individual ovations. The
followers of both sides took every OPP
portunty to cheer on their champions |
There We're many distinguished leaders
among the delegates on the floor On the
platform We're the members OF the ma
tiOnal committee. Among the diStin
guished guests seated in the We're a
number Of gold leaders who have been
conspicuous in previous conventions, hut
who We're swept aside by silver in
their states. These included General Cor
don of Georgia Senator Lindsay of Ken
lucky, eX-COngressman Bynum of Indi-
ana. eX-Congressman Outhwaite of Ohio |
and others. But, strangest Of all, on the
platform Of a democratic convention were
the little coterie of silver senators who
bolted the convention at st. Louis. At
present without party, they seek entrance
to the democratic party on condition that |
it select Teller General James b. Weaver |
and other populists and silverites like Sen
atOr S eWdrt We're also there, all watching
closely the results of the deliberations Of
the convention. Although many we'll
known faces We're missing, ii was dis
tinguished gathering.
The First Shock.
The Invocation of DR.. Stires the iIpis- |
copal divine, with its appeal for peace, |
had hardly ascended to the throne of |
grace before the contending hosts met in |
the shock of battle. The gold men car
rled out their program of presenting Sen
ator Hill for temporary chairman, but the
silver leaders also held to their resolution
and Immediately antagonized him with
Senator Daniel For two hours the ora
torical gladiators of the opposing forces
fought It out upon the platform Alex.
McDermott Of New Jersey, John |. Waller |
of Connecticut, John r. Fellows Of New
York and General St. Clair Of West Nir-
ginia championed HIS cause. and G. S.
Thomas of Colorado, Mr.. Tarpey of Cali
fornia Iadd Of Illinois, Delegate Marston
of Lou 'sana and National Committeeman |
CLAYTON of Alabama insisted upon mis- |
overthrow. Colonel Fellows appealed for |
mercy He pleaded with the majority to
do a generous thing and show that they
did not place too much reliance on the
force of numbers but in the righteousness
of their cause.
McDermott was even driven to threats
General St. Clair, who is a silver man,
opposed the defeat of Hill, whom he had
supported four years ago. and for whose |
defeat then he expressed his profound re- |
gret The silver men, most Of whom had
spoken for him in 1892 and who recalled |
the fact with evident pride, and who ex-
pressed great regret at the necessity |
which compelled them to take this course
contended that the election Of tenn
porary chairman in harmony with the
ma jolity Of vital Importance. The
temper Of the delegates plainly APP |
parent from the savos with which they
greeted these firm utteranceS. 1t was no
tceabe that neither side put its giants
forward. When the vote came to be ta-
ken, W. j. StackhOuse, one OF the admin
istration's federal officials in Iowa, in or
der to haunt the divisions in the I'oies
delegation, challenged the vote of the
state and uncovered seven gold votes.
Mr.. Ialdeman did the same thing in
Blnckbnrr's Kentucky delegation, and
Mcknight = silver Michigan delegate.
showed Y silver votes in his delegation
which were locked up by the unit rule.
The result Of the roll call .:hoWed ~
votes for Daniel and 349 votes for illl
Practically the strength of the two 81 les
Although this did not show a tWo-thlfda
majority, the silver leaders display no
anxiety on this score, AS the Nebraska
gold delegation Of 26 viii be unseated ana
the representation from the territories
will be increased from two to six.
Senator Daniel who assumed the duties
of presiding officer, is an impressive fig
IRE and most eloquent orator of the
old school. RI sounded the key note for
silver in Il ringing speech. The silver
leaders in control carried through the
remainder of the program today and to-
night the several committees are in ses-
sion with silver everywhere in control
There is little change in the situation