The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-06-18

would be, and q test vote secured
which made a smile overspread Han
mas face until it reached the top OF his
head. do not know why the commit
tee took so much time to decide be-
cause it was all arranged before they
had the list Of delegates submitted 10
them, what they were to do. No one
was at all surprised when Fort OF
New Jersey, reported that they had
accepted the roll made by the natlonal
committee and had also seated the
Higgins and Grant delegations from
Delaware and Texas. FolloWlEg tnls
came the first evidence that the con-
vention has developed of the existence
of manly independence. Hepburn, Oh
Iowa, rose to present the minority re-
port which in vigorous terms con-
demned the suppression OF all con-
testants who wanted to be heard. His
statement that contestants had been
told when the national committee was
considering their cases that their de-
cision was not final, but only LOT the
temporary roll, impressed me very
much, for in my line Of work L was
told that last week over ana over
again by members of the committee
HEPRURN'S MINORITY
went beyond this is seating other
delegates in Delaware and TeXas
but on that / make no comment
as there is perhaps no reason TO
imnugnt the action of the committee.
The other act of allowing the national
committee to determine who shall or
shall not be permanent members OF
such a body is dangerous po1tlcai
precedent and shows more ana more
the methods which are used to con-
centrate power until an entire great
political party is dominated by sin
gle man as the Republican party Is
to-day. That is something that seems
to me every man who believes in free
speech and free votes ought to de-
precate. The applause which greeted
Hepburn shows that the declaration OF
independence met with the approval Of
the galleries if not the members Of the
convention. When he denounced the
suppression of the Missouri contest by
the acceptance of the national commit
tee report the galleries made the raf-
ters rattle with their yells OF delight
and when Filley arose to add his pro-
test they cheered and cheered ana
cheered again. Whether the Republi-
cans could carry Missouri this year un-
der any circumstances w iiOI pr
tend to say. but ST. Louis Republicans,
since this arbitrary action give up the
state and declare that the fight is nope
less.
The same tactics of riding down
everything not savoring of Mckinley
was displayed when the reports We're
submitted by promptly moving the pre-
vious question and this brought test
vote which the Mckinley men desired.
AS there was no one who voted for the
previous question who will fail to vote
for Mckinley it can be set down as
certain that he has the 546 votes Whlch
is a good working majority of 920, the
number of which the convention con-
sists 1t is quite possible that some
who had the independence to rebel
against the one man power will vote
for Mckinley though they voted
against the previous question to-day SO
that in any event he is sure to receive
the number given in the affirmative on
that vote and perhaps more. Twenty
minutes was allowed under the rule
upon each side after the question had
been ordered and 1t was notable that
while the speakers in behalf of the
majority report were literally applaud
ed by the delegates, the galleries went
wild over Hepburn's strong arguments
for justice. ~
A pretty good illustration Of the way
things were run was the failure to have
an evening session tonight. Prior to
the test vote the McKinleyites were