The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-10

their party to this ridiculous scheme
and who to do so were forced to CON
denim the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States. His keen sarcasm cut
like knife and was cheered with
every thrust of the keen blade. st
WILL" he said, 'Fefuse TO follow anv
such a revolutionary step as that.
When has devotion to an income he
come the test of Democracy"
He attacked also the plank. which
he said, for the first time committed
the party to opposition to life tenure
of office. 1T was against the policy of
the Democratic fathers. 1t was fool
lsh and unnecessary. 1t was a revolu-
tionary step in party history.
SENATOR Villas APHORISMs.
At this time he proceeded sugres-
lively, he would not go further into
this platform, which raised questions
foreign to Democratic questions on
which the party was divided and made
them the test of Democracy. He car
ed nothing for the section from which
a Democrat came, so long as he was a
Democrat, he could take him by the
hand. Why then drive out of the par
ty Democrats who had grown gray
in it's service to make room for those
who had lost their position in the
Republican party. He gave a grave
warning just before he concluded.
''If this convention, after declaring
for free silver" he said, "nominates
any candidate but one, your Popu-
listic friends will nominate ticket
and your free silver friends will ioin
hands with them"
''No, no." shouted delegate.
'Ah," replied Mr.. Hill quickly, "who
is there in this convention to speak
for this wing of the Republican par
typ
This keen response set the gold
men wild. The demonstration was re-
newed when with an inclination of
his head toward the little coterie of
free silver boilers from the st. Louis
conventions, grouped on the platform,
he said: 81 see on this platform a
number of distinguished gentlemen
who are counselling this policy. They
never voted the Democratic ticket in
their lives"
He concluded with plea for the in
tegrity of the party. 'We want to
build up the Democratic party" he
! said "not tear ID down. We love and
honor the principles of Jefferson and
Jackson, who were for hard money.
If we are true to the old faith, if we
stand by the traditional policy of the
I! Democratic saints of the past we can
win; if we put them aside we are lost"
The gold delegates climbed upon
their chairs and joined the galleries
in the demonstration in honor of their
champion as he descended from the
platform and resumed his seat in the
New York delegation.
SENATOR VILAS'S APHORISAIS.
Senator VIM f. Villas, of Wisconsin,
who had served in the first Cleveland
cabinet as Postmaster General, then
stepped to the platform.
1t was to protest against proposed
revolution in party faith that he spoke
for the minority, he said, and as a
Democrat who had always maintain
ed reasonable obedience to party man.
dates and for a State Of unfaltering
fidelity. "Ardor will redress no
wrongs, fury will rage vainly against
principles of finance" was one aphor-
ism. with which he strove to stem the
silver current. The speech was crowd
ed with alterations. One which the
Senator coined was an eXhortation to
purge the platform from an imputa-
ton of a purpose to plunder,"
Some where in this country there
may be some Murat," he shouted with
bitter intensity. "some Danton, some
Robespierre. but you have not the peo-
Die who -, follow him. and this
thrust brought an articulate. yells from
the galleries. ,,,.
GOV. RUSSELL'S PROTEST.
The Bay State delegates stood on
their chairs and sent up three ringing
cheers as Villas descended, and there
were cries of Russell, RUSSELL for
the keen, high-strung young states
man, three times governor of Massa-
chusetts, was pushing past the knot
of supernumeraries about the plat
form steps. AS his head and should
ers came into view, New York joined
Massachusetts in the cheers.
II have but one word to say" he be-
gan. The time for debate is past. /
am conscious" he said, impressively,
''painfully conscious that the mind
of this convention is not and has not
been open to argument. l know the
will of this great majority, which has
seen fit to override precedents and at
tack the sovereignty of States. is to
rigidly enforce its views.
Il know full well, that an appeal
also will fall on deaf ears There is but
one thing left-to enter my protest. l
do so, not to anger or i'm bitterness, but
with feeling of infinite sorrow. Our
if not this convention, will
listen to our protest"
He proceeded to speak in a pathetic
strain of the battles of the Democracy
)f Massachusetts in the dark days and
If the ultimate triumphs of Democratic
those principles he argued
we're TO be forgotten under new and
radical leadership. Principle was to
make way for eXpediency and such a.
could only invite defeat.
The delegates, especially those from
Massachusetts, had been demonstra-
i've at almost every word, but when
lie said, referring to George Fred Will
iams' speech, that one false note had
leen heard in the convention from