The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-07-03
ALTGELD FOR SILVER
~RENCMINATED BY THE DE-
MOCRACY OF ILLINOIS.
He il Their Idol and Leader-Nomination
Urged Upon Him Against His Most Ear
nest Protest-Delivers q Remarkable
Address Silver the Battle Cry.

He was unanimously placed at the
head OF the ticket. He had no oppo-
nent, and a few moments before the
honor was thrust upon him, declared
he did not want 1T. He said so at the
conclusion Of one of the most i'm
pressive speeches ever made before a
Democratic convention. He said he
was physically unable to lead the
fight, and his financial affairs were in
bad shape and needed his attention.
No sooner had he mentioned his de-
sire to retire from public life than
there came an imprisoned shout of
d~1sapproval, not only from the dele.
gates, but from thousands of people
Who were crowded in the hall. 1t
was a strange convention, and will
not soon be forgotten. It was in ses-
sion only a little over five hours.
Nearly all the candidates were .nomi-
mated by reclamation. There was no
strife. There were no acrimonious
speeches save those directed against
the enemy.
The convention came out strongly
Tor free silver, and so instructed its
MISUNDERSTANDING to the National
convention. The platform was almost
Numerically opposite in all it's parts
to hat of the Republican party, and
the LOGS delegates voted unanimously
for it's adoption.
The following delegates-at-large to
the convention at Chicago were then
reported: John p. Altgeld and Sam
uel 2. Mcconnell, Chicago; w. IL.
Henrichsen, Jacksonville, and George
w. Fithian of Jasper county.
NO lnStrDctJopS Uorn riuap Tow Droe-
ident.
Governor Altgeld's Address.
While waiting for the committee on
resolutions to report Governor Ait
geld stepped upon the platform, and
Tor several minutes there was the
most enthusiastic uproar that had
yet been witnessed. He was called
Tor, when he stepped forward and
said, in part:
-Four years ago u people met
under brighter skies. We swept the
country bv such a majority that fdel-
lty to Democratic principles would
have insured supremacy for a quarter
OF a century. But before the inaug-
ural festivities had ceased at Wash
lngton the head of the administration
sought strange gods and espoused
alien principles. The interests Of
money were placed above those of hui
manity. Organized greed was fed
with golden spoons, while the cry of
the husbandman was unheeded and
the sweat of the toilor brought him
no bread.
the Republicans had inherited the
principles of Hamilton, according to
which the government should be a
convenience for the rich. Our Presi-
dent tried to crowd them out and to
place his WI feet on this ground. AS
the months rolled by, every principle
that is vital to republican institution
was violated and every precept of JEFF
ierson, every doctrine fundamental to
Democracy, was trampled into the
earth. Since her defeat has followed
dlshonor until we have lost even what
we formerly had.
"All might have been we'll if the
administration had respected repub-
llcan institutions, and not used its
great powers to increase the burdens
OF u people for the benefit of for
eign and Eastern shylocks.
But the spirit of Democracy is i'm
mortal.
To-day the Democratic hosts are
again mastering on the plain. I'm
fortunately, we have pursued a course
which has led men t. question
Democracy, and to doubt our proses-
sions. We have allowed ourselves to
be influenced by men who have not a
drop OF Democratic blood in their
veins.
THE first thing necessary for uc to
do is to stand for something definite,
stand for those principles upon which
the hope of humanity depends. II we
do this, and once show the people that
we are IN earnest, no power in this
land can prevent our shaping the
policy and guiding the destinies of the
republic.
Mark %IKanna's Trust.
Last week there was held in St.
Louis q convention which will be-
known in history as Mark Hanna,s
trust Railroad attorneys. corpora
ton agents, lobbyists and those men
who have made millions out of the
and are looking for an
other harvest by governmental aid.
were not only In control, but filed
every place from chairman to page.
1t was the most brazen effort on the
part OF organized greed that was ever
witnessed in this country. If the
party will be true to it's
mission, if it will not weaken itself
with compromises, or destroy it's
strength by adopting a neutral course.
then the ticket placed in nomination
St. Louis will be dead long before
the frosts Of November come. If the
Democratic party will declare for an
policy, if it will boldly de
clare that we must be true to our
selves, and look after American in
'erests first, we will sweep this
country.