The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-03
EIGHT HUNDRED STRONG.
Gold Convention a Representative
Gathering.
ALL BUT THREE STATES REPRE-
SCENTED BY DELEGATES.
Address by Temporary Chairman Flower
greatest Enthusiasm Manifested When
Cieveland's Name Was Mentioned-Ad-
tournament Until II O'Clock.

/ EiuCfuSlaSm Nlanlkcbtcu w AciA
Cieveland's Name Was Mentioned-Ad-
tournament Until II O'Clock.
indianapolis, Sept. AIT 1877 John
M. Palmer of Illinois chairman of the
National COMMITTEES called the sound
money Democratic convention to order.
bishop John P. White of the Protes-
tans Episcopal church offered the opening
prayer Secretary Joseph Outhwaite of
ONO. secretary of the national commit
tee, read the oall for the convention.
when the name of Cleveland was read
In the call insoonnection with the names
OF Jenrson and Jackson the mem bers of
the convention rose and cheered and ap-
piauded loud and long. The next bust.
ness In order was declared to be the call
OF states to ascertain who were present.
Responses to the call included full
delegation from Maine. The secretary
reported that a complete 1oll of the
states showed Al responses to the call.
There was no response from Nevada,
Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. To the call
OF territories Alaska. Arizona and New
Mexico responded. Oklahoma and
Indian territories were not represented.
There were in all 1874 delegates present.
When the call was completed Senator
Palmer called for report from the ma
tionsal committee. The report was read
by MIR. Brennan of Wisconsin. 1t recon-
msuded that until otherwise ordered the
rules OF the last Democratic national
| convention held in 1899 should govern
the deliberations Of this convention. 1t
also Recommended the following tenn
porary officers: Chairman Roswell p.
Flower OF New York, secretary John r.
wilson, Indianapolis; sergeant-at-arms,
Walter P. Kesseler of Idianapolis.
The reading Of the report was inter-
| rupted with frequent applause.
Ex-Governor Flower upon taking the
chair spoke as follows:
| This gathering is notice { to tho world
that the Democratic party has not yet
surrendered to Populism and Anarchy.
| The true principles of Democracy, ex-
pounded Ey Jefferson and exemplified
| through century of national history,
are not dead because those principles
have been repudiated by a co nvention
calling itself Democratic but controlled
by n-Democratio influences Those are
! true Democrats who remain true TO the
ssaz aciples of their party and who refuse
| TO be bound BY party declarations which
betray party faiths and threaten both
party and country with disaster.
The danger of the Chicago platform
| lies not alone nor chiefly In its declara-
tion for financial policy which woula
be ruinous. The danger lies in the reyo-
lutionary influences which controlled the
convention and animated It's platform.
Men may justly differ as to the best
sob eIne of national finance and may de-
| bate their differences without recrimina-
tion OF without questioning the honesty
of motives. But when men, led on by
| ambitious politicians, their minds fred
| trtots. but by thaS OF the radicals of the
French revolution, overrun party pre-
| cedents and pack convention to SECURE
an effective majority, then by aid Of that
| majority raise aloft the incendiary ban
ner OF the poor against the rich, attack
the integrity of the Supreme Court,
threaten the subversion of national
institutions and the Indirect perYer-
sion Of constitutional guarantees, inoite
| the disrespect to law and authority. sug
gest and III substance recommend the
repudiation OF national and private debts
and reject by intended implication the
foundation principle of Democracy that
| thataS government governs best which
governs least, t,-then it Is time not only
ADI DollOCIdtb W lOEStekc t0dU luOUl0y anu
un-Amerlcan gathering, to reject that
nm Democratic and un-Amerioan enun-
citation of doctrines, and to join, in such
manner as may seem best, will all patri-
OTIS who cherish their oountry's honor
and wish to protect the welfare of the
people.
Mr.. Bryan takes pains to reiterate, in
about every second speech, that he stands
sQuarely on the Chicago platform and
supports every one of its planks. He has
not announced his acceptance of all of the
planks of the Popullst platform, but in
asmuch as these are only different in de-
gree and he has been ide titled with Pop
ulism quite as mu oh as with Democracy.
1t is but fair to assume that he stands
on both platforms. Not quite so radical
in his views, perhaps, as AL tgeld or Till
man, not quite so frank as Tom Watson,
he Is nevertheless lit representative of
the revolutionary forces behind him
mbitious, unsteady and unsafe There
is nothing in his career or in his present
utterances to encourage the hope that If
elected he would rise above his surround
1ngs or stay th hand which threatens to
destroy and peryert. An untried man,
demagogue, a word juggler, ne perhaps
will represent the restless mob from
which he rose, and with characteristic
recklessness does not hesitate to appeal
TO base passions in order to attract votes.
y The revolutionary spirit which
forced Bryan's nomination is
manifess in his speeches now
being delivered throughout the country.
His conspicuous failure at Madison
Square Garden to ADVANCE the cause of
silver by close argument has induced him
to abandon the weapon of the :. logioian
and Statesman ard to employ the arts of
the orator. From the rear end Of oars he
has been finging our social and political
i1rebrands among the people. He appeals
to the base Instincts Of the ignofanS or
to the misery Of the distressed He
strives to array class against class, to in
cite employee against employer. to stir
up debtor against creditor, to make this
q contest of the poor against the rich.
May dod prevent this inoendiary's work
IN THIS broad land it has been our proud
boast that the avenues of success have
been open to all. The rich TODAY were
the poor of yesterday. No families Of
lnnerlied wealth dominate our politics
or:our society. Before the law all men
are equal. The same opportunities do
NOT oofne TO ALI men; some succeed, many
fail, but no barrier to success or position
Is created by law. Industrial conditions
may be affected by unwise laws, and
When this ID demonstrated we attempt to
change them through the opportunity
which every man has to register his vote