The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-09-03

ltOT general. mas telegrdDned CHAIRMAN
Garman that he had been nominated
without his consent and declined to
run The report came from authorita-
tive sources, but could not be verified.
READING, Pa, Sept. 1.-The Demo-
cratic state convention nominated
Walter L. Ritter of LycOming county,
for auditor general, and NJ. L. Brown
OF BlairsviIle, for state treasurer. The
matter of the selection of candidates
was entirely overshadOwed by the fight
TO force the retirement of William r.
Harrity from the national committee.
The opponents of Mr.. Harrity sue
ceeded in pushing through, by a vote
of 29O TO 134. resolution endorsing
james NJ. Guffey for his position. Mr..
Harrity's friends contend that the state
convention has no power to declare his
seat IN the national committee vacant
and that he Will not surrender without
Il fight.
The first session of the convention
ended with a dISgraCeful row, during
which some delegates who aid not like
the way things were going climbed
upon the stage and exchanged blows.
a large detachment of policemen were
on hand when the convention recon-
Vened, and everything was serene.
When State Chairman Garman called
the convention TO order he announced
the temporary organization as agreed
uDOn by the executive committee. Con-
gresham ErmentrOut. temporary chair
man. received a round of applause
when he received the gavel from Mr..
Garman.
Mr. ErmentrOut, after dwelling upon
the significance of the convention, said
IN part
This is not convention of men who
are about To become Democrats, but Ol
men VINO are Dem OCratS already. Those
who would partici pate and hold the com
mission of the party should be such, and
only such. 1t would be an outrage on the
brave men. who in the great campaign of
I>.6. 80 fcsIrlc~Sly fought under the ban
ncrS of our matchleSS leader. William j
Bryan, and the Chicago platform. not tC
allow the administrative offices of the
organization to remain in the hands of
those who by their dcScrtiOn brought
about our defeat
Had 1t not been for such as they the
country would have been spared the spec
Uuclc of Mark Hanna in command of its
legislators and legislation There would
have been no Republican congress-nC
iIuuS-faCed Dinglcy bill which in the
JwinklinC OF AN eye put into the pockets
OF "a mun~trOuS trust SS,UbD,OuO and made
the nation tributary To il in the future.
Instead of RcpubliCaniSm. Democracy
would br the fountain of honor and pre-
fcrmcnt and the dcstinics of the country
would now be presided over by William
!. Bryan, the peoples choice. The last
campaign proved thirt the Democratic
party does not need such leaders as the
late president, or the late senator from
New York. or others in your own state
who cit her voted against Won or did not
raise their voices for you while you Were
battling bravely for the good old cause.
1t Il not Tor me to say to this cOnven
tiOn what shall be the policy of the com
ing campaign That is for the convention
10 decide But upon whatever policy this
convention may conclude | warn you that
any action you may take or any deciara-
uunS You may make that Will relic CT
directly in the least on the candidates OF
platform of the Chicago convention or on
the men who fought for them will inv, {,
party dcmOrulIZaUiOn and will not meeI
with the approval of the Democratic
masses
a wild scene of enthusiasm followed
Mr.. ErmentrOut' 5 mention of the namt
of William J. Bryan. Delegates and
spectators stood in their chairs and
waved hats and handkerchie's as they
cheeTed the name of their leader.
The roll call was then begun. 1t was
long and tedious, owing to the mum Der
of substitutiOns When the call was
concluded, John I. Lanahan of Wilkes
barre claimed several of the delegates
from LuZerne were not regularly
elected and were not entitled to seats
Chairman Ermentrout refused TO recog-
niZe Lanahan, and declared the conven-
tlOn adjourned for an hour. John T.
Murphy of Philadelphia, a secretary.
grabbed the gavel from Ermentrout and
attempted TO preside. ErmentrOut tried
TO recover the gavel and a free fight en-.
sued on the stage. The police were
called IN TO quell the riot. Murphy
was finally elected from the stage and
the belligerents ordered to take their
seats. Nobody was in ured in the
sCrimmage, but much bad blood was en-
gende req. The convention then took a
recess for an hour.
When the convention reassembled
the force Of policemen in the hall had
been reinforced, and there were other
evidences of preparations to prev ent a
repetition of the dlsgraceful scene that
brought the morning session to a c.ose.
Chairman Ermentrout announced
that the offending secretary, John 7.
Murphy OF Philadelphia, would be ex-
cluded from the stage. Chairman Iams
OF the credentials committee submitted
a report seating Howley, Acklin, Lar
kin, Sawyer, Gallagher, Herd, Pierce
and Gosser, frCm the Fifth Allegheny
district; Fenner, Hicks and Smith, /,
from the Sixth LuZerne district, and
district, to keep his seat. John T.
Lenahan of LuZerne appolOgized to the
convention for his share of the disturb
ance and retired from the hall.
The comm ttee on permanent organi-
ZatiOn reported the name of R w
Irwin of Washington, for permanent
chairman, aud recommended the con-
tInuatiOn Ct the other temporary
officers, with the exception that G. w
ZulICk of Northampton replaced John
t Murphy. as one of the secretaries
Mr. Irwin N his speech said in part
We meet under the most favorable aus
piccS The better class of Republicans in
Pennsylvania have become weary and dis
gusted with the chickering's and strife ant
the struggle for supremacy among their
own leaders To the utter disregard of the
interests of the people and mutterings of
revolt are heard from the Ohio to the
Delaware 1t is now two years since
their state convention, dominated abso
lutcly 10y one man, passed high sounding
resolutions, with the avOwed object snC
confident promise of reforming the ad-
GiniStrurion of affairs in the state, puri-
wing the municipal government in the
Two great cities of the commonwealth,
md rendering the political leaders in
those two cities mere Nightmares of the
past. One year ago those resolutions were
Tcailrmed and n legislature, Overwhelm-
ingly Republican in both branches, was
elected, pledged to carry out those re
forms That legislature has met and adj
!Ourncd and the adoption of a resolution
ior final adjournment was the only beneti-
cent act which it VOuchsafed TO the peo-
Iie of a suffering commonwealth during
flc entire period of its legislative exist
Ince. Pledged To reform, il passed meas
urcS stripped of every element of reform.
which legaiized the very evils they pro-
fesScd To eradicate.
Whflta =
sylvania, let us not forget that in a larger
sense we are members of the great ma
tional Democratic party, the party of
jackson, the greatest champion of the