Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-30
CLANS AT COLUMBUS
Ohio Democrats Assembled in Con-
vention.
GREAT ENTHUSIASM OVER SILVER
Delay Likely Over Contested DEL
egations.
SLOANE'S ROUSING SPEECH

Special Disretch to The Evening Star.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 30.-It begins to
look as though democratic state conven-
ton would not finish today. Several of
contests for seats decided by committee on
credentials last right are to be carried to
the floor Of the convention. This will cause
delay. 1t is believed that nominations for
governor will net be made until late in the
afternoon. Hough seems to have a long
lead, however, and will probably be ncmi-
mated.
Brtce md Cleveland Ignored.
The convention was the most largely at
tended of any such occasion since the civil
war At that time there were some mass
conventions which attracted larger crowds,
but no state conventions of recent years
have eqaaled the present one in attend
ance. While this convention was in some
respects mass meeting of free silver fu-
sionists. the large attendance was partly
due to the fact that complete new ticket
was to be nominated, and there was an un-
usually large number of candidates for
each place. The rev Columbus Auditor
1um, with seating capacity of 6COU, had
just been completed for the convention,
mands for admission. The Auditorium was
beautifully decorated with bunting AID
plants There was a profession of portraits
OF democratic leaders about the walls but
that of President Cleveland was not in the
collection. The Ohio state convention last
year was not as strongly for free silver as
the convention of today, and in the con-
vcction one year ago there was some dis
turbance because CT a motion to turn the
picture of Cleveland to the wall" The pic
tGre of Senator Brice, we'll as those of
other gold democrats, were missing from
the galaxy Of heroes. The familiar picture
Il a T.
traction, and that of the late Allan G.
Thurman was quite conspicuous. Last
year when John r. Mclean was selected
to head the Ohio delegation to Chicago w.
w. Durbin was made chairman of the state
certral committee, and he was reelected
last night by the Mclean influence, while
Daniel McConville was also reelected
chairman of the state executive committee.
The Convention Opens.
When the convention was called to order
at 10 am. by Chairman Durbin he con-
graduated the party on the signs Of the
times and the enthusiastic condition of the
party. He made speech for free silver.
Prayer was offered by Rev. E. L. Rexford,
pastor of the Universalist Church in this
city, and then Mr.. Uric Sloane was in
troduced as the temporary chairman Of
the convention who said in part:
7 '"fhe people of Ohio, and. indeed, Of the
Union, are to be congratulated upon this
large assembiage, for 1t is a convention
OF Representatives of the whole people, the
masses, and not of bosses" of trusts, of
syndicates or of the hired tools of the
despotisln of Wall and Lombard street
greed This convention comes from the
common people and owes its allegiance
alone to them, and is not here to record the
edict of self-constituted boss ruling. not
because of distinguished services to the
country and statesman, patriot or soldier,
nor by force Of great intellectual attain
ments, but by the sheer brute force OF
wealth.
.It is expected that your temporary
chairman shall strike the keynote of the
coming campaign. Well, that keynote shall
be sounded On silver chord. 1T VIII be no
new note, but a prolcngation OF that sound
ed by the national convention at Chicago
last summer, and one that has grown in
power and volume since carried in a grand
diapason of over six million voices to the
pclls last November. There may be some
in this convention, though 1 doubt it. who
hoped that the silver note was silenced.
There were many In the land who imme-
diately after the last November election
such republicans, Mckinley democrats, or
followers of the dudes and dotards who
met at Indianapolis. the renewal of the
slogan of free silver here and in Kentucky
will be a warning to them that the fiery
cross is speeding over mountain and valley,
over hill and dale. over field and forest,
summoning the silver clansmen to fight
the great battle for the people and re-
SCiSLlS AO Wcdh OE uHCtItdlu TeSpOHSe
The Democratic Remedy.
The democratic party believes there Is
a remedy for the present ills. It is the
restoration by law to it's ancient constitu-
tional and lawful place alongside of gold
of the silver dollar, with free ard unllln-
tied coinage for both at the ratio Of 16 to
l and both endowed by statute with full
legal tender power in payment of all debts.
public and private. With such legislation
accomplished, national bimetallism will ex-
ist. and International bimetallism will
soon follow. and the peoples Of the earth
will be free frcm the tyranny of a selfish
money oligarchy.
"All other questions sink into insignif-
caEce compared with that of the restora-
that be our war cry and make that the end
and aim Of our warfare.
Victory thus won will be but the pre-
lude to that much greater victory we shall
of William ]. Bryan. We shall sink the
golden idol IL the sea OF eternal obscurity
harmless forevermore."
Just before the convention was called
to the hall. 1t lad as ornaments the
crown of thorns and clock indicating 16
minutes to o'clock. 1t was quite large,
and. as it form ed the centerpiece among
the floral designs about the stage, Chair
man Sloane In gesture pointed TO 1t with
great effect as he proceeded with his Wig
orous speech. There was also a living
white rooster perched on the stage to add
to the enthusiasm.
Applause for Silver.
The speech Of Chairman Sloane was fire.
quently interrupted with the widest dem
onstrations of applause, especially in his
references to silver. The keynote of every
thing was silver. The glee club that enter
tanned the large audience in the early
hours sang only silver songs, and 1t was on
the silver chords that Chairman Sloane
struck the responses.
The greatest demonstration Of the con-
vention followed that part of Chairman
Sloane's speech in which he referred to
William J. Bryan as the leader of the sll-
yer cause for 1900. and 1t was with tlis
climax that the speaker closed his key
note speech.
TIE committee on rules and order Of
business made the usual report, with the
exception OF q supplemental report on the
question OF leaving one vacancy on the
state ticket to be filed by the State League
OF Silver Republicans. The report referred
the question back to the convention. A
recommendation was then presented from