Evening star., 1898-09-27
ROOT WILL EXPLAIN
He Will Demonstrate Roosevelt's
Eligibility to Convention.
PLAN OF ATTACK ABANDONED
Delegates Rather Slow in Gather
ing Up at Saratoga Today:
R ECESS TILL $50 P. NJ

| ody lor the repuDncan convention to NOM
mate full state ticket opened bright and
| clear. All CT the leaders were up and at
their headquarters early, and all said that
| there was no change in the situation The
Black men still said their candidate would
| be placed before the convention.
Between 10 and II o'clock a number of
special trains arrived, some from Troy,
| bearing Black banners and with brass
bands playing patriotic airs. One from Al
bany, the Capital City Club, merely carried
! its club banner and with expression for
any candidate. The bands playing and the
procession moving lent a liveliness to the
scene that had hitherto not existed, and
| every indication pointed to an unusually
| large and very enthusiastic convention.
The fact that Mr.. Elhu Roots opinion as
to Col. Roosevelts candidacy would not be
| made public before the convention goes into
| session caused some comment. Mr.. Abra-
ham Gruber of the Black forces said at II
O'Clock that he would attempt the floor
OF the convention to compel them to show
| their proofs of eligibility but the Roose-
welt people laugh at this and say that they
are prepared with an answer, which Mr..
| Root will present to the convention tonight
| If the question is raised by the Black peo-
pie.
Will Not Attack Roosevelt.
1t was said in Black circles about noon
that the eligibility of Col. Roosevelt would
not be attacked on the floor of the conven-
ton with the authority of the governor or
! his lteutenants. While this, of course was
pleasant news to the Roosevelt managers,
there was still the danger of some delegate
| on his own responsibility bringing up the
question in the convention. To meet such
contingency Elihu Root was prepared he
told the representative of the Associated
Press to answer the charge of Col. Roose-
velts ineligibility. Mr.. Root said that he
| should not introduce the documentary evil
dence in the form of Roosevelt's letters to
his attorneys, the party managers have
decided not to make them public until later
| in the campaign. MIR. Root is confident
that he will be able to refute absolutely
and without question the charge that the
| Rough Rider is ineligible without resort
| ing to the documents in the case.
The delegates We're rather slow in enter
ing the convention hall. A banner bearing
| Il portrait of Col. Roosevelt was carried
| into the hall and was loudly applauded.
| The ex-minister to Spain, Stewart L.
| Woodford, was greeted with hearty ap
riause.
At 1914 Mr.. Platt entered the hall. Some
body saw him as he came through the
door and started applause, which finally
| became general.
| Convention Called to Order.
At precisely 1925 Chairman O'Dell rap
red for order, and Rev. Dr. Johnson of
Saratoga was asked to offer prayer.
Following the prayer, Louis F. Payn en-
| tered with his delegation, passing Mr.. Plat
| without recognition.
The roll of delegates for substitutes and
| corrections was called. While it was being
| called Lieutenant Governor Timothy L.
| Woodruff entered the hall and greeted
| with the heartiest cheer of the day, the roll
| call having to be delayed
| Mr.. Platt had another ovation when he
| arose to make a substitution in the Tioga
| delegation.
! Congressman Serene E. Payne was chosen
| temporary chairman and escorted to the
| Platform. He addressed the convention as
| follows:
| When we met two years ago we were
| on the eve Of a great national struggle
| The issues then were the most momentous
ever presented to the American people The
| populiStS had captured the democratic or
ganlzation at Chicago, and had entered up
| on savage warfare against law and order
| the maintenance of public faith by ample
| revenues and a safe and stable currency
| Every lover of law, every friend of national
honor and every foe of debased currency
| entered the contest against this new COM
| blnation. We nearly overturned the popo-
cratic majority in the United States Sen
! ate; we triumphantly elected a republican
| House of Representatives, and we placed
| in the White House wise and patriotic
] statesman, William Mckinley.
| Two years of his administration have
| passed into history, and we are soon to
| face another election. Now our friends
| the enemy, tell US that they have lost ali
l
| to make campaign upon state issues
| solely. They evidently fear to face the peo-
pie on their national record. Having no
recent record on state affairs thew are
willing to go before the people on that is
sue. The democratic party is never SO
| happy as when 1t can escape looking into
| Its own past. We will meet them on state
| issues, if they desire We shtrk no respon-
| slbftty. If mistakes have been made a re-
publican executive will be swift to correct
them. But we will not permit these mat
1 fh1
questions that are before U.S. They saw
.here are no national issues; no national
issues! Why, we are to elect United
States senator and thirty-four representa-
lives in Congress, who will deal with ou4s-
ttons as important as any that eve. re-
celVed the attention of the national Con-
gress.'
Problems Before Next Congress.
Mr.. Payne reviewed the results achieved
| by the Mckinley administration UP to the
| present and then said:
THE next Congress must deal with the
question Of our tariff and internal reve
| nues. Our new possessions will disturb our
tariff revenues. large portion of the in
creased receipts from the war revenue bill
VIII become unnecessary. These matters
must all be revised, and experience has
taught this people, by the seyerest lessons
that this can only be safely done by thu
republican party.
FROM the very beginning of the present
doHliHlS trallon, new questions arose which
We did not anticipate two years ago,
Mr.. Payne then recited the events in
connection with the Spanish war, CRITICS.
ing the attitude of the democrats for their
advancing an income tax proposition to
raise revenue for war expenses.
New Questions Have Arisen.
New questions he continued, .have
grown out of the war New territory has
been acquired. What shall be done with it?
New administrative questions will arise.
questions of revenue, questions of finance.
all of which are disturbed by our new re-
sponsibilities. Shall we adopt colonial
policy? What shall it be? Whatever is
done with these islands, we must lift up
their se,ni-barbarous people toward the lev
Ell Of American citizenship. Their govern
| ment their civilization, their education de-
| mand the best wisdom of our ablest states
men. Shall We trust their settlement to
| those who two years ago were making a
crusade against law and order against
American credit and appealing to the low
est motives of the citizen; or shall we stand
by the administration and give to President
Mckinley. at the national capital. Sem