Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-22

former. UP until the time for the
committee on resolutions to report
the silver men thought they would
win an easy victory. AS the time
passed however, and the committee
did not report, the silver men headed
by Charles A. Walsh, j. B. Weaver
and Fred White began to get nervous.
Reports from The committee room
We're to the effect, that a strong anti
silver feeling had developed and that
these were largely in the majority
Walter H. Butler was on the commit
tee, however, and he was loyal to his
friends. He fought the opposition to
the last, and when he saw he could
not get his kind of a platform, he pre-
pared a minority report and signing
it with Claude Porter and John J.
Seerleyl and carried the fight to the
floor. Seerley was an anti-silver man,
but his district had instructed him to
vote for a re-affirmation of the Kan
sas City platform and he remained
loyal to his constituents.
Majority Report.
The majority report was presented
by ex-senator w. l.. Cleveland, of Har
Ian, an avowed opponent of Bryan and
free silver He was greeted with ap-
plause. and it looked as though he
was going to outwit all the party lead
ers, and get his report adopted easily.
Butler was right behind him when he
moved the adoption of the majority
report, and before the convention had
gotten quieted down he began read
ing his minority. When he had finish
ed the convention went wild. Now it
was seen that silver dominated. The
majority report is as follows:
1--WE, the democrats of Iowa., in con-
vention assembled, do hereby declare
and adopt the following declaration of
principles:
Resolved. That the fundamental
principle of democracy. equal rights
to all and special privileges to none, .
taxation. The democratic party be-
should be borne equally by all taxable
property. We pledge the members of
the general assembly to formulate and
urge the adoption of such law as will
compel the burdens of taxation to rest
on corporate and individual property
alike, without favor or exemption OF
any interests.
We demand economy in the admin.
| istration of state affairs, the repeal OF
the mulct law, the enactment of To-
cal option law, the abolition of Offices
of state printer and state binder and
the contracting for supplies for the
state with the lowest responsible bid
der
We cordially invite all honest men
of the state to unite with us in seeur
ing the enactment of these principles
into law.
/ All in a tumble.
| When Butler made motion to sub
stitute his minority for the majority
report, d. W. Hamilton of Sigourney
jumped to the front with another min
ority report. 1t agreed with the ma
iority report with the exception of the
preamble. and was offered as sub
stitute for the Butler minority report
j Hamilton was doomed to defeat before
he had gone very far however, as his
report was ruled out OF order on tht
/ ground that a substitute could not bt
offered to substitute.
! Delegates in Frenzy.
i When the roll call began for the
substitution of the Butler minorit.
for the majority, the convention again
went wild. All the pent up feeling o
the past year spent itself right ther'
j. and it was many minutes before th'
convention could be controlled. As th;
vote progressed it was seen the .siive
forces dominated and Cato Sells
], Charles Walsh and Butler were on th,
back of the stage holding a jollifica
tion meeting and hugging themselve
!, on their success. There was mucl
J. confusion during the roll call and fin