The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-12-26

IEtln Jennings Bryan sang his siren
song of silver and lured the good shin
Democracy upon the reefs of 1G to 1.
AS carly as 1860 Chicago's Importance
as railroad and population center
was sufficient to obtain for it nation.
al political gathering. The city had
little more than 100000 population
then and its facilities for taking care
or such an asscmblnge were barely
sufficient. A rambling structure called
''thc wigwam." capable of holding
5000 persons, was built Mt the south.
east corner Of Lake and Market streets
expressly for the convention. Never
was there greater general interest in
III" d"lihcrhtlons Of any party's dele
"''tcs. The city was filled with stranc-
"rS from all parts of tho state and
from various sections of tho West and
Northwest. Forty thousand visitors
add"d their clamor to the many thOu-
sands of citizens who found it impos-
sI''I" to gain admitiancc TO the hall.
ana so great was the confusion outside
at 'lln's thht tho proceedings were in
trrr'pfrd. Tho result of cacl, ballot
was made known to the crowds of mon
on the roof, who obtained their infor-
nation through the skyIiyht, rour
years before in the city of Phla-
dolphin. the republican party had held
It's first nominating convention. and
Fremont 'the pathfinder" was named
to contest with buchanan for the first
ofllcc in the land. Abraham Lincoln
at that time had como near to being
nominated for vice president, and for
mcr Senator William T.. Dayton of
New Jersey, who received the honor.
was now one of his rivals for the
presidency. The leading aspirant was
the accomplished and brilliant William
III. Seward, United States senator and
former governor Of New York, and the
foremost republican Of the time. The
Seward men were strong and conf.
dent. They held a parade and march.
ed into the convention with banners
flying. The Lincoln supporters we're
the more vociferous, and they occupied
most Of the remaining seats within
and comprised n majority of the tn.
multuous crowds without. Norman B.
Judd Of Chicago, secretary of the ma
tional committee, who afterward be-
came minister to Germany, entered the
hall Mt the head Of n body of followers,
carrying large crayon portrait of
Lincoln, and the roar that followed
was heard on the lake front. After
Judd came Judge David Davis. bear.
Ing long, moss-covered rail, with the
legend "Split by Lincoln" and this
caused another roar There were occa-
sfonal yclls from the outside for vari-
GUS speakers to 20 out and talk to the
mob. Ex-Congressman George Ash.
mum Of Massachusetts, chairman of the
convention, interrupted proceedings at
the afternoon session of the second
day, May II, long enough to tell Gov.
ernor Randall Of Wisconsin that he
was wanted by the people in the
streets, as there was no other way to
quiet them. Another communication
from the chair was an invitation from
the board Of trade to the delegates to
take an excursion on the lake. A feet
OF boats was ready at the Rush street
bridge, near the Richmond House. The
delegates thought we'll of the courtesy.
and voice proposed "three cheers for
Chicago" but no time was found for
an acceptance. There were few
speeches about the momentous nature
of tho occasion, but not much time
was wasted in superfuities. None of
the utterances so we'll expressed the
situation from the party's standpoint
as Mr.. Garfields great oratorical effort
twenty years later, when he said:
"The republic was bearing and wear
Ing triple chain of bondage. Long
familiarity with traffic in the bodies
and souls of men had paralyzed the
consciences of majority Of our peo-
pie; the narrowing and disintegrating
doctrine Of state sovereignty had
Sh0 oh lad q M N -, - I>x,,n II.