The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-11
ON THE FIRST BALLOT.
Balloting Was interrupted by a
Big Row.
Parker Sent a Telegram Declar-
ing for Gold Standard.
The Party Was on the Verge of
Disruption For a Time.


ident at 1 o'clock Sunday morning. Mr..
Davis received on the first ballot 654
votes, Is less than enough to nominate.
The vote was made unanimous.
After a fight over a message from
Judge Parker was settled the order of
business went back to the point where
Governor Vardaman sprung a Parker
telegram rumor when the roll of states
was about to be called on the vote for
the nomination of a candidate for vice
president. The chair directed that the
roll should be called.
The result of the ballot, unofficially,
was: Williams, 165; Turner, "a; Davis,
654; Harris, S. Iowa did not vote. The
nomination of Davis was made unan-
imouS.
the proceedings of the convention
should be printed.
Delegate John Lamb of Indiana
moved that the Democratic national
committee be authorized to fill any va
cancies that might occur on the nation
al ticket. The motion was made in the
form of a resolution which was adopt
| ed without opposition. A resolution
naming and thanking the officers of
the convention was also adopted; also
James K. Jones and the outgoing ma
| tional committee. The people of St.
Louis and the Business Mems league of
the city were thanked for entertain
ment provided. Chairman Champ Clark
and Temporary Chairman John Sharp
Williams were made respectively chair
man of the committees to notify Judge
Parker and ex-senator Davis of their
nomination.
1t was also announced that the new
national committee would meet in New
York on date to be fixed by the chair
man.
Frederick G. Holman was announced
as national committeeman from Ore
gon.
Thanks to the management, president
and officers of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition company were expressed in
a resolution. which was agreed to.
The convention ratified, by agreeing
to motion, the selection as member
of the national committee Thomas
Taggart of Indiana Mr.. Taggarts Sc
| lection was announced too late to be
recorded in the regular way.
Senator McCreary of Kentucky pre-
sided in the closing moments of the
convention. At 1:31 o'clock Senator Nc
Creary adjourned the convention sine
die, the band playing AUD Lang
Syne.''
Judge Alton B. Parker succeeded in
committing the Democratic party ire
vocably to the gold standard in the
coming campaign, even in a more OBJ
jectiopable way to the free silver advo-
cate than if the platform had contained
a declaration that the existing gold
standard should be maintained.
He sent a telegram to his chief lieu
tenant. W. F. Sheehan, in which he
said in effect that he regarded the
lished and if elected president he
would proceed on that theory. He
said in effect. too, that if the conven-
ton did not subscribe to these views
it could elect another standard
bearer.
The first inclination of the delegates
was to revolt and nominate some
body else Such situation was per-
-, IL al on fI0 aEyo of q
convention adiournme 1t forced
an adjournment while the nominal
lions were in progress for vice presi-
dent and caused dozen men of
observation-disclosures to make attacks on
their newly made nominee
After the desperation wore off, the
delegates began to think the situation
over. The alternative was presented
of accepting Parker's ultimatum or
disrupting the party organization. BY
a vote of TIA to 191 they adopted
resolution instructing the chairman
to send a letter to Judge Parker stat
ing that it did not make any differ
ence what his views on the gold
standard were, that he was all right
and the convention still stood for
him"
The resolution was not expressed in
that language, but it had that mean
ing. Mr.. Bryan got out of a sick bed
to make his fight once more. Every
southern state lined up in defense of
a gold standard declaration rather
than see the party split in fragments. |
The east of course stood firm, and
driven to the extremity, compelled to |
choose between Bryan and their new
nominee the free silver states of the |
west gave a majority vote for Parker. |
Missouri stood by Bryan in the last
fight, but Missouri was practically |
alone. Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory broke to Parker and gold.
Colorado came over, Idaho divided, |
and Montana voted against Bryan and |
with Parker. The convention had |
been stampeded into an adjournment |
by the Parker dispatch while vice |
presidential candidates were being |
placed in nomination. 1t took the |
subject up just where it had left off |
after the vote had been taken indors- |
ing Parker's gold standard, and nomi- |
mated Henry G. Davis, the Democratic |
gold standard leader of West Virginia. |
For hours the delegates were in a |
state of absolute panic. A dispatch /
from Judge Parker to his managers
announcing his position on the money
question and asking that the conven-
ton be notified was the occasion for |
a stampede.
The telegram, which follows, was
kept secret for a time by the New
York delegation:
ly and irrevocably established. and I
shall act accordingly if the action of
the convention today is ratified by the
people. Inasmuch as the platform is +
silent on the subject deem it neces-
Sary to make this communication to
the convention for its consideration,
as I should feel it my duty to decline
the nomination EXCEPT with that I'M
DISQUALIFICATION B. Parker
The delegates were in a tren1or of
rear. They demanded the message
After an uproarious session it was
read. The following telegram was