The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-07-05

like tO De, Out Will nOl- All 10 De
member OF the committee on resolu-
tions and could hardly serve on them
both. The committee on credentials
will have an important matter to set
tie at this convention. II must de
termine whether or not the party is
to be run by gavel rule. In my opin-
ion there is no more important ques-
tion before the public to-day than
whether or not a few men. one of
whom happens to have gavei in his
hand, shall override the wishes of the
voters who have selected certain men
to represent them in conventions. The
people elect their men. and should
have them, but in some cases of late
IL does not seem as though they were
getting them. | am opposed to such
proceedings from every standpoint"
Later in the day Mr.. Bryan gave out
the following formal statement:
after conferences with a number
of delegates from various sections /
am satisfied that the opposition to
Judge Parker is sufficient TO make his
nomination highly improbable. If not
impossible. There has been no con-
centration upon any anti-Parker can
didate. but two arguments are having
weight with the delegates. Among
| the radical democrats the feeling is
| that the party must not be surrender
ed into the hands of Wall street. The
| influences back OF the Parker candi-
dacy are so intimately associated
with the trusts and great corporations
that the democratic party could not
appeal to the masses.
"The party cannot afford to entrust
its future to the men who were re-
sponsible for the party's defeat in
1896 and 1900. II Mr.. Parker had
record of his own he might be judged
upon that record. But as he has re-
fused to speak. he must be judged by
the record of his political manager,
ex-senator Hill, and his financial
agent, August Belmont, and their rec
ords. A man who is weak enough to
put his candidacy in their hands be
fore the convention would not be
strong enough to resist their influence
after the election IL he were by any
possibility successful.
The first fight of the convention
seems likely to be over the Illinois
contest.
1.-The Illinois state convention prob
ably has no parallel in convention his
tory. 1t was run by brute force and
without any regard to democracy or
ldecency. The contestants will pre-
sent the endorsement of a majority of
the delegates of the convention, who,
Having been deprived of a voice in the
state convention. will appeal for jus
tice to the national organization. The
national committee cannot endorse
1.-THE Hopkins methods without over
Throwing the most fundamental of
democratic doctrines, viz: The right
of the majority to rule"
When asked about the platform, Mr..
bryan replied that nothing definite
could be said on the subject. He
hoped to see a platform satisfactory
Ito the democrats who had borne the
burden of the fight in recent cam
lpaigns. On the subject of candidates,
lhe maintains the attitude that he has
maintained all along. saying that he
lis not urging the nomination of any
particular person, and will be salts
fed with any one whose democracy is
Iunquestioned and who can be trusted
to faithfully carry out democratic
policies after election.
This morning at 10 o'clock the ma
ltional committee meets for the pur-
lpose of hearing evidence in number
of contests. and deciding in favor OF
delegates who are to be seated under
the temporary roll call. The real fight
in the majority of these cases will
come before the committee on creden-
tials. The principal contest will be in
Illinois, where protests are made
against two of the delegates at large
John p. Hopkins and Ben T. Cable
and 20 other delegates. two from each
lof Is districts.
The basis of contest in all these
cases is practically the same. it being
alleged that the Hopkins faction in the
Illinois democracy arbitrarily unseat-
ed delegates of the Harrison and
Hearst factions. for purposes of their
own. without a shadow of cause. The
Hopkins people on the other hand
claim that the original elections were
void. and that the action taken at the
Illinois state convention when the
delegates of the Harrison and Hearst
people were unseated was only right
ing a wrong previously committed
All possibility of the formal pre-.
sentation of the name of Mr.. Cleve
land to the convention appeared &c
vanish when the New Jersey delega-
tion arrived Sunday and announced
that in all probability the delegation
would not make an aggressive cam.
paign In the interest of the ex-presi
dent This decision was reached at g
meeting held on the train as it ap
preached st. Louis.
Following the arrival of Charles F
Murphy and other Tammany leader:
yesterday came the unfolding of tht
scheme to beat the Parker cOmbina
ton. II was very simple and consist
ed in visiting the various delegations
and asking them to stick by their can
didates long enough to produce {
deadlock