The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-22
RICHARD OLNEY
is THEIR CHOICE
MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATS
WANT HIM NOMINATED BY THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.


Observe the Unit Rule and to Vote
for OIneY-Henrst Men Were In
furInted by This Course, but They
Were I'm n Decided MinOrity-WiIl-
Jams Says the Delegation viii
Not Observe the Unit Rule.
Boston, April 21.-By an over
whelming vote the Massachusetts,
Democratic convention at fremont
Temple to-day instructed four dele
gates-at-large and twenty delegates
from the various congressional dis
tricts of the state to support Richard
Olney of this city for the presidential
nomination at the National Democratic
| Convention at st. Louis next July.
Four delegates at large pledged to
the support of Olney were elected
and the supporters of william R.
Hearst of New York as the presiden-
tial nominee were defeated by vote
of about GA to 27O. A resolution Of
fered by Representative John A. Coul-
thurst of Boston. indorsng the candi-
dacy of Mr. Hearst, was voted down
by very large majority The fol-
lowing were elected delegates at large:
| William A. CASTOR of Boston, Pat
rick A Collins of Boston, William L.
Douglas of Brockton and John r.
Thayer of Worcester.
George Fred williams, the leader of
that faction of the Massachusetts De-
| mocracy supporting the candidacy of
| William r. Hearst, made a vigorous
protest against the adoption of the
unit rule, but the convention, by a
vote of nearly three to one, refused TO
strike from the platform the clause
| calling for uniform action with refer
ence to presidential nominees, and
after adopting the resolutions present.
| ed by the majority of it's committee,
on motion of Josiah quincy, voted that
the unit rule govern not only the sup
port of Mr.. Olney, but all matters
pertaining to the convention.
After adjournment Mr.. Williams is
sued a statement in which he said the
action Of the convention in adopting
the unit rule was a rank absurdity
from beginning to end, and that the
district delegates would pay no atten-
ton to to-days votes.
Only an OIney Plank.
The platform adopted consisted of a
single plank. which says:
I'VE present to the Democrats OF
the United States the name OF Richard
Olney as one conspicuously qualified
for the office of President We present
him as citizen. not only OF Massa-
chusetts alone. but of the United
states, thoroughly acquainted with the
| needs of our country. lust and inn
partial towards all its needs; one who
has respect for the law in letter and
spirit, whose courage and vigor in
maintaining our rights, national and
finnnI a hnnnn nd n
have been put to the test and demon-
strated in high public office; one who
| vigorously enforced the traditional pol
| lcies of our country by protecting Il
weak sister republic in South America
| from the encroachments of a strong
| European power; one in whom the
spirit of justice and of scrupulous re-
gard for the rights of the people, sin
gly and collectively. is inborn.
1--WE hereby instruct the delegates
| and alternates chosen to attend the
national convention at st. Louis By
! this convention. and by the congress
sional district conventions, to place in
nomination the name of Richard Olney
as the choice Of Massachusetts, for the
Democratic nomination for President,
! and we further instruct said delegates
and alternates to cast the vote of Mas
sachusetts as a unit for him In the
convention until the nomination shall
be made. or his name shall be with
drawn by authority"
Then Excitement Began.
! 1t was during the reading of these
| resolutions that the convention reached
! the climax of it's turbulence. The first
mention of the name of Mr.. Olney
| evoked prolonged applause, but when
| the suggestion of the adoption of the
unit rule was made there was an up
| roar
Shouts of mo, no" from the Hearst
! delegates rang through the hall and
| cries of "It is an outrage could be
| distinguished in the general noise and
confusion Suddenly the Hearst dele
! gates stood upon their seats and with
great enthusiasm gave cheer after
| cheer for Hearst. The spirit seemed to
| infect the Olney men, for they, too,
cheered heartily for their choice.
When this demonstration which last
ed several minutes, had subsided, John
Coulthurst read the minority report in
dorsing Mr.. Hearst as the Democratic
nominee.
The reading of this report was the
signal for another uproar. The ques-
ton then came upon the substitution
of the. minority report of the commit
| tee for the majority report.
A heated debate upon the resolutions
followed, several delegates seizing the
opportunity TO make impassioned
| speeches in behalf of Mr.. Olney or
Mr. Hearst. Delegate Cunningham OF
Somerville declared that If the Hearst
delegates were not given far show
they would form a new party. During
this debate cheers, Kisses, handclapping
and interjected exclamations of APP
proval or dlsapproval continued.
A vote on the question of substitu-
ton resulted in an overwhelming vic
tory for the Olney forces, the motion
to substitute being lost. The majority
report was accepted by a large ma
jority.