The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-08

| cheer again but MT. Bryan at once bact. oned for silence with his right hand and while he held his minority report on the Illinois contests in his left. In a moment he had the cheering checked and began the reading of the report.
 His voice was clear and was heard plainly although not using extraordinary force The convention remained in atten- tive silence which was emphasized by comparison oy the wild confusion that had prevailed almost continuously since the convention began its enthusiastic out breaks at o'clock.
 The battle begun thus
 The Minority Report.
 This Illinois has a state central com mittee with one John P. Hopkins as It's head. Finding itself in a minority in the state convention, said convention delfb- erately planned to override the democratic vote of the state and secured by fraud and intimidation a majority of the dele i gates to the national convention. To this end they brought contests in number of districts outside of those controlled by said committee and placed their own men upon the temporary call of the conven- ton.
 Then they had credeptials commit tee made up and as far as possible had the department members of the creden- tials committee taken from the contest l entials committee without intention to go into the merits of the contest seated the Hopkins delegates In every instance. The minority of the committee on. credentials presented report but Mir. Quinn, the chairman of the convention. declared that the minority report was only advisory and would be filed for record. He then put the vote upon the majority report and declared 1t carried and refused a roll call, although 1t was then and there demanded
 Tn the hearing before the credentials committee of this democratic national convention but very limited amount of time was allowed for the consideration for this contest; so short a time that 1t was impossible to present the evidence to the committee, the time being consumed in the arguments made by the attorneys of the contestants and contestees but the evidence as a matter of record was pre- sented before the subcommittee before the national committee July A."
 The report says that the contestants l supported their case by hundreds of af- fldavits and hundreds of pages of docu- mentary evidence but that the contestees offered no affidavits and no documentary evidence except the report of the conven- i ton officers and no evidence at all but | their own unsupported oral statements. The report then goes Into a detailed an- alysis of all the testimony offered on be-
 
 cerned primary elections in the Second, Third and Ninth congressional districts. l
 Enters Summary of Testimony.
 MT. Bryan entered into summary of the testimony concerning primaries in the Sixth Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth con gressional districts pointing out in some of the primaries, as he affirmed, the un- just treatment to which the minorities had been subjected.
 Under all the circumstances, he said, the minority believes that 1t Is imperatively necessary that this eonven- ton shall repndiate the outrageous action of the convention of Illinois. To do otherwise Is to disregard the principles of the democratic party
 Another minority report was presented recommending the seating of the few 1 delegates from the District of Columbia: Herman J. Schultes, William F. Carr, l Henry w. Sherman, Cornelius B. Lem 1 neatly, Thomas F. Ryan and Ward Saw age
 Mir. Bryans report, after further re- view of the Illinois testimony, recom- mended that the contestees be seated from the Second. Third, Ninth, Twelfth, Fffteerth, Sixteenth, Twenty-third and Twen fth Congressional districts, join ing wl.i the majority fin seating the dele l gates from the Twenty first district. At 415 D. m. MT. Bryan asked for fifteen minutes side to discuss the report.
 Interrupted By Cheers.
 During the latter part of his report MT. Bryan was frequently interrupted by cheers from the galleries. He concluded by asking that fifteen minutes on each side be allowed for the hearing of the contest and the chair recognized him to speak in behalf of his motion to sub | ct hQ min ra- por.
 1 Word that Mir Bryan would take this opportunity to make his great effort be- fore the convention had got abroad and the great audience rustled with expecta- 1 ton as the Nebraskan arose and faced it. l In opening his speech MT. Bryan an- nounced that he had not come to the convention with the idea of bringing up any questions that could or would create division. He was greeted by cheers and when he declared that he hoped and be- lieved that the convention would select a ticket which could be supported by a united democracy. the cheers, were re- doubled.
 MT. Bryan spoke as follows:
 MT. Chairman and gentlemen of this convention: came to this convention in the hope that we would be able to agree on platform. on candidates and have nothing to stir the feelings or rouse con- tention. (Applause). I still hope that we shall be able to agree upon platform that will represent the sentiments of all of us, so that we can present it to the country as the platform of united party. (Prolonged applause). I will go 1 further than that. still hope that we shall be able to present to the country ticket behind which we can stand a united party. Loud cheers and applause) | And I regret that am compelled to come | in at this time and present a subject l upon which your votes will be asked. | But If there is one democratic principle l more fundamental than another 1t is the | right of a majority to rule (Applause). l If you destroy the binding force of that | principle, there Is nothing that can hold | Q party together.
 Majority Not Allowed to Rule.
 And. my friends, 1t s because want l the democratic party to stand on the | Jeffersonian principle of majority rule that come here and present the minor ity in this case Loud applause) In the state of Illinois the majority was not allowed to rule. That convention was dominated by a clique of men, who de- | liberately. purposely boldly trampled up- on the rights of the people of Illinois. | My friends the evidence shows that no | band of train robbers ever planned a | robbery upon train more deliberately | or with less conscience than they did. l (Applause.) And these men who planned | 1t and who carried 1t out have the au< dacity. the impudence and the insolence | to say that because they certify that | Il. 1