The San Francisco call., 1904-07-08
REPORT OF CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE
Is ADOPTED BY A, DECISIVE VOTE
Bryan Makes Hard Fight for Minority Substitute but the
Nebraskan'S 0ratOy Fails to Win Convention and
Motion Is Overwhelmingly Defeated

ception of those parts on which a sep
arate vote was requested. The report
was adopted with this condition. A
separate vote then was demanded in
the case of the District of Columbia
and in the Illinois cases.
Mr.. Schultheis of the District of Co
lumbia was then recognized and spoke
for the contestants. He offered an
amendment providing that the contest
ing delegates from the District of Co
lumbia be seated with a half vote to
each.
A motion was made that the amend
ment be laid. on the table. On this a
rising vote was demanded
The chairman called for a rising vote
and cries arose from all parts OF the
hall that the delegates did not under
stand what was before the convention.
series of explanations followed and
the motion to lay upon the table was
withdrawn and the question reverted
10 the adoption Of the amendment to
seat both delegations with a half vote
each.
Chairman Head replied to the advo-
Gates of a division of the vote, saying
that he hoped the convention would
eliminate the District of Columbia from
being a further source of trouble to the
dllOlldl cAtCullNe DOuH. On the VIVA
voce vote Chairman Williams announced
that the noes had it,
+ There were but one or two affirma-
tive votes, while the negative vote
sounded like Mo-" from the whole
convention.
The report of the committee was
adopted without further delay, and Mr..
Williams turned to Mr.. Bryan and
said:
..Tbe chair rox.- raooerpizas NJ ro,-.-o
in the matter of the contests from the
State of Illinois"
This was enough TO start UP the
Bryan cheer again, but Mr. Bryan at
once beckoned for silence with his
right hand. while he held his minority
report on the Illinois contests in his
left.
CHECKS CHEERING.
In a moment he had the cheering
checked and began the reading of the
report His voice was clear and he was
heard plainly although not using ex-
traordinary force. The convention re-
mained in attentive silence, which was
emphasized by comparison with the
wild confusion that had prevailed al
most continuously since the convention
began its first outbreak at o'clock.
Mr.. Bryan's report was a long. type
written document which he read DELHI
erately. Its dryness began to impress
the galleries after the reading had pro-
gressed ten minutes and the hum of in
attention began to be heard
He was accorded most respectful at
tention, however, by the convention and
succeeded better than any other speak
er IN making himself heard.
MI Bryan concluded reading the re-
port at 4:12, it having taken him thir-
ty-five minutes. During the latter part
OF the report he was frequently inter-
rupted by cheers from the gallery.
He closed by asking that fifteen min
utes on each side be allowed for the
hearing Of the contest
The chairman recognized Mr.. Bryan
TO speak in behalf of his motion to sub
stitute the minority for the majority
report.
Chairman Head Of the credentials
committee claimed his right to have
the closing statement in the debate.
The chair ruled that Mr.. Bryan should
take such time as he should choose
ana announced that the other side
should have as much time as Mr.. Bryan
took
Mayor D. S. Rose of Milwaukee asked
what had led up to these contests in
Illinois. and was informed that he was
not proposing parliamentary inquiry.
The chairman then recognized Mr.
Bryan
Word that Mr.. Bryan would take this
opportunity to make his great effort
before the convention had got abroad
ana the audience rustled with expec-
tauon as the Nebraskan arose and
faced it.
In opening his speech Mr.. Bryan an
nounced that he had not come to the
convention with the idea of bringing
up any question that could or would
crFte division. He was greeted by
cheers, and when he declared that he
hoped and believed that the conven-
tion would select a ticket which could
be supported by a united Democracy
the cheers were redoubled.
APPROVING YELLS.
An outburst of approving wells
greeted his announcement that the
convention in Illinois was conducted
by men who were on level with train
robbers.
Becoming intensely interested in his
address, Mr.. Bryan, finding that his
cuffs interfered with the free move
ment of his hands, pulled them off and
proceeded.
He declared that two years ago John
p Hopkins had pursued a course con-
trary TO that followed in the illinois
convention and did not dare to follow
precedent this time because he would
have been repudiated if he had done
sc. The initial sentences of Mr. Bry-
ans speech, which carried his hearer