The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-12
John Sharp Williams Reads the Tele-
gram

Il wish to announce in advance" !"
said the chairman, that on this i'm
portant matter every man shall have
a full and fair hearing. I now intro
duce John Sharp Williams, of Mis-
sissippi."
Mr.. Williams spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of
the convention: All of us were very
much surprised and excited this az
ternoon, to use no stronger words, at
what purported to be copies of tele-
grams which had been sent by our
nominee to Mr. Carmack and others
In this city. l want to tell you that
but one telegram has been received.
Mr.. Carmack not only received no
telegram today of the character that
was published, but never received a
telegram from Mr.. Parker in all of his
life. And nobody received a telegram
containing the language in that in
famous volunteer production. cloud
cheers and applause.) A telegram has
come from Mr.. Parker to Mr.. Shee-
han, however, which I shall read in a.
moment, and it is so important that
you should know what it is, that after
have read it, 1 shall hand it to my
friend, the governor of my state, Mr..
Variaman, and have him read it over
again. When you shall have heard
it you will note that there is not in
it one word about requiring, or de-
manding, or asking, or requesting that
anything should be placed In the DEM
ocratic platform. cloud applause.)
You will also note. if there is any
error in it at all, it is an error of
judgment proceeding from a too SEN
sitive spirit of honor (Applause) ru
be misunderstood or placed in a false
or in a double position. 1 shall now
ask Governor Vardaman to read the
telegram to YOU" cloud cheering
and applause.)
Mr.. Williams words were heard in
a silence So deep, so intense, that
Notwithstanding his weakened voice,
his every word was distinctly audible
in all parts of the hall. He then
handed the message to Governor
Vardaman, who, after requesting alb
solute quiet read the telegram as fol-
lows:
Judge Parker's Telegram.
Hon. w. F. Sheehan, Hotel Jeffer-
son, st. Louis.
Il regard the gold standard as
firmly and irrevocably established, and
shall act accordingly if the action of
the convention of today shall be rat
flied by the people. AS the platform
is silent on the subject, my view
should be made known to the conven-
ton, and if it is proved to be unsat-
isfactory to the majority, l request
you to decline the nomination for me
at once so a candidate may be nomi-
mated before adjournment.
"(Signed), A B. PARKER"
A ringing cheer went around the
hall, but it was brief. so anxious We're
the delegates 70 see what would fol-
low.
Mr.. Williams-Mr. Chairman, I
think you will bear me out in what 1
said. This is the first time in the his
tory of the United States that a man
already nominated for the greatest
office on the surface of this earth has
been so supersensitive about matter
of personal rectitude and honor as to
send a telegram to friend, asking
him to decline the nomination for him,
if. as he seems to have been informed,
there is something in the platform
which is not in accord with his own
opinion. My friends, we purposely
made this platform silent on the
question of the monetary standard.
We made it silent because we are all
agreed that that was not an issue in
this campaign. (Applause.) And We
agreed Furthermore that nothing
should be placed in the platform which
was not a campaign issue, and the
consequence was that. in the resolu-
tIOIlS cciIlHlttet, HiolollS were hidoe
to table, and those motions were car
ried, tabling every resolution on both
sides which tended to bring up as an
issue in this campaign the question OF
monetary standard.
Now my friends, Judge Parker ex-
presses his opinion for fear somebody
might think that you did not know it.
There was not in all this vast as
sembly ore single. solitary man who
did not already know that Judge
f; Parker was a gold standard man.
i have been one of the most consistent,
persistent, and perhaps radical free
silver men in the United States. and
I knew that he was a gold standard
man, and he never made any attempt
to conceal IL from anybody. He had
supported cur candidates, and had
said that although he did Tot agree