The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-07-12
THECONVENTION
James K. Jones Calls Dele
gates to Order in Expo
sition Hall, St. Louis.
CLARK PERMANENT CHAIRMAN

national convention, which Is to name
the party's standard bearers for the
campaign now opening, was called to
order at noon in the Exposition build
ing, on Olive street, by James X. Jones,
chairman Of the national committee.
Chairman Jones at once directed the
secretary to read the call for the CON
vention. Applause followed the read
ing of the call After quiet was re-
stored Chairman Jones announced that
the convention would be opened by
prayer by Rev. John r. Cannon, pastor
Of the Grand Avenue Baptist church
Of st. Louis. During the invocation the
convention stood.
Enthusiastic cheering greeted the
chairman's announcement that he was
directed by the national committee to
appoint John Sharp Williams of Mis-
sissippi temporary chairman and G. A..
Walsh temporary secretary and John
/. Martin temporary sergeant at arms
The chairman appointed Colonel j..
M. Guffey Of Pennsylvania and M. r.
Tarpey Of California to escort Mr. Will
liams to the chair. AS the platform
was inclosed by railing 1t was neces-
sary for the committee and Mr. Will
Hams to climb over the railing. The
committee lifted Mr. Williams safely
over, and the entire convention burst
into cheers as he assembled the plat
form.
Mr.. Williams in opening his address
took the Louisiana Purchase exposition,
celebrating the peaceful acquisition of
contiguous territory by the United
States government, as text for an at
tack on expansion by force and arms
and the benevolent assimilation" of
the Philippines.
He then turned his batteries on the
Republican national convention, which,
he said, was one of the quietest and
most unanimous" events recorded in
history. There were some conveniences
clared, one of them being that the
temporary chairman knew nearly a
year before the convention met that he
was to act in that capacity and knew
just what he was expected to say,
compared with what he wanted to say.
WilIiams' Reply to Root.
Mr. Williams, replying to the speech
OF Temporary Chairman Elihu Root
said that Mr.. Roots address was large
~ historical, dealing out much ancient
history and more bad history. This, he
asserted, was to draw the attention of
the people away from Rooseveltism
and its volcanic, eruptive and reckless
character. BY dwelling upon the fact
that at some period in its past the Re
publican party had been "a party
which did things" Mr.. Root hoped to
have the country lose sight of the fact
that his party is now in both It's legis-
lative branches party of passivity,
nonaction and of obstruction to reform
and progress. whose only sacred pre-
cept is a shibboleth borrowed from the
gamblers table, stand pat"
Following the historical trend of Mr..
Roots address, Mr. Williams himself
delved into history, bringing up the
Credit Mobilier and public land scan
daIs. "bossism" and southern recon-
struction and aa1ing to these as charges
against the Republican party the re-
cent postal scandals, the Panama rev.
olution and the alleged inhumanity of
the army In the Philippines.
Mr.. Williams then took up the Re-
publican platform plank by plank. The
assertion that the panic of 1903 had
been caused by the Democratic party
ne discussed at length, placing the full
burden of that year Of disaster upon
the preceding Harrison administration
and upon the Mckinley tariff bill.
The repeal of the silver purchasing
clause of the Sherman act which fol
the first time practically established
the gold standard in the United States
Mr. Williams declared, was the act OF
Democratic majority in congress-,
backed by Democratic administra-
ton.
OF this act he said
without either free or limited coinage OF
standard silver money the country was.
Immediately after the passage of that act.
necessarily and actually as it has been
since and as 1t is now and as It Is destin-
ed to remain for length of time beyond
nay power of computation, on q gold
basis was not one of those who thought
the legislation adopted wise. but, wise or
unwise, the result is an accomplished
fact. plain. palpable and obvious to all
men who have common sense. and. like
many another step in history, 1t is be-
yond recall or hope of recall.
The liberation OF Cuba, the speaker
continued, was not a Republican vic
tory. The Republican administration
was forced into the war with Spain
~ Democratic pressure and the
Maine outrage. The war was fought
not BY Republicans alone, but by all
the people, and among It's great he
r0es were such Democrats as Dewey,
Schley and Miles, of whom the admin
istration snubbed the first, tried to dis
grace the second and insulted the third.
He declared that after the war the
Republican party, If let alone, would
have kept Cuba as it did the Philip
pines.
On the trust question he said that but
one victory for the people had been
scored under Republican rule, and that
the credit for that. belonged not to the
administration in Washington, but to
Governor Van SAINT of Minnesota.
The tariff Mr.. Williams dealt with ex-
haustively, adducing statistics to show
that the country was being bled 10
death for the benefit OF the protected
fnfluufy.ioS oud nuntir,ey xhn fato IN fho