The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-23

ter he said, from Mr.. Lockhart, who
was the chairman of the committee.
In which he said that the more liberal
Watts law was intended rather than
the extending Of its provisions.
Cameron Morrison stated that the
Democratic platform was too sacred a
thing TO be attacked by parole teSti-
many. A sealed instrument could not
G attacked ty parole.
Except for fraud INTERCEPTED Mr..
Woodard and several other lawyers.
The question, continued Mr.. Morri-
son as 10 what they did and what they
declared TO the people should be con-
strued from the instrument itself.
Mr.. Brown, of Columbus, here sent
forward n resolution to the effect that
il wa snot in the province of the COM
mittee TO instruct members of the
General Assembly or to construe any
platform OF a party convention.
There was further discussion as to
asking for the testimony of members
of the platform committee, Mr.. Nc
Ninch making the point that Mr..
Hackett and Mr.. Gillian had motion
10 exclude everybody from the hall
and that for them now to ask that
members of the platform committee be
brought in after he had yielded to their
point was a bit inconsistent.
Mr.. Brown insisted on his motion
and Mr.. Gillian objected that it was
bad as Il substitute rs not being ger
main to the motion of Mr.. Morton.
The chair overruled Mr.. Gllliam's
point, Mr.. Craig saying that the mo-
ton of Mr.. Brown affected the juris-
dictiOn of the committee.
Senator simmons then arose and
spoke. The proposition was that tes-
timony be taken from the platform
committee as to what they meant by
the platform which they had written.
He could not conceive of anything
more immaterial than any agreement
made by them at the time unless it
could be shown that that agreement
had been made publicly to the people
Is there a contention that any agree
ment was communicated to the pco-
pie?
ION a thousand stumDs," cried Mr..
Watson from his seat near Senator
Simmons.
Mr.. Watson attempted to speak fur
Their but Senator Simmons would not
Yield the floor. He did not consider
for q minute he said that there had
been any agreement which was not
in the platform itself After the
Watts law plank had been placed in
the platform no one could deny that
1t meant anything except what the
English language said 1t meant Ii he
had thought that it could or did mean
anything else, he would never have
gone to sleep without communicate
ing that agreement TO the people.
Mr.. Watson then made another Wig
orous speech in which he strongly
Set forth the view that the platform
declaration had meant iaxer Watts
law; that he had been on the platform
when the draft of the plank had
-
and had heard it stated 10 him that
that was the best that could be done
towards getting an endorsement. Sen
ator Simmons had written letter
himself in which he had construed the
plank to mean that not even muni-
cipality was needed to sell or make
liquor, but only adequate police pro-
lection.
Mr. Bailey, Of Davie, made n most
speech in which he said
that if the committee was going 10
construe the platform for MIR. Watson |
and his friends he wanted ii construed |
for him because he had taken it at |
its face value.
Mr.. j. II. Blair moved the adoption |
of Browns substitute with the por- |
ton about inStructng the legislature |
left out and Mr.. Brown agreed.
There was further heated discus |
sion between Messrs. Heilig, Moore. /
Gallert and Gillian
Mr.. Hays introduced a resolution |
that the committee did not think it |
wise TO take action on matters Sc:
out in the call.
Senator Gillian. who had been try
ing to get hearing, was finally recog- |
nized and spoke for some minutes
most earnestly and with great feeling. |
The Ward bill would in his opinion, |
be we'll nigh ruinous to the party and |
the people had been told that the plat |
form was utterly different from the
way in which it was heing construed |
by the Legislature. rhe party was |
running wild, and it had done SO be- |
fore with woeful results.
Mr. Cameron Morrison then spoke |
forcefully against the committee TAX
ing any action and he WAS replied to |
by Mr.. Watson, who spoke with much |
bitterness, and during the course of
his remarks took occasion TO attack |
the editor of the News and Observer in |
violent terms. Mr.. Watson stated that |
he had been Missed during his first
speech and there arose Il number of
voices crying, No No At one |
time he seemed beside himself with |
passion.
Several other resolutions were in
troduced one OF them ~ Mr.. Travis |
Identical with that later introduced by |
Mr.. Daniels ana adopted. Mr.. Wood
ard offered a resolution endorsing |
letter TO John K. Web
ster, to which Mr.. Daniels offered the
substitute resolution which appears at |
the head of this article.
Senator Simmons Speaks.
Senator Simmons, the State chair
man, took the floor and Mr.. John n.
Wilson, of Greensboro. was called TO
the chair, presiding most ably. Mr.. |
Simmons made a long and elaborate
speech this covering in detail His |
with temperance legisla-
ton and his work as the State chair
man. In it he declared that his sale
aim was for the interests of the State
and the Democratic party that his
whole life and all his actions bore
testimony to this. 1t was the greatest
speech of his life and was punctuated /
by frequent bursts of applause. I'll
was a speech that told
AS he concluded, and the hour was
near two o'clock there was call for
4 vote. and this was taken on the |
Daniels substitute that the committee |
take no action in the matter set forth
IN the request for the meeting The I
vote on this was SO in favor of the
-i,h syfi