Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-15
THE GREATEST POLITICAL CON-
vENTIoN EVER HELD IN IOWA.
A United Democratic Party Nominated
Good Ticket, and Adopted an
Admirable Platform at
Waterloo.

The Waterloo convention of last
week is now matter of history, but
its recollections will remain as long
as the lives of the six or seven
thousand people who were in at
tendance.
The convention was held in the
new Chautauqua Coliseum, an audi
forum of unexcelled excellence for a
large convention at this season oil
the year. Its seating capacity is
between six and seven thousand,
and at times during the convention
every seat was occupied and a good
ly number had to stand up like a
fringe around on the outside of the
seats.
With all its vastness the building
is so constructed that those who oc-
cupy back seats are able to hear
about as well as those in front. The
meeting place and its surroundings
seemed like an inspiration to the
delegates, for they we're all enthu-
siastic, earnest and filled with a de-
sire to work together for the pub
lie good.
TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN HAMILToN's
SPEECH.
The speech OF the temporary
chairman was we'll received. His
criticism of Governor Cummins
grated little on some of the Gov
ernor's friends, but all were COM
PEELED to admit that Mr.. Hamilton
said no more than was warranted by
the facts. He accused the Governor
Of inconsistency in complaining of
railroad interference in politics after
securing his first nomination by
sending his delegates to the state
convention on passes furnished by
the railway companies friendly to
him. He said the governor had tax
en- up the anti-corporation cry as
the only means of securing nomi-
nation for third term. He thought
the governor insincere because in
his speech to the state convention
after his nomination he had pleaded
for the election of congressman
dramatically opposed to the reforms
advocated by him and whom he hal
previously denounced as the allies
Of the corporations. He criticised
the governor for saying before the
convention that he would yield tic
nobody in support of Mr.. Perkins
should the latter prove to be the
choice of the republicans of Iowa
and this after he had described Mr..
Perkins as the railroad candidate.
He thought this evidence showed
that the governor placed party above
country and was therefore unworthy
Of trust In particular lie criticised
the governor for consuming to a
platform which abandons the de-
mand for immediate revision of the
tariff which gave him a national
reputation, and particularly was he
deserving of censure for his approval
Of the course of Iowa's delegation in
congress. Notwithstanding the allie
cation Of his partisans during the
pre-convention campaign that the
delegation was under corporation in
auence and loyal to Roosevelt only
under compulsion of a public opinion
the governor himself had created.
CATO SELLS BRYAN CLUB.
Another feature of the forenoon
session was Cato Sells lama County
Bryan Club, with their badges, and
banners and two bands of music
The coliseum stage is quite large
amphitheater, with seating room for
three or four hundred or possibly
more. At the commencement of the
first session there were but few on
the stage, and an invitation was ex-
tended to the lama County Bryan
Club to occupy its vacant seats The
management was undoubtedly ig
norant of the fact that between
eight and nine hundred tickets had
been sold in lama county to those
who came to attend the convention
and that most of them were men,
bers Of Cato's Bryan Club. The
invitation was accepted and two
columns of men composing the club
commenced their march for the
stage. Every vacant seat on the stage
was soon filled and there were
hundreds who had to turn away I'M
able to get seats in that part Of the
auditorium.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION WITH CARO-
SELLS AS PERMANENT CHAIRMAN.
The afternoon session was never
equallcd by political convention in
Iowa. The delegates were grouped
in the front and center, and every
remaining seat was occupied by
visitors from all over, the state.
There were ladies enough in at.
tendance to enliven the picture and
their refining presence checked the
disturbance and disorder frequently
INDUCED in on such occasions. The
scene was inspiring and sufficient to
make everybody present feel proud
| of Iowa democrats
1t must have been generally
known in advance that all who at
tended could secure admission, and
that fact may to a certain extent ac-
count for the unprecedented attend
ance.
The committee on permanent or
ganization selected Cato Sells as
permanent chairman. His speech
was Of a very high order, and he
presided admirably over the great
convention.
Jerry Sullivan, Of Des Moines,
was chairman of the committee on
resolutions, and the platform report
ed nv him and unanimously adoptad