The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-09


 North Carolina. Georgia. Virginia. Min nesota. Delaware, New Hampshire Kentucky. and West Virginia.
 The statement made by Mir. Straus that the action of the majority of the committee was a staggering blow at the Democracy of sovereign State, called forth cheers. He asked the chairman for permission to make few remarks in support of his motion to substitute the minority for the major ity. report.
 Mot now" said Chairman Bell. -Put your motion and I will state the ques- tion."
 Tt is moved and second that this mi- nority report relating to the contests be substituted" said Chairman Bell.
 Governor Haskell of Oklahoma was recognized to move that debate be limited to thirty minutes to either side. Mir. Kern of Indiana, seconded the motion amid scattering cries of 'sNo."
 The motion was put to a viva voce vote and was carried. the volume of Noes" being quite small and emanat- ing almost wholly from Pennsylvania.
 The chairman recognized Chairman Callaghan of the Credentials Commit tee as the first speaker in behalf of the majority report. Mir. straus claimed that as he carried the affirmative, he had the right to open and close the debate.
 Callahan Recoxnixed.
 The chair ruled, however, that the chairman of the committed, as he rep resented the majority, should have the right to open and close. and he again recognized Mir. Callahan.
 Mir. Callahan began by saying that the time allowed the majority would be divided between himself and Gov ernor Haskell of Oklahoma. the latter closing the debate. It had been expect ed that Ollie James of Kentucky, would speak In support of the majority re- port. but the limiting of the time pre- vented.
 Mir. Callahan said the evidence be- fore the committee showed that in Philadelphia the Gufrey faction brought host of Republicans to the Demo- cratic primary polls. These voters, he declared. were members of the Phila- delphfa Republican machine, of which ''one McNichol" was the head Tn one Congressional district, where the nor mal Democratic vote was about 1000. the vote in the primary sweiled to more than 2.700. This was but one instance of many, declared Mir, Callahan. the evidence of which was supported by undisputed affidavits.
 When we considered all the evidence, he concluded, '.it was impossible to es- cape the conclusion that the Democ- racy of Philadelphia had been kept at home by an alliance of one element of the Democracy with the dominant Re- publican machine in that city.
 We were urged that exigencies of harmony required that we should shut our eyes to these irregularities, but no set of men with a spark of Justice in their breasts, could do other than as we have done.
 The first speaker for the minority report was Mir. Straus. who had pre- sented 1t. He was recognized by Chair man Bell as MT. Strothers."
 'fstraus.. corrected Mir. Straus. and the Chairman again recognized him by his own name.
 Mir. Straus asked that the substitu- ton of the minority for the majority report should be on the ground that the majority report was an attack up- on the indefensible. rights of the Dem ocrats of sovereign State.
 He had spoken but a few minutes when an Oklah oma delegate raised the point of order that no speaker "has the right to discuss what happens in committed"
 Not well taken" declared Chair man Bell. with bang of his gavel and Mir. straus proceeded with his argu- ment
 While NAT. StrAus was Speakin&, Ol- He James of Kentucky and Lewis Nixon of New York. held a hurried and earn est consultation after which Mir Nixon spoke briefly with Chairman Charles F. Murphy of the New York delega- ton.
 New York AppIauds.
 The New York delegation showed marked signs of sympathy with the minority report as Mir. Straus went on. applauding him frequently. They cheered him lustily as did many other delegations, notably those of Pennsyl' vania, when he said that any man who had read law for three weeks knew that to deprive delegates of their seats 1t must be shown that enough Illegal votes had been cast at the election to change the result, and no evidence of this kind. he declared. had been heard by the Credentials Committee.
 Mir Straus, who spoke with great fenvor and earnestness. was given an ovation as he left the stand after mak- Ing an impassioned appeal for the adoption of the minority report.
 To conclude the argument in behalf of the minority report the chair rec ognized John D. Bellamy of North Carolina, one of the signers of the doc.