Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-07-13
CHAF|N TO- AGAIN
HEAD Dry PARTY

ATLANTIC CITY. July 1s-After a
three, day session marked by tumul-
tous scenes and ~factional strife that
threatened to split the party in twain
the delegates of the national Prohibi-
ton convention nominated Eugene
W. Chain, of Illinois and Arizona, for
President, and Aaron s.. Watkins, Of
Ohio, for Vice-President, early last
night. Chain and Watkins headed
the party in the 1908 campaign.
The end of the convention was.
however. astonishingly harmonious
considering the acrimonious debates
that marked its early meetings. This
was largely due to the fact that the
Presidency Of the party is regarded
in the hearts of the delegates as an
honorary position only. and also that
a forfeit of $500 would accrue il the
convention lasted longer than $3.50
tonight.
The delegates. therefore, used every
e~xpedient to rush the business and
the nominating speeches were begun
almost before the members of the
convention had taken their seats
after the invocation this afternoon.
The first man to take the rostrum
and place a candidate before the
delegates was f. j. Sibley. of Ari-
IONA, chairman Of the resolutions
committee. MI. Sibley presented the
name Of Eugene w. Chain and said
In part:
II present to you for the Presi-
Dental candidate on the Prohibition
ticket the. name of a man unsur-
passed in craftsmanship; a man of
courageous loyalty; a nan of strong
mentality and a man of such timber
that he can face the liquor issue
squarely. 1t is such a man we need
in the White House and such a
man, by the grace of God. we will
place there"
Chain won the nomination on the
first ballot with 594 votes out of a
possible 1857.
F. w. Emerson. a close friend of
Virgil G. Hinshaw, the newly elected
national chairman, took the floor and
t. make the nomination unani-
nous. This was done with a whoop.
and Chain was led to the rostrum,
where he was greeted with q wild
demonstration that lasted ten min
utes.
Chain Thanks Delegates.
In accepting the nomination Mr..
Chain said:
This is the greatest honor that
could be offered to any man polit-
ically this year. I thank you for this
and / promise you that
I shall not stand for a third term"
Watkins, the Vice-Presidential
nominee, was elected by reclamation
after leading his competitors in two
ballots.
The flame of discussion again rose
high In the convention. however,
when the matter of electing national
committeeman according to the Pro-
vote in each State was
brought before the delegates. This
is next in Importance to the
appointment of a national chairman
and closely approaches the selection
of a. party standard bearer in sig
nif1cance, for the national committee
and Its chairman practically run the
Prohibition party.
The present national committee is
insurgent. and the reelection of the
new committee by the Prohibition
would mean a stand-pat
It was vigorously opposed
by the insurgents, therefore, but was
when a motion by Clinton N.
Howard. of Rochester. to refer the
question to the old national commit
tee was carried.
The convention adjourned amid
of mo, no. from the protesting
delegates who wanted the matter set
led on the floor of the convention.