The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-25
Kern Attempts to Put on the Brake While Park.
er Applies the Oil Can and Keeps
Shoveling in More Coal
BATTLE AT BALTIMORE on IN EARNEST
Democratic National Convention Opens With
Bryan Standing in the Center Of the Stage
Where Spot Light is Strongest

he favored the naming OF progress.
i've for temporary chairman. That
Champ Clark was to be the gamer if
the combination against Bryan were
able to elect Parker was admitted
Many OF the Clark leaders were be
hind the movement to overthrow Bry
an domination as they termed it. and
they asserted that If Bryan went down
Clark would get all of New York's &C
votes on the first ballot, and would be
! absolutely certain OF being nominated
on the second.
The crowd started for the conven
tion hall early. The arrangements, sc
far as the meeting place was concern
| ed. were superb. The Fifth regiment
armory, in which the delegates and
more than $4,000 visitors assembled,
had been completely transformed for
| the occasion The floor space had
been SO divided that the grouping OF
both delegates and spectators was
such that all could see, and hear.
The convention was called to order
at noon by Norman E. Mack, OF Buf
falo, chairman Of the national commit
tee. The first businesE vsrs tiitS pray
er by His Eminence James, Cardinal
Gibbons, of Baltimore after which the
call was read by Secretary Trey Wood
son, of Kentucky. The temporary roll
as made up by the committee then was
/ called.
i There was no fight over the temper
ary roll. In making 1t up last night
/ the committee followed precedent In
reach OF the rs contested seats, the
regular delegation was seated, subjec,
4 to the action of the committee on
credentials.
The most important OF the contests
/ disposed of was that brought on behalf
OF Roger Sullivan and twenty-six dele
gates from Illinois. The Hearst Harrl-
son combination claimed these seats
but the Sullivanites were seated. Both
1 factions were pledged to Champ Clark
/ but the Harrisonites claimed they
! would win out before the credentials
committee, as they declared the cleo
/ ton of the Sullivanites was illegal
In the District of Columbia contests
! the Newman delegates, Clark men
went on the ROLL the Vermont con
] test was Withdrawn and in all Of the
others the regulars obtained temper
ary possession OF the seats.
Immediately following the calling Of
the temporary roll, the fight over the
4 temporary craftsmanship was expected
i to break out. Under the program
4 Chairman Mack was to announce thai
he was authorized by the national
4 committee to suggest the name oil
4 Judge Parker for the position of tenn
porary chairman. AS soon as this ac
/ tion was taken the fight was sched
4 uled to be brought to an issue by
4 Bryan being named from the floor.
i Before the convention assembled
Bryan characterized the program oi
& the opposition as the most brazen at
i tempt known on the part of an insig
4 nificant few to thwart the will Of the
4 rank and file OF tho party. 1t was
plain, daylight robbery" he said. The
J roll call on the temporary chairman
4 ship will be by states. In most in
4 stances the unit rule will be enforced
Z This will cost Bryan votes in a mum
J, ber Of instances, especially in Ohio
i where every majority Of the delegation
4 is favorable to the Nebraskan.
i There was expected to be an at
4 tempt made by some OF the state dele
cations to break the unit rule, and 1
was believed that the convention
4 would uphold such action in every m
stance where the unit rule was mo-
made binding on the delegation by the
state convention that elected them.
i The Ohio men had promised to lead
the fight and it was expected the,
would be aided by several of the
i other state delegations So far as the
i 80 votes from New York were con
i cerned, however. they were ordered
I by the state convention to be cast as
unit on all propositions that might
come before the convention.
j During the hour preceding the ac
\ tual opening of the convention inquiry
revealed an amazing amount Of band