The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-17

St Louis, Mo-, June 17.-The demo
cratic national convention finished its
work yesterday by adopting the
party platform exactly as approved by
President Wilson and submitted by
the resolution committee including
the plan on Americanism and that fay
oring woman suffrage, but not until
the harmony of its three days sessions
had been disturbed with a row over
the suffrage plank. No voice was
raised against the vigorous declara-
tions of the Amerlcanism plank. but at
one time 1t looked as II the suffrage
plank had been lost. After Senator
Walsh of Montana had told the conyen
tion that President Wilson himself
considered it vital to party success,
however, it was voted into the plat
form by ballot of SSS IL to 181 1.2.
The entire platform then was adopt
ed without roll-roll.
AS it went into the platform the
suffrage plank stands I'VE favor
the extention of the franchise to the
women OF this country, state by state,
on the same terms as to the men,"
The woman suffrage leaders consider
ed it a much more favorable declara-
tion than they got from the republican
convention at Chicago.
The fight on the suffrage plank
broke Immediately after the presenta-
tion of the minority report against the
administration plank.
In an impatient speech Senator
Walsh swept aside the smaller ques-
tions which had been injected into the
fight, and told the delegates that
President Wilson himself knew the
plank was in the platform and consid-
cred IL essential for party victory
While the fight had been going on,
a thunderstorm burst. and when the
row on the convention floor was at its
height the storm reached its climax.
The booming of the thunder, mixed
with the roaring shouts on the floor
and the clatter caused by the rain on
| the roof, almost drowned out the
speakers. The storm cleared just as
Senator Walsh finished speaking. and
the closing words of his plea for the
administration plank swept a change
of sentiment over the crowd as vel
come to the suffragists as the wave of
cool, refreshing air that poured down
into the Coliseum.
In the reading of the platform indorse
ment of the Underwood tariff act was
given general applause. The delegates
| seemed too wearied to interrupt with
| prolonged applause. The much.dis
oussed plank on Americanism, drawn
by President Wilson himself, was neXt
read. 1t was interrupted by handicap
ping. Its denunciation of conspirator:
for the advancement OF foreign inhu
ence in this country was roundly ap
plauded. Declarations for military
preparedness were also uniformly ap
pauded.
The Latin-American policy planl
got some applause but more greeted
the Mexican plank and frequently in
terrupted its reading, especially tn,
'reafIirmation OF the Monroe doctrine
The assertion that American troop
should be kept in Mexico until DANCE
of raids subsided. was loudly applaud
ed. The assertion that intervention
is last recourse received applaus
but generous approval was given t
the Endorsement Of the president
attempt to prevent Intervention. Afte
concluding the Mexican plank Ser
, ator Walsh was spelled" as Senate
: Stone characterized IL, in the readin
) of the platform. by Senator Hollis
r When the woman suffrage plank wa
' reached the galleries started a demo
I stration. Prolonged cheers, applaus,
: and whistlng followed its readnl
K emphasized by Senator Hollis. Th
t suffrage plank got more of demon
2 stration from the men than IL did frol
r the women.
!. The reading Of the platform We
o finished at l,20. There were cheer
o and the band struck up again. Chat
man Stone then moved the adoptiC
d OF the platform as read. There wei
h some cries of Vote Il down." The
(. were other cries of "Shut upl" Ma
/. tin NJ. Lomasney, a Massachuset
delegate, objected to the adoptio
e After a wrangle Senator Stone yiel
a. ed to Lomasney 10 minutes Of h
d time.
n. II turned out that Lomasney wal
II ed to put In plank to express u
Il. sympathy of the convention with "tI
ii people of Ireland" "Raus NIT him
nj roared a Maryland delegate The CO
vcntion rocked with laughter "B