Year: 1876

McLane accepted Abbott's amend


mcnt which was again read. Lou'


cries of NO greeted the proposition


that the declaration of a States vot


by the chairman Of any delegation


shall alone be accepted.


Abbott asked what would be tn


condition il the motion to tabl'


failed.


The Chair replied that the Con


vention would then come to a yot'
on the amendment. The Chair here
announced the Committee on Rcso
lutions ready to report, and the re
quest for call of States was with
drawn without taking a vote. Tht
Chair recognized Meredith, chairman
of Committee on Platform, who said
they had agreed on resolutions bu
had referred it to q Committee or
Revision and arc to meet again a,
one o'clock.


Herman moved q recess until 2 r
NJ. Carried.


After the President left the chair
Pryor was loudly called for, the
band played "Dixie" and when ii fin.
ished cries of "Pryor" were renewed
for some minutes W hen the band re.
sumed "Dixie" following it with
"Yankee Doodle which was receiy.
ed with cheers.


Pryor failing to come forward, Elk.
Senator Doolittle took the platform
and was greeted with applause. He
said he had been laboring since he
came here to keep cool inside as well
as outside. Did not think it proper
during recess of the convention to
speak at any considerable length, and
especially not to express.any personal
preference as to candidates. He be-
lieved that great responsibility was
resting on this convention to take
such measures and present such a
platform and candidates as shall
make victory certain. The Republic
can party is great party, and not q
weak party. He had fought with it
and against it, and knew it inside and
out, and he claimed that for fifteen
years it had been war party, not
only during the war, but after
the war had ended, by the
reconstruction of the South in
order to gain the unlimited con-
troll of both houses of Congress.
He saw in the Senate a gentleman,
(Stockton, of New York, now on the
floor of the Convention, driven from
his seat. The speaker proceeded
with further details of his charge
that the Republican party had usurp-
ed power, trampled the Constitution
under foot robbed ten millions of
people of every civil right and sub
jected them to the will of military
dictators. He urged that in nomina-
ting Hayes and Wheeler the Republic
can party had not changed its spirit,
genius and character. 1t will still be
despotic and it is for this convention
to act here wisely, calmly, without
passion, in such way as to secure a
change of administration and so
change the policy of the country and
restore constitutional government.
Let delegates look beyond the excited
crowds assembling at the hotels here,
and see the people beyond, and their
views, sentiments and needs. 1t was
among the people that the battle was
to be fought, and lost or won, and the
action of the convention must be ad-
dressed to the necessities of that field
and nothing else.


Breckenridge, of Kentucky, was
next called for, and took the platform
amid great applause. He acknowl-
edged the compliment to himself and
Kentucky, and proceeded to urge
broad, national, unsectional cooper
alton of all sections of the Democratic
party to change the national admins
tration. They were here not as East
crn or Western men, but as Demo-
Gratis and Americans. Applause.
Let them act only in that spirit and 60
to battle under some great leader
who should lead them to great vic
tory. 1t was not common enemy
they had to fight, easy to overcome.
1t was party controlling the sword
and purse of the country. and with no
conscience to restrain it from using
them umscrupulously for the retention
OF their power. In conclusion, he
counselled compromise, unity and
cordial cooperation for the common
cause.


u. GEATZ BROWN


was called ont at the suggestion of
Doolittle. to give the views of the
Liberals in the present campaign. He
said he sympathized entirely and
cordially in the efforts to adjust all
minor differences, and act upon a
winning ticket.


For the Liberals he promised that
they should be found in the front of
the coming fight. Applause They
want reform and relief, and he hoped
the convention would put forth a
platform and candidate that would
Enthusiastically embrace those ideas.


Wallace, of Penn, followed with a
caustic criticism of the Republican
party, which he said had made a
ticket born of the defeat of the only
strong candidate, hated and de-
nounced by the administration of
Grant; men nominated for their neg
ative character alone. He eXhorted
tolerance, forbearance and harmony
in the convention.


The afternoon session of the con-
yention was called to order at 2 :15.


Judge Meredith, of Va, chairman of
the committee on resolutions,present-
ed their report. He stated that a
great many resolutions were present
ed, all of which had been carefully
examined and discussed before COM
ing to an agreement. He request
ed Dorsheimer, of n. v, to read it to
the convention, as follows:


We, the delegates of the Democratic
party of the United States,in National
convention assembled, do hereby de-
clare the administration of the Fed
eral Government to be in urgent need
of immediate reform, and do hereby
enjoin upon the nominees of this con-
vention of the Democratic party in
each State Jealous effort and coop
Grafton to this end, and do hereby APP
peal to our fellow citizens of every
former political connection TO under
take with us this first and most press
ing patriotic duty for the Democrats
of the whole country.


We do hereby reaffirm our faith in
the permanence of the Federal Union,
our devotion to the Constitution Of
the United States, with its amend
ments universally accepted as a final
settlement of the controversy that en-
gendered civil war, and do hereby
record our steadfast confidence in the
perpetnity of republican self-goyern-
ment in absolute acquiesencc to the
will of the majority the vital princi-
pie of the Republic in the supremacy
of the civil over the military author
tiles; the total separation Of church
and state for the sake alike Of civil
and religious freedom; in the equali-
ty of all citizens before just laws of
their own enactment; in the liberty
Of individual conduct unvexcd by
sumptuary laws; in the faithful edu-
cation of the rising generation.
That they may preserve, enjoy and
transmit these best conditions Of hui
man happiness and hope, we behold
the noblest products of a hundred
years of changeful history; but
while upholding the bond of our
union and a great charter of these,
our rights, it behoovcs free people
to practice also that eternal vigilance
which is the price of liberty.


Reform is necessary to rebuild and
establish in the hearts o. the whole
l lnpOn1o thu n nSnu or x-na rr aro honY,i