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A Big Convention

A Big Convention image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
May
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The democratie state convention at Grand Rapids, Thursday of last week, was among the most enthusiastic conventions ever held in the state. It greatly exceeded in numbers,in ability, and in enthusiasm, the republican convention held two or three days previous in the same city. Uur authority for this statement, is the word of republicans, who stayed over from their convention to witness the democratie convention. It was a harmonious convention, atthough of course there was considerable strife among the various candidates who wished the honor of attended the convention inSt. Louis that is to nominate the next president. It was an enthusiastic convention, and ene giving promise of success. It was a Cleveland convention, cheenng wildly whenever nis name was mentioned. It was a tarifE reform convention, calling for a reduction of taxation on the necessities of life. The enthusiasm was genuiue, money was not use to ínflate it, the 'favorite son" racket was not used to augment it, yet it far exceeded that of the Alger convention. Washtenaw couiity wa3 well represen ted in the convention, Hon. Chas. R. Whitman, regent of the University, was the chairman and spokesman of the delegatiou. J. Willard Babbitt, prominently mentioned in connection with tué probate judgeship, was there. So likewise were ex-Supervisor, Leopold Blaess, of Lodi, Hon. Nathan E. Sutton, and Hon. Charles S. Gregory, ex-members of the state legislature. Dr. Houston, of Ypsilanti, ex-state Senator from Wayne, City Recorder. J. R. Bach, Sheriff Wm. Walsh, Phillip Duffy, of Northfield, Register of Deeds, James Kearns, J. Manly Young, of Saline. William H. Mclntyre, Edmund Clancy, George L. Roberts, of Ypsilanti town, William H. Louden, of Augusta, Will Clements and F. J. Swayne, of Ypsilanti andS. VV. Beakes■ Eight ot' the delegation, Whitman, Blaess, Babbitt, Kearns, Walsh, Bach, Duffy and Beakes occupied one room at the Morton House, and they occupied it too. William II. Mclntyre staid at nis brothers, and Nathan E. Sutton visited nis sister, Mrs. Johnson. The later arrivals,Gregory,Lowden, Young, Roberts, Howston and others occupied rooms atSweet's. Washtenaw voted as a unit in the convention and she voted on the winning side every time. As her vote was always cast among the first, she exerted a greater degree of influence with her eighteen votes that would have been the case later on. Monroe usually voted against Washtenaw and on some ballots, Washtenaw, alone of the entire district, voted with the majority. The delegation returned home highly pleased with the result. ♦ The delegates to St. Louis from this congressional district are Charles R, Whitman and Lester H. Salsbury. The alternates are C. F. Cook and J. M. Sterling. The members of the State Central Committee from the district are C. S. Gregorj, of Dexter, and Chas. Humphrey, of Adrián. J. Willard Babbitt, of Ypsilanti, was a member of the committee on permanent organization and order of business. The delegates at large to the St. Louis convention are I. M. Weston, George L. Yaple, Marvin II. Chamberlain and Peter White. Yaple is expected to second the nomination of Cleveland. X Not only was Washtenaw's influence in the convention made known by her vote, but the speech made by Regent Whitman went very far towards securing the election of ex-mayor Chamberlain, a delégate at large. He clearly held up the need of recognizingJWayne county with her five thousand democratie majority, that when fifty-six out sixty-three delegates asked for exmayor Chamberlain, it was plainly evident whom Wayne county desired. E. D. Conely, whom the seven Wayne county dissenters desired, received only eleven votes in the convention. He was spotted as the anti-administration and was doomed from the first. for this was plainly a Cleveland convention. The platform adopted declares the bed rock principie of democratie government, is to secure the greatest good to the greatest number, denounces class legislation and declares the democracy in f ullest sympathy with the president's message, and in favor of a gradual but certain reduction ot tax upon the imports. It denounces imported contract labor, favors just and liberal pension laws, appreciates the appointment of Don M. Dickinson. It further declares: That in Grover Cleveland we have found a fearless.honest and able leader; a man witli ability to form convictions and moral courage, to assert and enforce them; a true exponent of democratie principies, and a safe man to execute the laws governintt a free and independent people. We therefore join in the spontaneous and universal demand for his re-nomination and reelection. Ex-Department Commander Ruthfard, of the G. A. R., ably presided over the convention . When he called upon the soldier delegates in the convention to arise, over 100 sprang to their feet. This does not look as if the republican party alone saved the nation. Every mention of Cleveland's name brought out round upon round of applause. There wasn't auy anti-Cleveland sentiment in that conventionNever did a candidate have a more hearty backing f rom his party. At the ratification meeting, held in the evening of convention day, rousing speeches were made by the prominent delegates of the convention. By f ar the must eloquent of these was made by Hon. Charles R. Whitman, of this city. He carried the audience with him. Oíd Washtenaw carne in for her share of the applause, as Mr. Whitman introduced his remarks by telling how democratie majonties were growmg in this neck of the woods. Democratie editois were out in f orce. Among the craft present were Schmerhorn, the brilliant young editor of the Hudson Gazette, Field, the faithful chronicler of the Tecumseh News, Crampton, the able editor of the Monroe Democrat, Klein, formerly a Dexter boy, editor of that enterprising paper the Caro Democrat, that democrat ot democrats, whose advise in political matters is so often followed, Rowley, of the Lansing Journal, Blackman, of the Hillsdale Democrat, who has built up a strong paper in a republican wilderness and Bryan, of the Charlotte Democrat. Bryan was formerly editor of the Register in this city, but was out of his sphere. f Ie is now editing a democratie paper and an excellent one too. Taking it all in all, the democratie convention to elect delegat'es to St. Louis, was a grand success. It will do the party good and stir up the workers to rene wed efforts for the party.

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News