Show IMPERIALISM THE ISSUE This Plank Caused a Great Demonstration Demon-stration As Senator Tlllman proceeded each plank was greeted with applause Thc Senator accompanied his reading with emphatic gestures striding up and down the platform turning this way and that as is his manner In the Senate Sen-ate There was a howl of approval as he clenched his fist and fiercely arraigned ar-raigned the course of the Administration Administra-tion In Cuba But it remained for his reading of the declaration that imperialism im-perialism Is the paramount Issue of this campaign to evoke a storm of enthusiasm HILL LEADS THE IIOST5 Time delegates sprang to their feet standing on their chairs waving hats handkerchiefs umbrellas and flags Nvhlle the galleries took up thc chorus and carried It along for many minutes Senator Hill could be seen marshaling the hosts to cheer He held a fan high above his head and added his voice to the vociferous shouting A second time Senator Tlllman read this declaration and now even a greater demonstration than before carried car-ried tho convention of Its feet tiud denly hundreds then thousands of miniature American flags were passed among the delegates an1 time < whole r floor of the vast structure became a sea of flags LIKE A MASS OF FLAME An instant later the flags swept over r the galleries like a mass of flame Bundles ot them wemc tosseJ upon the seats and distributed Thc scene was waI magnificently Inspiring and the great I audience waxed to fever heat On each flag was the device Tc Constitution and the flag are Inseparable now and forever The flag of the Republic forever for-ever of an empire never SANG AMERICA While the demonstration was at Its height the band sent another thrill through the audience by playing Dixie and a medley of patriotic airs State standards were again torn from their sockets banners wore raised and a triumphal procession of i ficlegaues marched about time hall Now the strains of the oand turned to My Country TJs of Thee at which the entire audience as with a single voice Joined in a mighty and swelling chorus CLIMAX IS SPRUNG Amid thc billowing of the flags could be seen a tall standard bearing he inscription i Forcible annexation would be criminal aggression William McKinley Mc-Kinley It was at this Juncture that the 1 climax was sprung upon the great assembly A huge flag had boon strung across the roof between two trusses and as thc signal was given the cords were cut and slowly it unrolled its White and crimson folds as it fell grace fully and hung over the platform slightly to the rear and south of the speakers desk Thc bann r was an enormous affair being fully fifty feet long l and about onehalf as wide Upon thc broad stripes wero printed the following fol-lowing l sentences In large letters of blue Constitutional Governments derive their t Just powers from the consent of the governed Tho Constitution and the flag one and Inseparable now uncl forever The flag of a republic forever of an empire never A republic can have no colonies UNEXPECTED INCIDENT To the vast majority of those In the hall h tho flag uas an unexpected Inci dent and its appearance was the signal sig-nal for a frantic roar which caused eveiythlng that had gone before t to sink Into Insignificance Fora full to minutes the cords of the flag caught and would nol permit it to fall lo lt full length It was caught up just enough to prevent the convention from reading the Inscriptions upon thc banner ban-ner h and until they were released and the banners swung free the enthusiasm Increased i ovcry second When finally every word was visible there was a climax of cheers that wan deafening WAITING FOR STORM TO END Senator Tlllman stood surveying thc storm and awaiting an opportunity to proceed The chairman pounded his gavel and appealed for order but the march of the delegates bearing their i s standards and banners ran out unin terruptedly for twelve minutes As Senator Tillman was about tp resume he remarked that the thread of his discourse had been broken and that t down South they were Iri time habit of saying Hell hell has broken loose in i Missouri PANDEMONIUM REIGNS There were cries of Good good when thc trust plank was read When tIme Senator reached the reafllrmatlon of the Chicago platform with the dec laration i for free coinage at the ratio of 1C to 1 pandemonium again broka loose l But the demonstration was no comparison to what had Just occurred when Imperialism was announced us the paramount Issue Many of the delegates stood In their chairs and waved flags and cheered but a very considerable number more than half held h their seats Senator Illll was among those who maintained quiet while Mr Croker waved a flag until it broke i and George Fred Williams led the Massachusetts contingent In salvos of cheers STXTEENTOONERS One of the New York delegates raised a standard ben ring the Inscription Dont think there are no slxteento oners In Now York The demonstration demonstra-tion lasted four and onehalf minutes There was Intense scorn In the Senators Sen-ators voice as he read the plank ar ralgnlng the HayPauncofote treaty evoking mingled laughter and np plause Time Roer plank brought out another cheer and thc Senator received around a-round of applause as he closed Ills voice throughout was admirable and he made himself heard throughout the vast hall Ills reading too was forceful force-ful and effective ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLYI I When they applause had subsided Chairman Jones of the platform committee com-mittee said he had been instructed to mpvo that the platform should be Adopted by thc convention by acglama tlon Thc motionwas put and amid a the platform roar of cheers and applause form was adopted without a word of dissent Time announcement of Chairman Chair-man Richardson of the adoption of the platform was followed by a stunn ng shout which made thc building ilng from one end to theother DAVIS IS DRAMATIC Then followed a stirring and dramatic dra-matic scene Thc plank In thc P at form denouncing England policy toward the Boers had called out Immense Im-mense applause but it was announced by Chairman Richardson that the convention con-vention would be addressed by Hon Webster Davis former Assistant See retary of the Interior The crowd manifested Its enthusiasm by cheering for quite two minutes as thc former Republican leader ascended thc platform plat-form and stood facing the thousands of spectators The speech of Mr Davis was arranged In order to enable him to annouiee his allegiance to the Democratic Demo-cratic party and the Democratic platform plat-form and to the ticket of thc convention conven-tion WEDS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY In dramatic style and with nil thc force and magnetism of a fine orator Mr Davis began his address He denounced de-nounced as a malicious lie the statement state-ment that he had been forced to leave his Office In the present national administration ad-ministration He pictured in brjlllanl and flaming sentences the cruelties and aggressions practiced by Great Britain upon the Boers of South At rica Ho expressed his Intense satisfaction satis-faction that the Democratic party had Incorporated in thc platform a plank so cordially and enthusiastically Indorsing the cause of the Boers which was the cause of liberty and justice As be felt he said that this great Republic j I should not chain itself to the chariot wheels of the empire that was crushing crush-Ing liberty to death In South Africa ho believed to bo his duty to ally himself him-self with the Democratic party Ills account with time Republican party he regarded as fully balance lIo owed I It no further obligations These sentiments senti-ments met with great applause CONFUSES SYLLABLES In conclusion In announcing his Intention In-tention of supporting the Democratic r party and its ticket Mr Davis said I with great emphasis I stand upon I this platform and shall support William Wil-liam J Bryan Jennings It was a curious and laughable confusion of time syllables of Mr Bryans name but the crowd knew vbat he iveanl and 1 cheered him wildly As Mr Davis concluded the band I struck up Hail to thc Chief and while it was rendering the music he held an Impromptu reception upon the platform GREETED BY RICHARDSON Chairman Richardson was the first I to grasp ha hand as he concluded F They crowded around him until he had great difficulty In retaining his feet He left the platform OB soon as he wa Sable S-able but nil the way to his scat he was given shouts of approval by those whom he passed The nand passed 1 I from Hall to the Chief to America and the convention sang with It until the band would plav no more |