Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-06-17
SECOND EDITION.
Convention scenes.

The DECOR ATIoNs OF THE HALL AND ARRANGE
MENTs FOR DELFGATEs-EFFEoT OF THE
sPEECHEs-LoCAL SENTIMENT AND HOW |
DIsPLAYED-ooLoRED DELEGATES, &c.
Special Correspondence of the Commercial.
CINo1NNATI, June 14.-At this moment,
1h45 o'clock, the hail of the Convention is
filing but not yet full. The bands are
playing, one inside, many outside (these
latter in behalf of the various clubs and
delegations) fans are futtering, and an
eager, but subdued rather than loud roar of
conmotion goes on. The decorations of
the hall are pretty ard literally bestowed
but not 80 elegant ard ornate as those that
olnamented the Academy of Music, in Phil
adelphia, in 1872. Otherwise the hall Is
much larger and somewhat more airy, COR
responding more closely with our usual
ideas of the suitable meeting place for an
| American Presidential Convention. Off
GERS of the Convention have the platform
| correspondents of the principal newspa-
pers are seated just in front the delegates
and alIernates occupy the floor of the hall,
the lucky possessors of spectators tickets
the gallery and on high staging that ri-
| SEES behind the officers are seated some
eight hundred distinguished" guests, and
others having claims on some special priv
llegee of seats
The State delegations representing the
four prominent Maine, New
York, Indiana, and Kentucky-are seated
directly in front of the platform, where
their leaders can "catch the chairman's
eye" Pennsylvania is somewhat showed
aside, under the balcony, but still is we'll to
the front.
OF the proceedings of the Convention 1
will not speak at length. The reading OF
the New York Reform Clubs address, by
Geo. william Curtis, was a notable event,
and its strong words, from his eloquent
lips moved tremendous applause, though ii
was, as everybody entirely understood, " a
Bristow document Ex-Governor Noyes
spoke very we'll indeed and the eloquenct
q of Fred Douglass was most moving anc
powerful. He had, once more, his old
ume inspiration. Hawley spoke very plain
! ly, and strongly, speaking directly upon the
need of Reform and the public feeling fol
it, which, he boldly cried, the Convention
/ muet respect"
< But, after all, the session was Of course
< only preliminary i'll every sense. Among
many noticeable features of the Convention
are that the contest between the rival can
didates' is quiet and without apparent bit
terness, and that there is a very remark
able absence of noise, quarreling, drinking
or intoxicstion. / have seen no drunken
men, as yet, though doubtless some Nigh
be found. Another feature is the presenc
of many colored men as delegates or alter
mates, and also as members OF the outsld
delegations, there being quite numbe
here from Kentucky, especially, supportin
Mr.. Bristow.
These colored men are everywhere, i
the three leading hotels-probably in al
but speak Of only what have myself ot
= served-aocorded rooms, beds, seats at Il
bio, &c, So, as other men are, and th
fact cevtsf,ly occasions no excitement al
- ap,@ R"T no criticism or objection.
- @iae Goal feeling here has been stron
= lyIm favor of Mr.. Hristow, and the Bristc
:. C4ph4 hsye held Dlgbtly large meetings a
dSfssaed by eInfr ent speakers Their BAN
a95-op the streets; and the white badge th
Indicates the Secretary's friapds is pinn'
- store windows everywhere are lithogral
- portraits of Bristow, and of Govern
Hayes, but none of any other candidate,
far as have seen. So, also, some epte
- prising party has seized upon the popul
'' fancy and introduced Bristow fans, an {
'' binary palm leaf with the portrait of t
- Secretary pasted on them, and thousands
- these futter everywhere, the possesso
- thus willingly avowiug their preference.
- But that this local feeling accomplish
- much in moving the Conventions actl
'' may be matter of doubt. 1t shows hC
= Cincinnati feels, of course, but the Go
o1 vention is made of delegates who cor
a from distant localities, with convictio
:, formed and purposes set in favor of sol
all one candidate They have changed a
-, shifted but little, after all the discussict
tn "a argument, conference, and canvassing IL
sSs began here as early as last Thursday, a
1884 the ballots of tomorrow, making an actt
35l s.;ol - tro,otb foca IN face knee to KIN,
:. are needed to develop any new situation
affairs.