New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-02
EVEN THE PLATFORM READY
NOTHING LEFT FOR DEMOCRATS TO DO.
,,,,r M; ATEs SLOWLY AND AIMLESSLY GATHER
ING IN ST LoUIs-GoyERNoR GRAY's FOL-
LOWING NOISY oNE-THE RESoLU-
rIoNs IN CONGRESSMAN SCOTS
p0CEFT.
JBr TELEGRAPH TO TnE rHIoUSr.l !


TRr TEIEsRAPa TO TIE TRIBUNE.
G, Iouis. June The preparations for the big
..,;scatior meeting, which is to be held here next
iTnesdsv and Wednesday are going on well. 1t
aar rayalv be called National Convention, for
,Saro is nothing for the delegates TO do unless,
,;,l,. the Administration shall be kind enough
-. ouow the convention TO nominate the candi-
49, tor Vice-President The probability is how
- that even this triiing detail will be so well
sat,led IN advance that the gathering will be of
,he dullest kind known TO American politics-a
1,amocratic convention without fight. The delay
-, the delegates in arriving, proves how well they
derstand that there is little or nothing for them
80 do Ordinarily three days before the assem-
hupe of National Convention the preliminary
hattie is in full tide the hotels crowded and the
sir surcharged with political electricity; but up to
ha nresent time there is little sign here of the
annroach of SO important gathering, unless 1t is
l,be presence of large number of newspaper
correspondents who' SO i"r' ou'nuiiOer '"' oe'-
SegatsS -,
,oadv on the ground, with large number of cases
NJ native wine, and candidate for temporary
chairman in the person of LieutenantGovernor
Stephen NJ. White, of California. The Oregon
delegation is expected tonight There are del
ecates from other States, but thus far the number
is small Frederick o. Prince, secretary of the
National Committees Henry Watterson and Treas
urer Canda of New-York, are among the lew
arrivals of importance Tomorrow the tide VIII
begin TO flow H. but II Will not be until ouhuay
that the hotels will assume their customary
convention appearance.
Tonight the principal source of excitement
is the selling of pools on races IN the rotunda
of the Southern Hotel in the presence OF sevefai
hundred men, which is, apparently, an esIapnshed
custom. ST. Louis evidently proposes even 10
afZ ant fat1
orae preparations are making 10 entertain their
visitors a separate committee has been appointed
10 watch over the enjoy men9 OF the aelegatalon gas
aud buildings will be beautiful and on an I'M
posing scaie. The procession next Tuesday even,
ing When 1t is promised that 10000 men shall
be in line, VIII be a handsome spectacle and the
illumination of the streets will be brilliant
feature. Conspicuous among the decorations
will be the motto:
Public Office is a Public Trust"
This will be, of course in Jets OF gas Nothing
else would be SO appropriate; 1t seems pretty
certain that Governor Gray, OF INDIANA
Picsidency nominate On with a, following
larger, and, if the noise OF his adhefents is any
Indication more enthusiastic than that OF any
other candidate The talk of selecting Thurman
is by shrewd politicians considered idle What
ever his character his popularity, his services TO
the party may be, his age is against him. IL
would not do, party leaders think, IN view OF the
harrow majority by which Democrats hope TO
carry the United States, Senate to cndangr the con
seventy-hve TO position which may, perhaps,
give him the deciding vote. The President is
genTa supposed to aaVe exp fSa apd be
should insist he would probably have his way, and
Mr.. Thurman would, Notwithstanding recent de-
murrers, accept the. nomination.
Governor Gray, while not personally dlstasteful
to the President is not by any means regarded as
possessing tho latter's confidence. The President
has always looked upon Governor Grays course
with some suspicion, as if he feared in hlm pos
sible rival Even his visit to Indiana last autumn
which occasion he was welcomed by tne uov,
with an ostentatious display OF sincerity ana
friendship, did not altogether dlspel that sus-
picion. TO what extent he still harbors those
feelings will probably be shown by the degree
of opposition to Mr. Gray's nomination from the
large body of ofice-holders which Will appear on
the floor of the convention and take Their cue from
friends look upon their candidate as the only pos
sihle man TO save Indiana from going Itepublcan;
They feel confident that he Will be able TO p4il
the fuli strength of his party and pretend 10 DE
belittle the danger OF nominating a man whose
record is as vulnerable as is that of Governor Gray
Morrison and Stevenson seem to be barred out for
the simple reason that Democrats consider IT use
less 10 70 TO Illinois, Il certain RepuDncan state
for candidate Henry Watterson, who is al
ready on the ground thinks that the KENTUCKY
delegation will present the name of Stevenson TO
You know Stevenson is Kentucky boy" he
said this afternoon. This, and the fact that Mr..
Stevenson, as First Assistant Postmaster-General,
had removed $4,000 Republican postmasters from
Office within the short space Of three years seemed
reasons sufficient to Mr.. Watterson to nominate
him for the Vice-Presidency.
The impression that an assortment of platforms
will be submitted TO the Convention is probably
due to the somewhat boisterous talk OF certain
revenue reformers who for a short time, at least,
viii have the field to themselves here, On the
,ther hand it is pretty well understood that Boss
Scott has the platform to be adopted by the Ma
tional Democracy in his pocket now, and that 1t
was drafted in the seclusion Of the
Presidents library more than a. month
ago. The tariff panks will, of
course closely follow the Presidents free-trade
message and indOrse the Mills bill if that measure
has not by the time that the convention meets
been amended in such manner that its own
friends are unable to recognize il.
The only name so far mentioned for permanent
chairman is Patrick A. Collins, Of Massachusetts,.
There is strong feeling on the part Of some Of
the delegates that he lacks tie parliamentary
experience and other qualities needed in pre-
siding officer but no candidate has been brought
against him