, 1888-06-20
The Republican National Con-
vention Ready for Business.
Temporary Chairman Thurston
Makes a Spirited Speech.
The Grand Decorations of the
Superb Hall.
Blaine is Gracefully Retired
from the Race.
ASSEMBLING IN THE HALL.
The CIane Gather Without Display of En-
thusiasm.

CHICAGO, June l9.-The city is in a
delirium of red, white and blue. 1t is es-
timated that over a million yards CT these
goods have been used in decorations. The
town was astir early and from the rising
Of the sun all through the forenoon bands
and delegations were marching through
the streets from the various depots at
which they arrived to their respective
headquarters. The day is brilliantly clear
and sweltering hot. The hotel lobbies,
streets and sidewalks are crowded with a
mass of people. 1t is estimated at $780,
600 in addition to the regular population.
No former convention brought out nearly
such large numbers. Parades in the in
terest of various candidates have been
about the streets during the forenoon. A
unique feature of the Gresham parade
was a band of alleged working men carry
ing tin pals and wearing straw hats and
bearing a banner with the motto
FATHER OF THE TIN BUCKET BRIGADE"
The most striking parade of the day,
however, was that of the Cincinnati
Blaine club, several hundred strong,
wearing white hats and gloves and carry
ing parasols marching In columns of four,
open order, the parasols of the successive
ranks being red, white and blue. These
they twirled rapidly giving an exceedingly
brilliant Kaleidoscope effect. Their ban
ner bore the words Vim, Vigor, Victory"
the arrangement OF the delegates seats,
which has been made n alphabetical
order, beginning with Alabama. on the
extreme right of the aisle to the two great
states of New York and Pennsylvania
together in front and almost directly fac
ing the portrait of Washington on the
panel ofthe chairman's platform. Maine.
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Alabama,
Arizona and Dakota also nave front seats.
The Ohio delegation is directly back of
New York, while Missouri, Iowa and llli-
nois are on the main aisle, in the centre
of the space
RESERVED FOR DELEGATES.
The space reserved for the District of
Columbia delegation is designated by a
white banner marked in black letters.
This is a conspicuous departure from the
general plan of noting delegates, the stu
alton of all others being designated by a
blue silk banner lettered in gold. A sig
n~ificant view is the open space of empty
seats in the Virginia dele cation. The
doors were not opened until all the inte-
rior arrangements were completed. Two
large boauets of flowers and a floral shield
are nailed upon the chairman's desk,
which hears in Greek letters this inscrip-
ton: James A. Garfield nominated
from this desk in 80, and James G..
Blaine nominated from this desk in '84."
The air of the hall is delightfully."- cool,
and although a large number OF specta-
-. - ILL., Hoo b. - 49,
hands, they find no
PRACTICAL USE FOR THEN.
The first delegates to reach their seats are
from Ohio led by Congressman Mckinley
and Ben Butterworth. Mckinley, who
is much talked of as a dark horse, is
recognized by a few spectators in the gal
lery, and.gets a cheer or two, which how
ever is short lived. At a quarter to IL
o'clock the members of the national com
mittee came in in pairs and groups.
Thurston of Nebraska arrived with mem
bers of the committee from his state and
takes his scat on the stage just back of the
chairman's desk, which he is soon to oc-
cupy as temporary presiding officer of the
convention. Thurston is a smallish man,
who wears glasses and is dressed in SOM
bre black.
AS GEN. FREMONT ENTERED
the hall he was greeted with a round of
applause and cheers, the first genuine
demonstration of the morning. He was
escorted to a seat on the platform, where
he provoked a further outburst of applause
by meeting Fred Douglas as he came to a
seat beside him and shook him by the
hand. Carson Lake of the national COM
mittee came upon the platform just be-
fore the convention was called to order,
and brought with him two handsome oak
gavels-one of them merely polished, in
tended for hard pounding; the other a
more pretentious affair intended as a gift
to the temporary chairman, richly chased
in gold, and has engraved upon Its several
gold bands the names OF Washington,
Lafayette, Grant, Lincoln. Garfield and
Logan.
A SlIPERB SCENE.