St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-23
IN 4 DEAD LOCK.
A Three-Cornered Fight Over
the Location Of the Ma
tional Convention.
Ten Ballots Taken With No
Material Change in the
Situation.
San Francisco in the Lead,
With Chicago and ST.
Louis Well UP.
in Adjournment Taken Till
To-Day for the Marshall
ing Of Forces.
Gossip Of Members Last Night,
and Some Feeling Ex-
hibited.
The Whole Matter May Cul-
inmate in a Fight Against
the Administration.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-The national
Democratic committee met at Wizards
hall in this city at noon to-day for the
purpose of selecting the date and place
for holding the next Democratic con-
VentiOn 10 nominate candidates for pres
ident and vice president. Ex-senator
W. III. Barnum, of Connecticut, presided
over the committee, and T. O. Prince.
of Massachusetts, acted as secretary.
There was full attendance of dele
gates. the only vacancy being that
caused by the death of Hubert o.
Thompson. of New York. This vacancy
was promptly filled by the election Of
William SteinWay. After the Organl-
Zation had been completed the chair
man stated that the first busi-
mess IN order was the selec-
ton of the date for holding the national
Democratic convention. Senator Cor
man offered a resolution fixing the date
at July 3, next. This was vigorously
opposed by Congressman Scott, of Penn
sylvania, who was present as proxy for
William A. Wallace. He read long
written speech, depicting the advantages
which he believed would accrue to the
Democratic party from a convention
held as early as May %. He said that
when the Democratic party was in
power before the war it had been its
practice to hold conventions early in
the year. In the present case he de-
clared that the campaign could be made
more vigorous and aggressive by the Sc
lection of an early date and the distinct
and early enunciatiOn to the American
people Of the principles which would be
Wrought into
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Mr.. Dawson, of South Carolina, fol-
lowed in the same vein, expressing the
opinion that the Democratic party
would. belittle itself by deferring its
convention until it had first ascertained
how the Republican platform was
framed and who were the nominees of
that party. Another proposition was
made at this juncture to fix June as
the date for holding the convention, but
this, as well as the early date suggested
by Mr.. Scott, was objected to by Sem
ator German, who declared that in view
of the fact that there were some differ
enceS of opinion in the Democratic
be impOlitic to hold the convention be-
fore the Democratic house of repre-
sentativeS had had an opportunity to
agree upon a tariff measure which
would bring together ali dissenting
opinions and secure the united support
of the party. When such a bill had
been agreed upon the Democrats could
fasten upon the Republican senate the
responsibility for a failure to enact a
Il
correcting its evils. Senator PaScO, of
Florida, briefly expressed himself as in
FAVOR OF AN EARLY DATE.
A vote was then taken upon three
propositions which disclosed the fact
that the advocates of the July date had
q clear majority over the adherentS to
the May and June dates. The latter
then combined their forces to secure
the selection of June 5, but the commit
tee by vote of % to 19 agreed that the
convention should be held ON July 3
next. a short recess was then taken.
When the committee reaSSembled, on
motion of Mr.. Dawson, of South Caro-
liza, the representatives of the press and
the personal friends of the members of
the committee were admitted to the
session. The committee then gave a
hearing to the representatives of the
various cities which are contending for
the honor of securing the convention,
the first audience being given NJ. w.
Fuller, of Chicago, who presented the
reasons why that should be selected.
on the changed conditions of po-
litical affairs since he had
the honor four years ago to present
the desire of the citizens of Chicago that
the committee should select that city for
holding the Democratic convention.
Then twenty-four years of eXclu-
sion from power bad imbued the
Democratic party with that feel
ing of timidity which character
lied minority party, and which
kept it such. Then that great leader
who had Influenced the party by his
force of will and his wonderful power
of organization, no longer led the forces
which he had so long commanded. Then
the Republican party was indulging in
the arrogant assumption that one-half
of the American people were unfit for
public office. But the election of 1884
had changed all that. The honesty, the
simplicity, the courage of the leader
which the last convention had selected,
had carried the Democratic party to vic
tory, and now three years Of Democratic
administration saw prosperity in the
country, honesty in every department
and success in diplomacy through the
astuteness, knowledge and good sense
rather than through the fiery efferves-
cence of pyrotechnical display. [Ap-
plauSe. 1t was matter of considera-
ton whether the committee should
TEMPT A CHANGE OF LUCK
by change of place. Chicago offered
an uequaled July climate, the amplest
hotel accommodations and the largest
telegraph, newspaper and railroad
facilities. 1t had an auditorium with a
seating capacity of 5000 and an eXpoSi-
tion building with seating capacity of
10000, which could be increased to 90
600. He then referred to what he re-
garded as the changing polit-
ical conditions of some of
the states bordering upon Illinois, and
he declared that the holding of the COLI
vention in Chicago would have an effect
in fastening that change, and he alluded
to the reduced Republican majority in
the Eleventh congressional district of