New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-05
THURMAN STILL LEADS.
HIS NOMINATION FOR vICE-PREsIDENT Ex-
PECrED.
THE ATMOSPHERE IN ST. LOUIS GETTING THE
PRE-CoNVENTION ODoR-A SOBER SECOND
THOUGHT ON THE vICE-PRESIDENCY
. n Din EL1.

| THOUGuT ON THE NICEPRESIDENCI
| UNLIKELY.
| [Br TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUNE
st. Louis, June 4.-With this morning the town
took on for the first time the familiar ante-con-
vcntion look which must be to be appreciated.
The Railways and rotuudas of the great hotels are
swarming with men. The crowd is often so dense
that it is difficult to force a way through.
The air is thick with tobacco smoke and profanity.
The pavement is filthy with tobacco juice, dirty
bits of paper and the scrapings of thousand feet
Badges OF all the colors of the rainbow light the
mass of dark coats. There is q vast deal of ioS-
ing and handshaxng, and steady tide of travel
toward the bar. There is some earnest discussion
and an occasional quarrel but this is rare, for a
crowd like this is usually good natured Upstairs
the Railways are obstructed by piles of cots and
mattresses, and at night the house looks like
camp. AS the crowd grows thicker, getting meals
is like going to forage in an enemys country
The dnng-rooms are crowded to the doors. Lines
of hungry men await their turn outside. Inside
men quite as hungry wait until furried and panic
stricken walters can feed them something, it does
not much matter what. 1t is not pleasant kind
of life to those accustomed to less clattcr and dirt
though the unshaven Tammany tough' takes
| it all in with the air of a man of on a summer
holiday who is enjoying himself immensely.
Downstairs in the rotunda the crowd never
seems to diminish, but the same talking smol
ing drinking and expectoration go all day
! and much of the night Once in a while there
comes through the opening into the street the rat
tie and bang of band, and presently there looms
up gorgeous drum major, followed by band in
full blast, the music crashing against the low
ceiling. Then comes a club dressed in high hats
all of the same pattern, paid for by somebody;
handsome uniform suits, paid for by somebody;
gloves, canes, scarf badges, paid for by somebody
They march proudly by in military order. The
crowd applauds and cheers The club melts into
the crowd, and the talking, smoking, drinking and
expectoraton go on with redOubled yigor, the more
so because the delegates under the
spoil of the Sunday prohibitory law
yesterday. The broad grin which greeted
| the discovery that Democratic National
Con, ention had chosen the one town to meet in
where absolutely no whisxey could be had on
Sunday, has hardly died away yet. The Democrats
of this region had shame-faced air, as if they
had been found wanting in hospitality.
MissOurian as l am," said Democratic ex-
Congressman, in all seriousness, If had thought
of this, 1 should not have urged them to come
to st. Louis"
THE VISITORS NOT PLEASED WITH ST. LOUIS.
Some Of the visitors didn't take it amiably.
Il thought Missouri was Democratic State"
said one representative of the efTete East.
| So it is,' was the response
Then where in - is the whisSey?"
Some of these thirsty souls became desperate
eventually All of the bars were to open at the
stroke Of midnight last night, they did, but
at one of the hotels this interesting event took
plac, at a quarter before 12 under high pressure.
| There was statesman there, with a revolver.
| We've waited long enough" he said.
TJ,a bar II
early today that there was great deal of dis
satisfaction in the National Committee
with the arrangements made by the local
committees for the accommodation of the conyen-
tion.
They've done everything to boom st. Louis"
| said one; They've done wonders IN the way of
putting up gaS-tiXtureS in the streets. They have
| Outdone themselves in the way of decorations and
concerts but they've left pretty much everything
gndone for the convention. When ex-senator
| Barnum, e. b. Dickinson and others are seen
actually carrying and arranging seats in the Con-
venton Hall, there has evidently been mismanaSe-
| ment somewhere"
One thing is certain-that in the present state of
mind of the National Committee, st. Louis would
| get few votes for the National Convention.
The hotel charges constitute another grievance
The pledge that rates would not be raised has been
! technically kept, but the delegate who wants
| room to himself or with one friend only, must pay
| for as many persons the proprietor thinks the
room ought to hold. For example, three persons
| persons at the regular rate" or $2S day.
making real charge of over 50 day for each
person.
ENTHUSIASTIC STILL FOR THURMAN.
The tide seems to be running strongly in favor
| Of Thurman. The sober second thought
of Henry Watterson, and many other leaders here
who shared his opinion of the folly of nominating
ex-senator Thurman, but have lacked the courage
to say so in public they apparently forgot that
| nh apa
not characteristic of Democratic Conventions,
either in series or otherwise3 the sober second
thought that was to prevent the nomination of an
old man of seventy-four does not show itself. On
the contrary, the thought of the convention seems
to be becoming less sober every hour and nothing
apparently can now prevent Thurman's nomina-
ton. Probably no nomination ever made
with greater unwingncss and misgiving b.
large proportion of the men taking part in it. 1t
will unquestionably be due to the belief that Pres
dent Cleveland wants it. Ii is true, Of course,
that nobody will say positively that the President
has ever expressed any preference. lie is too
shrewd to put himself openly in such position.
Said one well-known Democrat to-day:
" don't believe the President has expressed any
preference in this matter If he has any, it's locked
up in"-thcn there was pause" Dan LamOntS
BOSOM" At this there was "a general laugh, but
when man in the position of W. u. Scott, the
private telephone of the Administration, who car
res the Presidents platforms around in his pocket,
insists on Thurman as he has been doing for two
days past the average delegate infers that Thur
man is the man Mr. Cleveland wants TO have =.
the harness with him. The way Mr. Scott is able
to do it was illustrated when the Pennsylvania
delegation met to-day After Chairman Kissner,
of the State Committee, had called the delegation
together and made Congressman g. a. Boyle tenn
porary chairman and other similar business was
transacted Senator's voorhees, and Turpie
introduced and made earnest and eloquent speeches
i'm behalf of Governor Gray. They retired. Mr..
Scott rose and said about ten words, after which
the delegation voted as follows: Thurman Al,
Stevenson !, Gray ., Black 2. Eloquence carried
. votes patronage Al. No one one needs to be tod
that when the time comes, Mr. Scott will take
Pennsyivana's IS votes out of his pocket and vote
them all for Mr.. Thurman.
Other delegations held meetings during the day,
evening to give the delegates time to go to the
races and eniov other worldly pleasures 1he