The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-03
TWO GREAT CONVENTIONS.
a CfN1hAL FIGURE IN THE LAST
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CoyCLAVK.

cENrnAL FIGURE IN THE LAST
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CoyCLAnE.
ehsehnn's ana ConkMns's Flights Compared
Tho Critical Ballot In 1850 and tho
Critical Ballet in 1sOs-Hew Censiinw
nore Hirself In the Former. s.a How
shechsn Ro,s Himself In the Latter
ConhIine Defeated By the Breaking Of
the Unit Hoic, ssd sheehaa Defeated Ne.
cause SC Was Maintained = Recusant
Pledges Complete the Rout.
WASHINGTON. D. O.. July 1.-The central flG-
ure OF the nght against Mr.. Cleveland In the
National Democratic Convention was william
II. Sheehan. Lieutenant. Governor OF Now
York. Sheehan is young man. nearly six
feet tall He has n light complexion. deep
blue eyes. clean-cut features. a light nous
tachc. and hnir with yellow lingo. Ho Is
brawny, and has not an ounce Of superiiuous
flesh, Mr.. shcehnn is 30 yenrs old. He ia
slightly stoop- shouldored. and when thinking
has the hntit OF twiring his moustache. A
man Of action. no never tires. His energy. in
decd. Is almost superhumnn. He proba-
" had not moro than sixteen hours sleep
In all while In Chicago. and he was
thore q week. Quick OF perception. he
readily adapted himself to overy change in the
situation. Betrayed at tho outset. he did not
lose hohrt. Young and ambitious. no was by
no means headstrong. Ho knew that Now
York wns tho rnllylng point, and Ito madc no
movement without consulting the sngacious
chieftnins Of his dele CATION He saw that there
was strength enough In tho Convention to pre-
vent the Cleveland iucn from reaching the goal
on the first ballot. II rightly handled. All tho
Cleveland strength would be shown on tho
first ballot. On tho second ballot Pennsyl-
vania was suro to go TO lattison. and tho eX-
Presidents forces would melt away.
Sheehan's only aim. therefore, was to pre-
vent nomination on the first ballot. He was
Gov. Hills chosen leader. Tho Governors in
terests were In his hands. and he could with
draw his name or keep II in the field. as he
thought Lest. II Mr.. Cleveland failed to re-
ceive the necessary two-thirds vote on tho
first ballot. the contestants for the nomination
would be ablo to como to son. agreement.
They could reach mono until tho cx-Prcsi-
dents strength was tested. Efforts to roach
an agreement before this must fail. because
OF tho jeaouses Of the rival candidates. Each
was readv TO fly to the bosom OF the opposition
the instant q rival showed any positive
strength outside Of his own delegation.
Iown and New York stood by their colors. II
any other Stnte had done the same Mr.. Ceve-
land could not have been nominated. Take
Maryland out OF his column and he was lost.
The Same with Indiana. Illinois. Kentucky.
and Ohio The IA votes cast for Mr.. Cleveland
In the Buckeye State wero in indispensable to his
nomination So were tho Is In Kentucky. the
4S In Illinois. the 30 In Indiana. and the in
Maryland. Arkansas. which had como to the
Convention uninstructod. with delegates OK
pressing hostility to Mr.. Clevaland's nomina-
ton. cast her sixteon votes for him. When
German few tho track. the Morrison boom
appeared. 1t was worked with extraor-
binary Skill. But Missouri stood In tho way.
While tho most OF her delegates pre-
farred Morrison to Cleveland. they stood by
their instructions Illinois might have stood
firm and cast her vote for Palmer. but Palmer
himself rushed to Chicago and forbade it.
There was a division in Indiana between tho
Cleveland mon and those advocating Gray's
nomination. II tho Gray mon had stood to
their guns Cleveland could not havo boon
nominated Dan Voorhees,. John Lamb. and
other Gray delegates who had boon rampant
suddenly laid down their arms 1t was UNDER
stood that Mr. Gray was to receive the nomi-
nation for Vice-President II the Gray men
surrendered to Cleveland. The surrender was
so complete that Mr. Voorhees, was to second
Clevelnnd's nomination.
With German. Palmer. and Gray marching
over to the enemy. Mr.. Sheehan kept up the
fight. It must be acknowledged. however. that
Mr.. Cleveland's opponents were discouraged.
All sorts OF rumors wore anoat Guerrlllas
were at work. Tho Southern delegates were
told that the Now York delegation was insn-
core. These reports wero so industriously
circulated that some Of tho stanchest anti
Cleveland mon In the South regarded Now
York with suspicion. Bogus interviews with
New York mon were printed. and tho most pre-
posterous stories set aioat Lying was ex-
allied into science.
At the close of the first days session tho out
look was appalling. There were noble men.
however. In the South Senator Irby and Gov.
Tillman OF South Carolina. Judge Brown oil
Georgia. Senator Jones of Arkansas. and
others came to the. front. A council OF war
was held in tho chambers OF the young
chieftain from New York. No time was to be
lost A forlorn hope was organized. The
anti-Cleveland men were invited to visit the
New York delegation and pleige themselves
to hold their ground Till midnight they
poured into the Headquarters Of the New York
delegation and pledged themselves to vote
against Mr.. Clevelands nomination. Aitel
midnight others came in one by one. and
promised their support. BY daylight 1927 had
pledged themselves to stand Arm till the first
ballot was over They were counted upon al
iron-rlvcted. bedrock Democrats.
The young leaders face frightened. Ho wa.
the Desaix OF the fight. The battle. like tina
OF Marengo. had been completely lost. but hi
believed that there was time enough left to
win another one. IIarengo was Won because
Kellerman lcd tho decisive charge on hi
own responsio ility.
But no Kellerman appeared at Chicago.
I.-CoNELISG'S FIGHT
The result OF the first and only ballot In thi
Chicago Convention recalls tho last ballo
tuken In tho Republican Convention OF 1880