Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-29
THE COLD WATER CRANKS,
Prohibition National COnven-
tion to Open Today.
A Hot Fight Over the Presiden-
tial Nomination.
Gen. Bidwell or Jennings Dem0rest
Likely to Be the Nominee.
Miss Frances willard Favors Fusion
With the Peoples Party-Other
Leaders Oppose This Plan.
Political Gossip.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
CINCINNATI, June 2S.-The sixth ma
tional convention of the Prohibition
party will open tomorrow morning in
the big music hall. Unless the un-
promising effort to patch up differences
and agree on man is successful, there
will be fight for the honor of being the
presidential nominee of the party.
General Bidwellof California and Jen-
nings Demorest Of New York are the
leading competitors for the nomination,
and the delegates are becoming so ex-
cited over the contest that there is talk
of bringing out dark horse as means
OF uniting the two factions. Clay Bas-
com of Troy, N. Y, is most mentioned
as compromise candidate, and occa-
sionally Gideon I. Stewart of Ohio and
Professor Dickie of Michigan are sug-
gested. Bidwell's and Demorest's q
friends regard the talk OF dark horse
with distavor, and many delegates think
the matter has gone 80 far that it must
be fought out. Bidwell's friends claim
his election on first ballot. and ridicule
Demorest's claims. The Demorest men
are making much of the strong eenti-
ment against fusion with the Peoples
party. The opposition to fusion is very
marked, and Miss Willard tonight is
apparently alone in the advocacy of it.
The leaders of Doth factions appear
united On the surface, in antagonism to
the proposition.
Ex-Governor John p. st. John of
Kansas will preside tomorrow. A. f.
Wollenberger of Nebraska will be secre-
tary. A. A, Stevens of Pennsylvania, OF
Professor Dickie, will probably be per
manent chairman.
Walter Hill OF Georgia, Joshua Lever
ing of Maryland, Colonel Balm Of Ken
lucky, John w. Russell OF Detroit and
A. A. Stevens of Pennsylvania are sug-
gested q good vice-presidential timber.
WORK PRACTICALLY BEGUN.
The work Of the national convention
Of the Prohibition party practically
opened today, with the nseting oI
the national committee. Chairman s.
Z. Dickie of Ann Arbor, Mich, presided
The primary object of the meeting was
the election of temporary officers for the
convention, but the committee; did not
confne itself to this, and the meeting
was largely in the nature of q caucus, to
shape as far as possible in advance The
proceedings of the convention. Atten-
ton was drawn to the coincidence that
this latest and most promising conven.
ton Of the party is held in Ohio, the
state in which the flrst presidential can
didate Of the Prohibitionists was named.
All sorts Of pleasantly auguries were
drawn from this fact.
The leaders express confidence that
this will be the largest convention ever
held BY the Prohibitionists, and are
making preparations to give the move
ment boom. Music hall, in which the
convention is to be held, is the place in
which General Hancock was nominated
tor the presidency. It has seating
capacity of nearly five thousand. The
building is decorated with bunting
flags, coats-of-arms Of the various states
| Inscriptions suitable to q Prohibition
convention, and few not compliment
ary to the leading political parties.
One hundred and fifty delegates are
in town, and several special trains are
on the way. Fourteen carloads are ex'
pected from the Pacific coast and the
far west. The southern delegates are
scattering. Some Of the far southern
states will not be represented.
Among the delegates who arrived to
day are those from Oregon.
| BIDwELL OR DEMoREsT?
All sorts Of ideas are bruited about
among the delegates present for pre-
sentation to the convention. The presi
Dental nomination at present seems te
lie between General Bidwell and Mr.
Demorest. The former is the choice o.
the leaders. who are putting him for
ward to oppose Demorest. The princi
/ pal point urged in favor of the latte
seems to be that he will subscribe liber
ally to the campaign, but the leader
wsnt man who will take we'll as
speaker, and they say If Demorest i
nominated it will be necessary to sem
him away until the campaign is over s
he cannot make speeches or be inter
| viewed.
A VISIT TO THE sLuMs.
A sensation was created in the bee
and music halls s'over the Rhine" lai
night by visits from Ex-Governor s.
John of Kansas, his wife, Rev. M. {
Lock wood and Mrs. Helen Cougar an
other prominent Prohibitionists. The
o6W UA&O 0Vt0UA WVAAAuS6 Va UuV6O RA0OOa
but made NO attempt at missionar
work among them.
i MISS wILLARD's SCHEMES.
Miss Frances E. Willard announce
that she will use every endeavor to hay
the convention adopt q resolution
pledge the party to withdraw it's pres
Dental candidate, if the Peoples part
convention at Omaha puts up cand
date satisfactory to the national Prob
biti0n committee, and will move that
committee, to be vested with discr'
tionary power in the matter, be al
pointed.
She will ask to have the name of tt
Prohibition party changed to tt
Home Protection party
Miss Wizards idea in case Of fusion
for each party to retain its orRanizatio
and to fight the campaign on its ow
lines. She has little hope Of succes
however, there ie strong opposition
fusion. Some Of the opponents go 80 +
! as to call her Prohibition Mu
wump."
OPPOSITION TO FUSION.