Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-17
EVE OF THE CONVENTION,
Fresno Swarming with Dem
Ocratic Delegates.
The Craftsmanship Question the
Paramount Issue.
-OstrOm and Murphy Both Anxious to
Weld the Gavel.
The Fight Hinging on Cleveland and
Anti Cleveland Sentiment-Litt1e
Interest Taken in Any
thing Else.
Associated Press Dispatches.


FRESNO. May l6.-The Democratic
state convention will be called to order
here tomorrow by Gen. r. P. Hammond,
Chairman Wilson. of the state central
committee, on whom the duty would
have devolved, being absent in the east.
Delegates and visitors have been pour
ing in by every train for the last two
days, and the city is crowded, sppar-
emily, to its utmost capacity. Some 200
members of the Iroquois and Manhattan
club are expected tonight by the mid
night train. The city is gafly decorated
with arches, flags and bunting.
Although the delegates will. before
leaving for their homes, elect delegates
to the national! convention. choose a
new state central committee and nom.
mate congressman in the s sew
eral districts, it is impossible to
arouse any interest in the subject to-
night. The entire interest at present
centers in the fight for the election of
chairman. Within the last twenty four
hours this has developed into a contest
waged entirely on national lines, d. A.
Ostrom Of Yuba representing Oleveland's
adherents, while B. D. Murphy of Santa
Clara is the candidate of those who ia
vor an uninstructed delegation. Hardly
a word is heard regarding the opinions
of the candidates on state matters. The
contest is close one, with the chances
in favor of Ostrom. The Cleveland men
of the most Of the delegations have been
polled, and it now appears that the San
Francisco delegates hold the balance of
power. If Ostrom gets half of their
votes he will he elected. Both parties
are very positive in claiming a victory.
Ostrom will be placed in nomination
by w. s. Leake of Sacramento, the as
sistant state librarian, while Murphy
will be nominated by some member of
the Santa Clara delegation, possibly
Jackson Hatch.
The election OF the chairman will be
followed by the adoption of platform
and the election of delegates at large,
four in number. 1t is generally ac-
cepted that Stephen NJ. White Of Los
Angeles will certainly be one of these,
and E. B. Butler of Fresno will be an
other. The other two, will depend
largely on the result of the chairman
ship fight. If the Cleveland men win,
E. B. Pond of San Francisco and
some Cleveland man from the northern
part of the state will probably
be chosen. If the anti -Clevelandites
carry the day, it is likely James v. Cole
man and w. w. Foote will be elected.
The other prominent candidates are J.
F. Thompson of Humboldt, John Boggs
OF Colusa, ]. A. Filcher of Placer and
John p. Irish of Alameda.
A compromise resolution may be
adopted warmly endorsing Cleveland,
but leaving the delegates free to support
the most available candidate at Chi
.cago.
District conventions to nominate del
egates will be held during the recess of
the main convention tomorrow. Little
interest is being taken in these tonight.
Congressman are to be nominated in
the several districts, but will probably
not be chosen until Wednesday or later.
The country delegates seem inclined
to investigate the state of political af-
fairs in San Francisco, and there may
be some lively times in the committee
on credentials, but it is not probable
that the fight will be transferred to the
floor of the convention. It is not vet
decided when the election of new state
central committee will take place.
The San Francisco delegation will
hold a meeting at $3.50 tomorrow in Iro-
quois hall to attempt to agree on can
didate for chairman.