The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-29

with Increased energy when he intro
duced as temporary chairman of the
convention Hon. John P. st. John, of
Kansas. Mr.. st. Johns speech of thanks
was frequently applauded. AT its con.
clusion the usual committees were ap.
pointed and the convention adjourned
until evening. .....5-
BIDwELL FOR PRESIDENT
The Californian Seems to Have the
Lead for First Place.
CINCINNATI, June 29.-General John
Bidwell, of California, who was a con.
gresham from that state away back in
the sixties, will be the standard bearer
of the national Prohibition party in the
coming campaign.
The boom for William Jennings Demo- /
rest, of New York, whose candidacy has
been actively promoted throughout the
country for months, appears not to have
extended, and the Calitornian's nomina-
ton is claimed by his friends on the
first ballot, if not by acclamation. For
the second place Joshua Levering, a
wealthy Baltimore coffee merchant and
of local note as a philanthropist, is in
1no isau, Witblflenry SI'iy bascomD, OF
New York. and A. A. Stevens, of Penn
sylvania following close behind.
Yesterday was warm day among the
Prohibitionists, and the white haired
and spectacled delegates are bemoaning
the fact that the degenerating influences
OF modern political methods have crept
in among their followers, and that the
good old times when the delegates sang
temperance hymns to camp meeting
tunes, and discussed the availability Of
candidates without heat or passion or
personal vituperation, have gone perhaps
% return no more.
Demorest Boomers at Work.
The contest of the opposing factions
was inaugurated almost Immediately
upon the arrival Of the New York dele
Aon yesterday. 1t had been confidently
expected by the scattering Demorest
following from other states that this del
egation would be solid for the New
Yorker, but, much to their dismay and
ehagrin, it was very speedily developed
= Aak he had but 30 out of 110, and that
the majority were either for Bidwell or
Gn the fence.
If the minority was small, however,
IL was active, and it brought in its train
. goodly sized contingent of young po-
litical workers, who lost no time in GO
ing into the thick Of the fray. They
decorated themselves with badges, scat
tered Autographs of their candidate
right and left, and then proceeded to
visit the various headquarters, not SO
much to sound his praises as to decry
the opposition.
Not even at Minneapolis, in the heat
Cd the anti-convention campaign, was as
much vituperation indulged in. All
kinds of charges, affecting not only his
general availability, but his moral char
acter, were brought against the Cali
fornian, and some of these, of charac-
ter unlikely to find their way into type,
were put upon paper and passed around.
Gaining Converts for Bidwcll.
The Bidwell supporters, however, re-
fused to return the fight with the same
missiles. They contented themselves
with the declaration that the party did
mot want a man who sought the Office;
that the office should seek the man, and
that Demorest, in their opinion, was in
oapacitated in many ways from being
considered as an available nominee.
Having said go much they proceeded to
devote themselves with energy and en-
thusiasm to missionary work among the
delegations, and rs fast as these arrived
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas,
Illinois, Maryland and North Carolina
following each other in quick succession
they were met by the committee, who
explained the situation and sounded the
praises Of the California candidate.
So successful were they in these tactics
that today majority of the delegates
and visitors are sporting the Bidwell
badges and even the most enthusiastic
friends of the New York candidate
admit that unless there is a change in
the situation his name must not be pre-
Bented to the convention.
At the Pennsylvania caucus straw
vote showed that nearly every delegate
Il A. a l..
In the national committee yesterday
afternoon warm debate was precipi-
tated by Rev. Sam Small, who called
attention to the fact that a resolution
adopted at his instance four years ago,
and which prohibited the national COM
mittee from using its funds for the en-
ployment Of campaign speakers in the
Reld, had not been lived up to. Chair
man Dickie replied that the resolution
in question endowed the committee with
discretionary power. This Small de-
MED, but after q somewhat heated col
toquy the action of the committee was
sustained.
SavOrfng Fusion.
The movement for fusion with the
Peoples party, which assemblies at
Omaha on aturday, received something
of an impetus from meeting held at
the Palace yesterday afternoon, and of
which Miss Frances Willard was the
promoter. The opposition turned out
In force, but We're outnumbered, and
resolutions were adopted declaring that
y friendly feeling exists between the
Prohibiuon and Peoples party upon
economic questions of the day and
recommending to the convention that
the national committee be authorized to
confer with the Peoples party with a
view to union, ,fprovided that the sup
preston and prohibition of the hquor
traffic be not left out of the platform.
= a committee was appointed to present
the matter of prohibition to the Omaha
convention.
The Illinois delegation held caucus
anil decided to place in nomination for
- The presidency ex-Judge David McCul-
Tough, of Peoria, and to stick to him so
long as there was a chance for his nomi-
hation. The New York delegation de-
cidsd to present no candidate from that
state as d body,