The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-06-30
JOHN BTDWE[L
Formally Chosen by the Cold
Water Advocates Now
AT WORK IN CINCINNATI
The Oalifornian's Nomination Claimed by
His Friends on the First Ballot,

However, for the First Time There VIII
Be q Contest, Just Like in Big Parties.
Gathering for Political Purposes, Dele
gates Are Not at Loss for Something
to Say.
CINCINNATI. June 29.-General John
Bidwell, of California, who was 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 Will
lam Jennings Demorest, of New York,
whose candidacy has been actively pro-
NOTED throughout the country for
months, appears to have exploded and
the Californians nomination 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 the lead, with
Henry Clay Bascom, of New York, and
A. A. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, follow
ing close behind.
1t has been a 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
vituperation have gone, perhaps to re-
turn no more. The contest of the op-
posing factions was inaugurated almost
Immediately upon the arrival of the New
York delegation yesterday morning. 1t
has been confidently expected by the
scattering DemOrest following from
other states that this delegation would
be solid for the New Yorker, but much
to their dismay and chagrin it was very
speedily developed that he had but 80
out of the 11O and that the majority
were either for Bidwell or on the fence.
Just Like Big Parties.
If the minority was small, however, it
was active and it brought in its train a
goodly sized contingent of young polit-
ical workers, who lost no time in going
into the thick of the fray. They dec
Grated 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 of
the anti-convention campaign was as
much vituperation INDUCED in as has
been current today.
All kinds of charges affecting not
only his general availability, but his
moral character, were brought against
the Californian, and some of these, of a
character unlikely to find their way
into type, were put upon paper and
passed around.
The Bidwell supporters, however, re-
fused to return the fight with the same
missiles. They contented themselves
with the declaration that the party did
not want man who sought the Office,
that the Office should seek the man, and
that Demorest in their Iopinion was in
capacitated in many ways from being
considered as an available nominee.
Having said so much they proceeded to
devote themselves with energy and en-
thusiasm to missionary work among the
delegations and as fast as these arrived
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illi-
nois, Maryland and North Carolina
following each other in rapid succession
they were met by committees who eX-
planned the situation and sounded the
praises of the California candidate,
So successful were they in these tao
tics that last night a majority of the
delegates and visitors which sporting the
Bidwell badges, and even the most en-
thusiastic friends of the New York can
didate admit that unless there is a
change in the situation his name must
not be presented to the convention.
st. John for Temporary Chairman.
The Illinois caucus decided not to pre-
sent candidate, and at the Pennsyl.
vania caucus straw vote showed that
nearly every delegate would go to Bid
well on the first ballot. The national
committee has decided upon ex-Gov.
ernor John p. st. John as temporary
chairman.
A warm debate was precipitated by
Rev. Sam Small, who called attention to
the fact that resolution adopted at his
instance four years ago, and which pro.
hibited the national committee from
using its funds for the employment of
campaign speakers in the field, had not
been lived up to. Chairman Dickie re.
piled that the resolution in question en-.
dowed the committee with dis
ccretionary power. This Small
denied, but after somewhat
heated colloquy the action of the com.
mittee was sustained. The movement
for a fusion with the Peoples party,
which assemblies at Omaha on Saturday,
received something of an impetus from
a meeting held at the Palace Hotel yes.
kAw y,1 IS snl
Willard was the promoter. The opposi.
ton turned out in force, but were out
numbered, and resolutions favoring
fusion were adopted.
Some Talk of Fusion,
The Illinois delegation at another eau
Gus last night reconsidered its action and
decided to place in nomination for the
presidency ex-Judgs David Mccullough,
of Peoria, and to stick TO him so long as
there was a chance for his nomination.
The New York delegation decided to
present no candidate.from that state as a
body. 1t leaves any delegate at liberty
TO make any nomination he might think
proper. The conference In favor OF
fusion was attended by over 300 people.
The minority made a considerable up
roar, shouting "no Gresham" 'no
fusion, "no change in name"
Speeches urging fusion were made by
Evans, Of New York, and several Hi
nois delegates.
A telegram from Senator PETER urg-
ing at conference to appoint few dis
Greet persons to attend the Omaha con-
vention for the purpose Of comforting
with some of the leaders regarding
fusion, The following resolution was
adopted:
Declaring that friendly feeling exists be-
tween the Prohibition and Peoples parties
upon economic questions of the day and recon-