Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-21
WATTERSON ON TOP.
he Wins the First Engagement With
the Cleveland Forces.
OWENsF FOR TEMPORARYCHAIRMAN
Arizona and New Mexico Given an In
creased Representation.
MORE VOTES REQUIRED TO NOMINATE

| CHICAGO. June 20-To the anti-Cleve-
land forces belong the first honors of war
| in the contest for the control of the Demo-
| cratic National Convention. The National
| Committee Mt its meeting this afternoon de-
cided by vote of 2S to 20 to present the
name of Henry Watterson's candidate, W.
c. Owens, of Kentucky, as the Temporary
Chairman of the convention.
| The Cleveland people i'll brook defeat, and
will carry the contest onto the floor of the
convention Immediately after the convention
is called to order unless they abandon their
| present intention, This will develop,
though not perfectly the strength of each
side in the convention and will show the
utmost strength of the opposition to Cleve-
| land and probably something in excess of
| that strength, as some Cleveland States
voted for Ovens
The fight for the control of the temporary
organization has been going on quietly since
Friday night, little of what was being done
coming to the surface. Mr. Watterson
| entered into the fight on behalf of his State
colleague with vim and had the National
Committee canvassed before it was decided
by the subcommittee to Suggest" Mr..
Owens name.
Watterson Confident OF the Result.
The result of this canvass convinced him
that Ovens was all right, and Mr. Waiter
son has not hesitated to express his convic-
tion that Owens would be the winner. This
morning the subcommittee met pursuant to
order, and at once decided in favor of Mr..
Owens, and agreed unanimously to report
his name to the full National Committee.
Some of the Cleveland men were in favor
of acquiescence In the decision of the sub
committee, but Mr.. Harrity and Senator
Villas said they would make fight on him.
Stevenson was dropped as the man with
whom to oppose Mr.. Owens, and Wilson,
of West Virginia, was taken up as the
strongest man the Cleveland people could
put in opposition to Mr.. Owens Mr.. Will
son was selected because he was Southern
man, and because of his reputation as
tariff reformer as well as his parliamentary
skill.
After the announcement of Ovens Sc
lection was made, a motion was entered to
make it unanimous, but Mr.. Holt, of Texas,
gave notice that he would present minor
ity report to the convention. Whether or
not the Cleveland men will make a square
test of strength in the convention and all
of them support Mr.. Holt on a motion to
adopt the minority report remains to be
seen.
Swelling the Total Mem bership.
An analysis of the vote in committee
shows that it was not square alignment of
the opposing forces on the Presidential
question. All the States voting for Mr.
Wilson seem to be States in which the
Cleveland sentiment is preponderant unless
it be the State of Mississippi, but in the
list of Mr.. Owens supporters are to be
found several States of whose devotion to
Cleveland's interests there can be no doubt.
New Mexico was on deck seeking SIX
delegates instead of two, and she succeeded
in getting what she wanted. 1t was Sc
cured by the adoption of the following res
olution offered by Mr.. Field, of Albu-
querque:
Resolved, that this committee, disclaim-
ing the right to dictate to the convention
what action it shall take with reference to
the claims of Arizona and New Mexico to
additional representation, recommend that
the claims of New Mexico and Arizona be
recognized by the convention to the extent
of admission to the convention with rep
resentation equal to the representation of
the smallest State
If this goes through the convention, and
there seems to be no reason to expect that
it will not, the four provisional delegates
each territory elected will have places in
the convention. This will swell the total
membership to 904 and make 603 votes
necessary in order to secure the nomination.