Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-21
THE SILVER DELEGATES.
They Decide to Throw Their Solid Sup
port to German.

port to German.
CHICAGO, June 20.--The silver statel
held meeting in the Colorado head
quarters this afternoon. Represents
tives from the following states and tor
ritories, with full power to act, were in
attendance. Colorado, Nevada, Mon.
tana. Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona and
Utah. Kansas and Nebraska were alec
represented, but the delegates have NO
authority to bind their delegations.
Confusion and excitement was flung
into the conference OF the silver men al
most at the outset. The abortive end
ing OF the whole movement seemed i'm
minent, but the final success is all the
greater by the contrast. The explosion
came from the premature suggestion
that the caucus proceed to talk over the
matter of candidates. A hubbub
ensued. 1T is no use, "We could not
agree, Too close to the convention, /"
and dozens of similar comments met the
proposal. The understanding among
the leading spirits Of the conference was
that an effort should be made to con-
centrate the silver votes under the lead
OF Colorado, solidly for German. The
practical refusal of the caucus even to
consider the matter, much less unite
upon candidate, was disagreeable
surprise, but those who were chiefly in
strumental in getting the caucus to-
gether adroitly avoided forcing the
issue that at the beginning threatened
to precipitata irretrievable dissension.
Instead of jamming ahead rough shod
and securing q candidate, their efforts
were ostensibly bent toward producing
q silver plank for which all present
would pledge themselves to stand
through thick and thin.
The eloquence and quick intelligence
OF Hon. 7. M. Patterson of Denver was
brought into play, and under his skiliful
pilotage harmony soon began to loom
into view. He carefully avoided the
mention Of presidential candidates, and
urged full expression from every man
present as to what should be done, and
the best method of doing it. Az the
result the forty-two delegates present
were soon engaged in an earnest but
harmless discussion of the phraseology
of the silver plank.
The most ingenious schemes by which
the plank, when constructed, could be
convention roundup" came in the
form OF motion to appoint,a commit
tee OF one from each state represented
to help frame the much-discussed plank.
The motion carried, and by this time the
inclination to pugnaciousness, so prom
inent early in the proceedings, thor
oughly evaporated.
Selling favorable opportunity, Pat
terson again took the floor, and after
pointing out how much depended upon
united action, gradually led to the state
ment that he had originally been Hill
man, but of late had become convinced
that the most available man from q sill
yer standpoint, the candidate favorable
tothe silver interests, who aroused the
least antogonism and was most likely to
win, was German. s
When Pattereon's remarks were rein
forced by 81. O'Donnell, another Colo
RADIO delegate, who proclaimed himself
as'an original German man, the temper
of the caucus toward the Maryland sem
ator began to show symptoms of decided
warming up. Clark. of Nevada, helped
the boom. The Montana delegates were
not slow to fall in line, and the repre-
sentatives forming the remainder of the
conference, after much button-holing
and csnvassing the possibilities of the
balloting in the convention, put them
selves on record by declaring one after
another their preference for German or
willingness to unite in his support.
When the leaders Of the caucus had
secured the reward of their patient
manipulations an adjournment was at
once taken, subject to call.
The net result, if the pledges are car
ried out, is the corralling Of exactly
forty-two votes for German on the first
ballot, the votes to come from Colorado,
Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, New
Mexico, Arizona and Wyoming. Those
active in the caucus claim that the
action will directly influence thirty other
votes in different delegations, making a
total of seventy or more for German as
the result of the days work OF the silver
men.
James B. Orman of Pueblo, Colo, q
radical free silver man, after the meet
ing said unconditional demands would
be made for a free silver plank in the
platform.
The Colorado delegation met this
morning, and, it was ascertained, de-
cided to drop Hill and cast Colorado's g
eight votes for German. The programme
is to throw the full vote of tie silver
states to the Maryland senator.