The Portland daily press., 1895-12-09

Washington, December 7.-Seven cities
will contest for the honor OF entertaining
the National Republican Convention of
1896. The prize will be awarded by the
national committee at its meeting in the
Arlington hotel in this city, next Tues
day. A preliminary meeting of the exc
cutive committee of the national commit
tee will be held Monday night Besides
selecting convention city the committee
will have to dispose of resolution intro
duced by Henry G. Payne of Wisconsin for
a change in the basis of representation in
the convention from the ARBITRARY one
now existing, to the one proportioned to
the Republican vote cast for President
in the last preceding election.
The candidates for designation as the
convention city are San Francisco, Salt
Lake. Minneapolis, Chicago, st. Louis,
Pittsburg and New York. Washington.
while not candidate in the sense that
the Others are, will hold itself in recep-
tive mood. to take the honor in case the
committee finds it necessary thereby to
esrape deadlock. San Fancisco is most
in evidence in the preliminaries to the
contest. A committee was appointed to
come to Washington to present the claims
of San Francisco, and volunteer commit
tee will also be present. Much preliminary
missionary work of an educational ma
ture has been accomplished in the East
by Charles M. Shortbridge, proprietor of
the San Francisco Call These gentlemen
are prepared to pledge sl5, 600 for the ex-
pense of the convention, a hall large
enough to hold the convention and many
thousands of spectators, at $50 round trip
rate from Chicago to the coast. and. on
behalf of the telegraph companies, a
competent and satisfactory wire service.
The difference in time, they frankly
avow, they canot overcome, but as a pal
liation, they say that visitors and men,
bers alike will find every day in San
Francisco comprising hours of the same
length as those in the East. San Fran
cisco counts on 90 votes out of 81 in the
convention on the first ballot
Salt Lakes spokesman is Col. Patrick
Lannan. St. Louis will be prepared to
make very substantial offer for the hon
or Of the conventio The oampa ign is
eing made by the Business Mems league,
whose committee will be, here tomorrow.
The committee will offer SIS, 600, or
SO, 900 and hall modified from the ex-
position building with Is, 900 seats.
1t is not definitely known what Chicago
will propose to the committee. The cash
in sight is reported to be $50. 900. This
sum, together wit Chfcagos Well.kpoWn
record as convention city, will be de-
pended upon by the citizens committee
to secure the prize.
A committee of Pittsburg business men
will be here to urge her claims apd they
will have the assistance of Senator Quay.
The interests OF New York will be in
the hands OF committee of 25 busir ess
men-of that city, whose arrival is booked
for Monday morning. They are autho-
rized to make all necessary financial
pledges, beyond which it is not deemed
necessary to go in demonstration to the
national committee the ability of the me-
tropolis to properly care for the oonven-
tion.
The meeting of the committee will
bring together gathering of politicians
unusually large even for Washington
Some of them are here now, especially
delegation of Ohio men advocating the
nomination of Gov. Mckinley 1t includes
Mark Hanna of Cleveland, W. NJ. Hahn,
National Committeeman Joseph P
Smith, ex-Representative Thompson and
Major Chas Lick. There are also with
them ex-senator Powell Clayon of Ar
kansas and Gen. W. M. Osborne, ex-
police commissioner of Boston. another
relative of MY. Mckinley. Mr.. Smith
said of the delegation: 'tWe have no plans
to submit to the national committee
and no choice of one city over another for
the convention. We are here to look
after the interests Of Mr. McKinley's
candidacy which is we'll understood the
country over" There is some little talk
respecting this Craftsmanship of the con-
vention. Michigan is understood to be