Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-06-25
FIGHT WAKES HOT.
Situation at the Kentucky Dem.
ocratic Convention.
LEADERS FOB THE FIRST ROUND.

Stone and Becxner to Compete for the
Temporary Chairma manship-Har Po-
sition on tho Live Issue Not ~ Plain ~
It Might Be-sisniacancs Of the Pre-
liminary Battle in the Convention-The
Illinois Extra Legislative Session.
LOUISVILLE, June 25 The debate be.
tween the silver men and gold men, who
uce attending the Democratic state con-
vention, wakes hot. and everywhere can
be seen about the hotels knots of men dis.
cussing with more or less heat the issue
whether the Kentucky Democracy shall
come out for silver or gold. The lines
a,c closing around the leaders and the
first fight in the convention will be be.
tween ex-Representativc Stone and Judge
Beckner, the latter being the silver CAN
didate for temporary chairman. Mean.
time the conservatives want both Beck
ner and Stone to promise to appoint one
silver man and one gold man rs members
at-large of the committee on resolutions,
and in fact to divide equally the members
at-large of all the committees
Point Of the Preliminary Fight.
Blackburn, who has more ut stake
at this convention than any of the state
candidates and more even than Secretary
Carlisle. was disposed to agreo to the
conserve tive plan OF an equal division of
the members-at.large on each Of tho com.
mittees. but the radical silver men Up.
posed it and meeting Of the silver men
was called to discuss the matter. The
contest between the administration and
anti-administration people for the tenpor.
ary organization Is with a view to secur-
ing the chairman, two members at-large
of the committee on resolutions and con.
trolling the rules an order Of business SO
that nominations shall be made before
the platform is adopted. AS General
Hardin claims enough votes to nominate
him, the "honest money" delegates want
the platform adopted first.
Hardin's P0sit on Not Defined.
There are some delegates instructed for
Hardin who arc opposed to free coinage.
General Hardin is reported to have said
he would insist on a free silver platform,
and when seen he declined to deny it. His
fr ends claim that he could not run on Il
Carlisle or administration platform after
the canvass he has made with Blackburn
and others on the free coinage issue.
There is u conservative element which
wants the convention to reaffirm the na-
tional platform of 1892 and go no further
ON the financial question, but the silver.
ties say that would imply the Endorsement
of the administration Senator Blackburn
favors the reaffirming of the platform of
1892 with an additional oflirmation that
the pledges Of 1892 have not been fulfilled
by President Cleveland and Secretary
Carlisle.
Conservatives Hope to Control.
The conservatives hope to have the bal
nnce of power IN the convention, but they
evidently have very little influence in tho
fight that is going on for the chairman.
ship and control Of committees. 1t was a
fight TO finish when the district delcga-
tions met at 10 o'clock this morning to
select vice presidents and members of tho
committees, and when the convention
assemblies this afternoon there will be q
general engagement at the start. The
state committee does not name the tenn.
porary chairman for this convention in
advance. Chairman Carroll, Of the state
committee, holds the gavel until the con-
| venticn selects its temporary chairman
and the first thing in order is the elec.
ton Of temporary officers Oh which de-
pends the fato Of senatorial. gubernato.
rial and other candidates, and the
metallic complexion Of the platform.