Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-12-12
A BREEZY STRUGGLE.
SHARP CONTEST FOR THE REPUB-
LlCAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.

few days the national Republican commit
tee will meet at the Arlington hotel in this
city Already the CLANS are gathering, and
the fight for location of the Republican
presidential convention of next year bids
fair to be one of the most interesting and
bitterly contested in the history of the COM
mittec The most enthusiastic delegation
Is that from San Francisco, which has
crossed the continent with Il great store Of
good wine and liquors, fruits and hospital.
ity unhoundod. 1t is the purpose of the
San Francisco committee to give the pco-
pie of the east foretaste of the sort ct
good times and royal entertainment they
may expect if the committoe decides to
take the convention to the Golden Gate
Contrary to the general opinion, san Fran
cisco has chance of winning. The gen
cra belief has been that the national COM
inittec would never take the convention
., GOO miles from the center of the popula
ton. But stranger things havo happened
In the first place the san Francisco pooplo
have been hard at work Four years ago
they made fight, but gave up at the last
moment On that occasion they secured
many pledges Of votes for the Sq6 convcn-
ton, and all this capital they now propose
TO make use of Recently they have had
shrewd men travelling through the west
and south securing pledges from commit
tocmcn. It should not be forgotten either
that many of tho smaller states and terri.
tories lie in the far west, and every state
and territory has a vote on the question Of
locating the convention. The vote of tho
member from Nevada counts for as much
as the vote of the member from New York
or Pennsylvania.
The Golden Gate City.
l.. u
rates and reduced railway rates the latter
ut l cent n mile, and all delegates to be
carried free. strong factor i'm favor Of
the Golden Gate City is the desire of u great
many people to make visit to the coast.
The holding Of the convention could be-
made the occasion of n royal junkrt ng
tour. For Instance, nearly all the news
paper men in Washington, who are regular
Attendants upon national conventions, no
matter whore they are held. want the Re-
puhlicans to meet at Frisco The oppor-
tuuity for great trip across the continent,
going by one route and returning by an
other, is too good To be lost sight of.
Oddly enough, the most serious factor
the Frisco boomers have TO contend against
!, their inability to provide facilities for
the great newspapers Of the country The
correspondents could be taken care OF well
enough, rs could every one else, in the pa
latial hotels of the coast city, but they
would be in great stew all the time about
their press dispatches. Unfortunately
there are only seven wires from Frisco to
the east The Western Union company
has five wires. some Of them not very good,
and the Postal Telegraph company has two
wires Tho lines of the former company
pass through the snowsheds Of the Sierra
al
take the southern but longer route These
seven wires could not handle tenth part
OF the dispatches which rho special CORE
spondents would wish to file. If there
were 20 wires leading from Frisco to the
east, then that city might have chance.
II has been suggested that Il city as enter
prislng AS Frisco might have special wires
strung for the purpose, but the telegraph
people say this would cost so much money
that oven the generous boomers from the
coast city would stand agha1t when called
upon To pay the bills Besides time is a
serious element. san Francisco could not
prudontly engage to pay all or any part of
the cost OF new wires without ii certainty
of getting the convention, and the tclc-
graph companies say they could not string
new wires in six months--all the time they
would have between the meeting of the
national committee and the assem- bling
of the convention.
Other Competitors.
But for this obstacle san Francisco
would probably win the convention. Chi
cage, st. Louis and Pittshurg are the 9TH
or principal competitors. Chicago doesn't
seem to be very anxious to get the conVen-
ton but her chances ara good. She has
the powerfu! support of Mr.. Plat of New
York, He is bitterly opposed to both Sal
Francisco and Pittsburg. His friend SEN
ator Quay, ON the other hand, is earnestly
in favor Of Pittsburg. The central loca-
ton Of this city is much in its favor but
the insiders say the hotel accommodations
are not quito adequate to handling The
great crowds which attend national COP
"entinnS. The 81. Louis people have not
made much noise, but they are understood
~ ht in the race with Vgor and cash.
\ popularity Of the situation j., that the
city which wins the convention mist De
prepared to pay nor only all the expenses
Of tho convention itself, bu. to pay off the
debt which las hung over the national
committee since the campaign Of 1872 |
happen to know that a part Of this obi ga
tIon, considerable part, Is due Quay and
Clarkson ana other members of the old
committee who advanced money 10 the
party when il was In sore need, and / do
not suppose any one will critciae them for
wanting TO get their loan back
4 Serious Inconvenience.
At this writing it Looks as if san Fran.