The Portland daily press., 1895-10-29

A FUNNY STORY.
Why Chicago is Not Popular with the
Republican Committee.
Municipal Authorities and Police Secured
the Auditorium and Packed it for
Gresham in 1888.

L
the Auditorium and Packed it for
Gresham in 1888.
New York Sum-
The Republicans who came to New
York to fix the time and place for the
meeting of the National Republican
Commi ttee were nearly all gone by yes
terday. They left behind, however, an
interesting story-one that has never
been told and one which will explain
why the Republicans passed over Chicago
in 1892 and went to Minneapolis. The
story will also go long way toward ex-
planning why there is so bitter opposi-
tion now to holding the Convention In
Chicago next year.
The story of the opposition to Chicago
dates back to the convention Of 1888,
when Gen. Harrison was nominated
there. The facts in the case are best told
by member of the National Republic
can Committee who was on the ground
at that time, and who said last night:
''We selected Chicago in 1888 after the
fairest promises that the city was inter-
ested in no candidate and that we would
have fair treatment. Like most of Chioa-
go's promises, the pledges made to US
were empty. From the day we arrived
Government of Chicago had got up a
great boom for Gresham. Moreover, we
ascertained that there was an organized
scheme to pack the galleries and every
vacant spot in the Auditorium for Gresh
am. We did not object to the candidacy
of Judge Gresham, but we did draw the
line at the work of Chicago's municipal
officers backed up by their brutal police
force, to pack the galleries and to attempt
to turn the Convention into pandemoni-
UNI 1t was necessary for the National
Committee to select doorkeepers and in
struct them not to admit any body with
out ticket. These doorh eepers wore
badges announcing that they were the
official doorkeepers appointed kby the
first day of the Convention the police
ripped these badges from the coats of the
doorkeepers and threatened the door
keepers with all sorts OF punishment If
they persisted in admitting only persons
with tickets. Thousands of people were
pushed into the Convention by these
policemen at the command of the munich
were packed. and the National Commit
teemen and the delegates to the Conven-
ton were violently opposed when they
protested against the performance For
several days Chioago's policemen were
the practical doorkeepers Of the Conven-
ton.
"Finally, the National Committee de-
cided to attempt to stop the outrage. We
held a meeting behind closed doors to see
what we could do. The municipal officers
of Chicago got an inkling of the meet.
ing, and the doors were burst open and
every member of the National Repub-
lican Committee was put under arrest.
Such men as B. F. Jones of Pittsburgh,
Sam. FeendeD of Connecticut, Gen. James
S. Clarkson OF Iowa. and, in fact, every
member of the National Committee felt
the hand of a burly policeman on his
shoulder. The police wagon were drive n
to the door, ready to cart us away to
the cooler. The charge made against
US was purely technical one. 1t was
that we had hired Plnkerton detectives to
stand beside our doorkeepers and to pre-
vent the policemen from packing the gal
leries. 1t is true that we hired Pinkerton
detectives to protect our doorkeepers. 1t
was our only resourse While ali the Ma
tional Republican Committeeman were
put under arrest on that occasion, we
were not lugged off to the COOLER Ger
tain Chicago citizens who learned of the
outrage stepped in and protected US and
would CONS upon their city if we were
lugged off to Jail. Naturally the Chicago
newspapers have been silent about this
matter but the National Republican
Committeeman have remembered it.
81 observe that Mr.. Platt believes that
the Convention should go to Chicago
next year. He is fully acquainted with
reason for advocating Chicago is that pos
sibly it is the most central point. But
even Mr.. Platt should remem Der our
treatment in Chicago. After he had sent
the Worlds Fair there and put into the
Golfers of that city millions of money, bed
and board was refused to him on the first
night that he got into Chicago to attend
the Fair. He had telegraphed week.
ahead for his rooms, and he had received
word that they had been saved for him.
When he got there he found them allotted
to somebody else. Ii was only by the in
terventlon of friends that he and his
party had roof to cover them on that
first night. This is but another sample
of Chicago's promises. forgot to say
that when the National Republican Com
mittee objected to the police packing the
galleries OF the Auditorium the munich
pal officers of CHICAGO swung their fists
in our faces and said they would clear us
out OF the Auditorium altogether That
was fine treatment for city that had
promised to treat US fairly
The National Republicans are not the
only compliments against the Windy
City. There isn't New York Democrat
who was delegate to the National
Democratic Convention in Chicago in
1892 who has not given testimony of the
brutal treatment of New York's dele
gates. They were personally insulted
on the streets by saloon keepers and po-
licemen, and all because they went to
Chicago to vote for David B. Hill. Be-
fore the arrival of the New York delega-
tion in 1892 every Democrat in Cook
county had determined to pack the Demo-
cratic Convention against the New York
delegation.
If Senat Quay of Pennsylvania in
sists upon the Republican Convention
next year goiLg to Pittsburgh ha will