Evening star., 1896-07-04
BLAND. MEN SERENE.
They Claim to Be Making Steady
Gains
DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS At WORK
Effect Of the Gold Mems Con.
ference.
SENATOR HILL Is RETICENT

CHICAGO, July 4.-The Fourth Of July
and the advent Of a national convention
are the two contending elements at Chi
cago today, and 1t IL difficult to tell
| whether the bursting of bombs and crack
ers the crash Of bands. the marching OF
organizations. the swaying of great crowds
along the thoroughfares. the haranguing
| Of orators in the hotel corridors and the
saily decorated store fronts inspired
| most BY love of country or of party. Sell
dom, If ever before, has this city had the
national holiday and a national convention
! come in conjunction, and it is a combina-
ton calculated to stagger even Chicago.
The day was ushered in with the usual
demonstrations of patriotism. At q o'clock
Inc guns at Fort Sheridan doomed an early
salute, and this was taken up and con-
tlnued down town in one immense can
honade OF small arms and crackers The
ar was thick with the fumes OF powder
Inc weather vas hot and muggy, but a
breeze on the lake stirred the air suf1i-
c;entiy 70 make life more endurable among
the workers than 1t has been during the
intense neat OF preceding days The sun
snone through misty Light clouds which at
,nn Ines promised storms. and the local
"eather prediction for the day held out the
prospect OF showers followed by slightly
cooler weather
Inc political centers were astir early in
"a. me DAY, for there had been little rest for
,he weary workers after the patriotic artil-
ieFS OF the day began. The storm centers
ior Inc general crowd We're as usual in the
lonbles OF the Palmer House, Auditorium
s ,oneI man House. while in the upper cham
ners OF lnese and other hotels the leaders
lroceeded with their conferences obIiyions
10 10 tne oeafening peals from without. Early
80 me oay the main lobbies were chokel
whn ,a ah Io,stsrous but good-natured throngs.
alfprna fall f,r
-ha.tneWs and the other favorites
me c'ucuses Of the gold and silver ele-
iuehts last night were the m .in themes of
discussion and speculation Tho warnina
notes in some of the spe.ches AZ the go
meeting were expected to be followed by
more definite announcement of nolicy
.a.ei IN the day. The gold forces met at
the Palmer House during the morning and
proceeded to map out the lines of hs,tIs
"hiie ex-Secretary Whitney's rooms at th,.
auditorium were crowded with conferees
IN, ne main interest Of the day centered in
the development Of the line of action of
tiie gold men. While 1t was conceded thai
ne SILVER men had a majority and pos
sipIy under certain circumstances a two
,.. .nlros vote. yet the moral effect of this
was In part disspated by having the total
divided among Bland. Boies Matthews.
ltHer and others. while the gold ranks
were compact body.
lhe quarters OF Chairman Harrity Ser
g. 'ant-at-arms Martin and Secretary sheer
Ill were besfeged by parties eager to ar
range fnnumerable details which falI to
the lot or these executive chiefs. Mr. Har-
and unruff1ed in The midst of q hundred
opportunities. Secretary Sheerin had no.
only the business OF his position, but was
ecuFeiy combating a moyeme mt in the
position on the national committee, owing
to his differences with the free silver ma
jcrfty In the delegation.
The meeting for this and other purposes
z
tstlng developments unless the contest was
Fut over until Monday, SoHie of the dele
gates desired
PrcDn ring the Convention Hail.
Sergeant-at-arms Martin left TO. the Col
iserm e1rly in the day and directed the
work of preparing the convention hall.
The great force Of worknen proceeded
without reference to the holiday, and
made rapid progress in giving pressntable
form to the vast structure. All the deco
ratlcEs were in place and the seats were
either in or nearly all ready Those for
the delegates were exceptionally inviting
Win large arms and tufted seats BY noon
much OF the work was done. as the hall
was surrendered for the res Of The day for
patriotic exercises by the Root Monument
Association, in which chorus Of IHsb
adults ard 1000 children participat.d II
VIII Afford an opportunity to test the ca
Iacity and acoustic properties of the hall
Air. Martin and his staff of assistant ser
seant-at-arms, doorkeepers, pages, etc.
we're at the hail, and he was assigning
them 10 positions. They will be put through
a drill tomorrow and again Monday. So
that every man will know his post and du-
ties.
At the headquarters Of the various can
dldates no time was lost. 1t was felt that
the crisis of candidates was near at hand
and today and tomorrow were particularly
important owing to the many state dele
gatfcEs scheduled to arrive
hoo
air or serenity ard confidence and the
managers reported that they were making
steady accessons. They were particularly
Pieased at the prospective arrival of Mr.
5iahd hlmseif. Their claims cover MANY
delegates who. it is said, will 70 TO Rland
as second choice. Bland committees cir,u-
lated In the hotels and conducted the work
oI preserving: At the Indiana headeuar-
ters senator Turpie declared that Govern
or matthews strength was adyancins
steadily. This larger question has given
way, momentarily. to the sharp scheminK
ae,ps.a pepa.atory 10 the first full and formal
caucus OF the Indiana delegation at 2
CLOCK today. There Is strong movema,t
IN the delegation to make the caucus DO
easnve e IN naming the member of the plat
ierm and other committees. and In sepact-
Ing successor to Mr. Sheerin n, tbe ~
tional committee. e 'o
The Boies headquarters were swel,ed
VIII Win new arrivals. adding to the enthusi-
ana mere, too. the leaders were exnectant
ot tne arrival of the candidate himself
esSIs. biacAburn and Mclean were tbe
central figures at their respective haade
quarters. the personality of the men lend
.ns adoed interest to their candidaciss
senator's dubois and Mantle and also Som.
ator FetlgreW lahored industriousIv In ha-
nait oI Ieiier. presenting argument base5
On ngures to show that Teller's norhina t;on
,Lsureo sun1cient electoral votes tn elact
MN, while Teller on an Independent tickst
%smnora sy many silver states out Of the
ConspicuOus Figures,
Quite as interesting as the candidates
ana pooms were the several consntcuous
nsures who had arrived on the scene ,f
action. Senator Hill. ex-secretary whit
ney and Ex-Governor Flower came in ,or
marked attention. MIR. Hill, in particular
was besieged by an eager crowd for .,'
thougn the New York Senator ha. 49,
prominent In public life, he has not been !.
Iamliar convention figure, and there n,.e
q general desire to see him. He s1so,o;
. an eomers anabiy. but as the snornine sSi
vaneeo. @ the miscellanssws recention "s sss,. aa.
way Ior the sep.sus work ahead n ., s1hs I've
osnS'o{ RpS his associatss, 'As
@n nitneys smile gave little ev,a..,.
ol anxiety as to the result. He was a ,.ns,,
Dusy man. the various elements onnosaH ~
| silver seeming to look to him ta Ss,,.o 70
fnY fhA