Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-11

mittce.
of conservatism, or the personiilcation oi
| force and intellect, or for the boss" OF
| Pennsylvania?
| Apparently the question OF a candidate
is less important in tho eyes of the people
Just now than the question of his princi-
| pies. That was not the case when Grant
was the leader OF his party. Hero worship
| dominated the conventions which named
the great general for the presidency. Mag
netism swaycd the convention which
named MIR. Blaine. To-day the leading
candidate of the Republican party il
| neither a hero nor n man Of great personal
magnetism. He is rather the representa-
| tive of a principle-the principle of protec-
ton, which in SO many minds is allied
| with prosperity. Object lessons are great
campaign arguments.
The Temporary Roll.
Tho preliminary work of a national con
/ vention begins with the assembling Of the
national committee. The Republican com
| mittee will meet ut st. Louis five days no
| fcre the convention assemblies. Its duty
Is to make up the temporary roll-a dut,
| often delicate because it involves the rccos.
| milton of contcsting delegations. and on
| the preliminary decision Of these contests
sometimes depends the control Of the con
vcntion. Only recently it was claimed
thai the managcr%of Mr.. Mckinley'sc cam
| p;tign were relying en- the iricndliness of a
majority of tho members Of the Republican
national committee to give their candidate
control of the st. Louis convention.
There are 81 contests for the committee
to consider this year, involving the seats of
156 delegates. Alabama. California, Del
aware. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky. Louisi-
ana, Mississippi, New York, North Caro-
lima, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Ten
ncssee, Texas, Virginia and Arizona have
contesting delegations, and it will need a
Solomon to determine in some of these
cases which of the delegations is entitled
to a place in the convention.
The decision of the committee is awaited
almost brcathlcssly by contesting dclcga.
| lions - not that it determines contests
finally. All of them must go before the
committee on credentials when it is up.
pointed. But possession of q delegates
seat is considered a great advantage.
With the Saturday preceding the con.
vcntion the clans will begin to assemble,
| Sunday will find the hotels crowded, and
by Monday breathing room will be at a
premium. Tuesday morning Is, 900 people
delegates and spcctators-will move OF
the auditorium and take possession of it.
Most of them will be in their seats al
noon, when Chairman Carter of the ma.
tional committee, stepping to the front OF
the platform, will pound on the table o!
the presiding officer to call the convention
to order. Most of the 900 delegates will be
in thcir. seats. each in the section marked
by the Danrcr which bears the name of his
state. All of them will face the chairman
as he stands with gavel poised and erie;
aloud, THE convention will come t.
order" To right and left of the delegates
will sit the altcrnates. On each side Of
the platform will stretch rows of desks, Al
which 400 CT the working representative
Of the great n~ewspapcrsof the country viii
sit, pencils in hand, noting the smallest
features of the great gathering. Behint
the presiding officer will be many distin
Ruishcd gucsts-conspicuous Republican!
Tno are not delegates to h convention
Among these will be the members of tn,
national committee. Above the heads o
the guests will be the, band gallery, ana
stretching around the four sides of the hal
will be galleries, pitched Mt a sharp angle
from which thousands of men and womel
will look with intense interest on the gath
ering below.
Many faces made familiar by newspaper
portraiture will be in evidence on the floor
There will he the grizzled c~ountenancc O
the ''casy boss of New York, ex-senator
! Plat Near him will be the loose ~jointet