Evening journal., 1896-06-15
1T FLOATS

candidate for the vice presidential nomi-
nation / am aware that kind friends
have mentioned my name in that conneo-
tion during the last few days. There has
been more or less newspaper talk Of me,
hut really am not a candidate"
New York's Contested seats.
"It does not feel so badly TO be beaten
rs | thought IL would, remarked Dele
gate at Large Lauterbach as he stood in
Thomas c. Platt's room and discussed
with National Committeeman William A.
Sutherland, ex- Senator J. Sloat Fassett,
Senator Frank A. Hendricks and Senator
Timothy Il. Ellsworth the decision OF tht
national committee on the contested seae
cases In New York state The informal
meeting had taken up the consideration
Of the matter to decide whether further
contests should be made heofre the COM
mittee on credentials in the convention.
1t was decided that the action of the
national committee on the New York con-
tests was disastrous TO Mr.. Platt's friends.
The districts in which he was intensely
Interested were those In the city of New
York He nevor felt alarmed about the
contests In Brooklyn, and it appeared
that tho men who intended to contest the
sents of the Platt men abandoned them,
and the Plntt delegates were seated unani-
mously. The greatest fight was that In
the Twelfth district, where Cornelius n.
Bliss and S. v. r. Cruger anti Platt
men, were contesting with Platt dele
gates, Howard Carroll and Thurlow Weed
Barnes. This was the strongest case the
Platt men presented, and yet his delegates
secured but a half vote each, shared with
the anti-Platt men. In the other districts
the anti Platt men were were seated with
full delegate powers. William Brookfield
and Anson G. McCook in the Thirteenth
and G. II. T. Coils and Robert J. Wright
in the Fifteenth. There was no question
about the claims of Brookfeld and Nc
Cook, and Mr.. Sutherland, who had been
| fighting in Mr.. Platt's interest through
out the entire meeting of the committee,
claimed the right TO make the motion to
seat them. The most stubbornly contested
case was that of the Twelfth district,
which split even. In the committe it was
known that Mr.. Platt was intensely in
terested and did not want the leader of
the faction opposed to him to secure the
advantage which the selection of his dole
gates would give.
Excited by Talk OF Bolt.
| Tho talk of a bolt from the convention
unless the Platt men were seated and the
almost implied threats OF Mr.. Sutherland
in committee that a bolt would follow the
seating of Bliss and Cruger worked the
/ committee up to the highest pitch of ex-
element. Not in any other contest was
there such bitter feeling raised in the
committee, and although tho language
which might be in the least distasteful to
any member of the committee was after
ward withdrawn, 1t did not lessen the de-
termined feeling of opposing sides to scat
their respective men. The personal popu-
larity OF Mr.. Bliss with the committee
and the belief that he would not claim
seat in the convention unless he believed
he was entitled to it induced members of
the committee who believed the Platt
men to have the best prima facie case to
vote to seat both delegations with half a
vote each. The Fifteenth district was
also badly mixed, and there were men,
/ bers of the committee who thought both
should be thrown out, but the Platt men
did not have the assurance Of the majority
When Mr.. Lauterbach made this remark
about the lack OF bitterness in defeat, Mr..
Platt smiled and said
Its a coed way to look at It, Lauter-
bach, and all our defeats should be accept
ed In the Same spirit" while Mr.. Fassett.
who year ago was outside OF the breast
works, smiled acceptance Of the theory.
win Take No Appeal.
1t took but few moments to decide the
question Of further appeal In tho contests.
IL was tho almost unanimous theory that
no good could come OF such an appeal. and
that it simply meant delay for the oonven-
ton. The chairman OF the New York state
committee. Charles W. Haokett. who had
come to the convention. aided In this de-
cision by stating that he had been given
to understand by persons In authority that
plan had already been prepared by the
Mckinley managers that would preclude
any appeal by providing that a decision
in any contest made by the national COM
nittee should be considered final.
Mr.. Lauterbach said he had understood
the same thing. Nothing would be gained
| by making an effort to reopen the contest.
Mr.. Sutherland. who had made a bril-
! liant stand fer Mr.. Platt in the national
COMMITTEES, also disparaged an appeal. and
so the New York contests are finally dis
posed Of
Mr.. Platt, when asked for his personal
| opinion ia the matter OF the Twelfth dis
trict. said. "Messrs Bliss and Cruger did
not have a leg to stand upon, and the na-
tional committee knows it. It Is surpris-
irg that a man Of Mr. Bliss fine sense of
| honOr would accept place In the cOnYen-
tion under such circumstances. However,
We got more than we were told to expect
Mr.. Platt stated explicitly last night
that the New York delegation had no in
tention Of boiling the convention. "We
shall leave the hall only when the conven-
tiOn has adjourned, he said.
Speculation Regarding Quay.
Senator 0uays attitude in the conven-
tion continues to be the subject of no
email degree of speculation. When asked
neither his name would be presented as
presidential candidate the senator re-
| piled that the matter had not been def
nitely determined but that it would prob
ably depend upon the wishes of the
friends of the other candidates than Nc.
kinley.
Mr.. Quay is in somewhat embarrass-
ing position. He has for some time real
lied the certainty of his opinion Of Nc
| kinley nomination and has advised that
tho other candidates acquesce in the inev-
liable and retire from the contest. Pre-
vious to arriving at this conclusion he
had entered into an arrangement with the
friends of other candidates to remain in
! tho raco frhav ara now dfenoqad 70 hold