The San Francisco call., 1896-07-03

morrow evening, when another roundup
of all the white metal supporters then in
Chicago will be in order.
The ranks of the 16 to 1 advocates were
re-enforced to-day by the arrival of DR.. ].
]. Mott of North Carolina and who is
chairman of the executive committee of
the Independent or new silver party,
formed in Washington a year ago. For
reasons which he deemed sufficient and
which he has not explained the head of
the silverites did not take up his abode at
the Sherman House, where the silver head
quarters have been established, but in
stead chose a hotel on the same street
but couple of blocks away.
From here, and without consultation
with any of the silver people that pre-
eeded him, he sent out an invitation for a
conference on Saturday night of represen-
tives of every party and faction favorable
to silver, including Populists. silver Demo-
Gratis and silver Republicans, AS 10 what
1t was intended to accomplish by this con-
ference DR.. Mott was reticent, but the ex-
preston of sentiment among those that
focked to his quarters during the day in
dictated decided preference for the nomi.
nation next week of such q candidate as
could be Endorsed by the Silver and Popu-
list conventions at st. Louis three weeks
hence upon a platform dealing with no
other issue than that of the free and un-
limited coinage of silver. The executive
committee of the Independent Silver party
meets here on Saturday, and at tomorrow
nights meeting or conference OF the DEM
ocr attic Bimetallic Committee and the sill
yer delegates a committee will be ap-
pointed 10 meet the independents with a
view toward united action.
Sentiment among the silver men crys-
tallized to-day in favor of the selection of
either Governor Stone of Missouri or w.
J. Bryan of Nebraska as temporary chair
man of the convention, with Senator
Isham Harris and Major Towles, secrc-
tary OF the bimetallic committee. as per-
manent chairman and secretary respec-
tIvely. The story was published this
afternoon that Senator Harris had been
definitely chosen as permanent chairman,
but at the headquarters in the Sherman
House the fact that no meeting had been
helo to-day was cited as proof that this
was purely guesswork. Through Senator
Jones the silver men went on record to-
day as opposed to the suggestion made by
members of the National Democratic Com
mittee that Senator David B. Hill might
prove accepta ble to both factions as tenn
! porary chairman. Senator Jones insisted
! that, while personally he had the highest
regard for his New York associate in the
! Senate cham ber he could not countenance
! the idea of g supporter of the gold stand
I ard presiding, even if for short while
! only, over q convention hat was opposed
! to his views three TO one. Senator Hill,
1 he said, would not be acceptable to the
silver people, and consequently there was
nothing TO be gained by futher consider
alton of his alleged availability.
! In the absence of materisl-in the shape
of delegates with votes-for the making of
deals or the winning of converts the
/ boomers expended their ammunition to-
! day on the motley crowds that invariably
! invade the hotels on the eve of a National
! Convention. Much after the fashion of the
sideshow men at the circus, they took pos
session of the rotundas of the hotels and
held forth TO those inclined TO listen con-
cerning the merits of their respective can
didates.
At one time this afternoon four distinct
booms were in process of advocacy on the
ground floor of the Palmer House, and
the cheers and yells and shouts and
ironical calculations OF the listeners CON-
bined to create din that can be as we'll
imagined as described. The friends OF
4 Mr.. Bland were perhaps the most active.
In addition to their headquarters at the
Palmer and the Auditorium annex they
opened up rooms to-day in the entresol
of the Sherman House, where q commit
tee lay in wait to corral such of the arriv-
/ ing delegates as might first of all seek out
the quarters of the Democratic silver COM
mittee.
Mr.. 6land's friends were in high feather
to-day, and, while unable on account oi
the paucity of delegates already in sight
TO give OUT any definite figures, insisted
that the prevailing sentiment in the city
and the adyices waich they were receiving
from the outside warranted them in taking
their stand that it was Bland against the
field ana with the field already giving
evidence of being on the run. The friend:
of Ex-Governor Boies, however. were by nc
means disheartened by the claims of the
Bland men and fell back on the argument
that It was votes rather that shouting thai
made nominees.
Delegate Brewster of Creston. one of ths
chiefs in the Boies bureau. and who had
talk with Governor Altgeld just before the
latter left for Springfield last night. quoted
him as declaring that he had not spoken
word on the subject of Presidential posi-
bilities; that he was no more friendly tC
Bland than to Boies, and that the tim,
had not yet arrived when the Illinois dele
CATION could fasten itself to any one can
didate. Out of this the adherents of tn,
Iowa man managed TO extract considera
BILE comfort. There was more or less tall
about the hotels to-day concerning th'