Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-19
FIXING THE STATES
Local Democrats Working on Their
Chicago Representatives.
TEE NAMES THAT ARE MOST FAVORED
New Features That Have Been
Addict to the Lively Campaign.
SILVER GETS SCORCHED

The Chicago states are being arranged.
Democrats with soapstone pencils in one
hand and a piece of sponge in the other
are assiduously engaged in putting down
rames ind showing them to one another
and then wiping out this or that one in
an effort to make all the lists agree. All
democrats are not seeing all the states.
however.
There are several sets Of democrats, as
is well known, and any number of states,
but all are in industrious activity, and the
scratching ard wiping is widespread and
incessant.
The Most Popular List.
1t is possible for a rank outsider to
catch casual glimpse of what is now re-
garded rs the popular states, and upon
these to be found several well known
names. labeled respectively. 'for delegate
from the District of Columbia to the demo-
cratic national convention at Chicago"
Upon these, like Abou Ben Adhem's, that
Of John Boyle leads all the rest. East
side. west side all around the town. Mr..
Boyle seems to be the. favorite candidate
with those democrats who are fond of
describing themselves as being dyed-in-the-
WOOL Then comes Chairman William Hoi-
mead of the democratic central committee,
ing powers in the Liquor Dealers Associ-
alton, and Franklin Pierce Morgan of Cap
itol Hill ard the newspaper world. The
name of Edwin Forrest Of Georgetown.
widely known and popular personally, and
highly thought of by bis fellow lawyers. is
on many Of these states. and some of them
contain Michael j. Colbert and others Jas.
F. Shea.
Much Secrecy Observed.
Other states Of other sets Of democrats
vary in their contents but they are quick
ly hid when anybody unfamiliar with the
peculiar grip Of those who are manipulat t.
ing them comes anywhere in what threat.
ems to become intimate proximity. These
states will not be exposed to public view
even of a surreptitiCus character, until tho
local convention meets March L., and the n
they will be brought cut, and there is nc
telling what smashing time there may be
New elements are creeping into the dem
ocratic campaign, however, besides the per-
SoEal popularity of this or that candida Il
and those behind him. Just now the cues.
ton of the held-up liquor licenses is figu;.
ing in it. 1t was limited last week that GER
tain influences were at work TO secure the
granting Of many of these applicat lions
with view of securing the support OF
those who were made fortunate for certain
candidates in the various assembly dis
tricts for the convention of March Il.
Silver Receives "a Set Back.
A movement was commenced q short
time ago to secure the election of free
silver delegates to Chicago from the Dis
trict. and was gaining considerable
strength, but the conservative leaders OF
the party here, who are doing all In their
power to secure peaceful primaries and a
congenial convention, managed to stop the
agitation. They Used the argument that
the democratic national convention had al
ways placed in tho platforms adopted a
plank recognizing the justice of using sill
yer as money meta! and laid especial
stress upon the fact that it was the non
observance of this principle by those Sc.
lected to uphold it that had been RESPONSE.
bic for the ignoring of silver. They also
pointed out that every zeal democrat would
favor silver plank at Chicago, and by
this means called a halt in the effort 10
send pronounced silver delegation to the
July convention.
The fact that Mr.. Henry E Davis has
announced to his friends that he is favora
BILE to Mr.. John Boyle's candidacy and
Will do all in his power to help send him
to Chicago has. it is said. reached Mr..
James l.. Norris, and it is declared thar
the member of the democratic national
committee from the District is considering
the matter and giving it much reflection
The result may be that a strong effort
will be made to send Mr. j. Fred. Kelley
along too.
Liquor Men and the Excise Board
1t was rumored in well informed circles
this morning that it was the intention i'm
certain quarters where substantial infi,l-
ences exist to use the liquor licenses which
are row held up by the excise board as
powerful levers in the coming primaries
The gossip had 1t that these strong influ-
ences would be brought to bear upon the
excise beard to grant many of the applica
lions now under cOnsjdera ton, and then
enlist the fortunate saloon keepers securing
the favorS in behalf of certain combina-
tons of assembly district delegates. 1t was
also said that this rumor was to be called
to the attention of District Commissioner
Ross today. and that he was to be request
ed to prevent the suggested action If it was
found to be true that it was to be taken
for any political purposes whatever. Con-
situations are being held every day by the
various leaders of the several wings of the
local democracy, and tomorrow 1T is conf
IDENTIFY expected that the slate to be pre-
sented and vigorously supported I'm the con-
vention, led by the names of Boyle Hol-
mead and Jordan. will be finally completed
and the word sent out along the line
Who Will he Committeeman.
The question of who will represent the
District of Columbia on the next national
democratic committee has been injected in
to the campaign, and, while it is not now
being very generally discussed in an open
way, 1t is liable to cut considerable figure
before the delegates to Chicago are selected
Nh. Norris now occupies that position in the
present national committee, which expires
when the national convention adjournS. ii
will be remembered that the contest be-
tween Mr. Norris and Mr.. Davis at Chicago
in 1892, and renewed in New York at the
organization of the committee, was COM
rleIced over the question to which one of
them should represent the District in that
body, and resulted in the selection of
Mr.. Norris the member. In the
acrimonious discussion that followed it
was developed that Mr.. Norris had
written a letter to Mr.. Davis, in whic h
he agreed that if Mr.. Davis would
nominate him in the convention for national
committeeman Mr.. Norris would resign in
thirty days in favor of Mr.. Davis. When the
committee met for organization in New
York, and the agreement of Mr.. Norris be-
came known, the other and older members
of the committee informed Mr.. Norris that
while he had a perfect right to resign, he
could not designate his successor, and that
the question of such successor would be left
to the decision of the central committee of
the District of Columbia. There were two
bodies here claiming to be central commit
tees at this time, and, fearing there would
be a further wrangle over the affair, Mr..
Norris decided that he would continue as a
member of the committee. The feeling en-
gendered over this episode has diminished
but little and was given additional emphasis
when Mr.. VIM. H. Manogue, who was the
candidate of Mr.. Davis, was appointed col