The San Francisco call., 1896-08-25
Many Men Anxious to Preside
Over the Notable National
Organization.
MALPIN MAY BE REELECTED.
Now the League Is Self.Sustaining
and Will Be an Important Factor
in the Campaign.

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, Aug. 24.-The
indications tonight are that when the Ma
tional Convention of Republican League
Clubs is called to order in ninth annual
session at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
by President McAlpin nearly every State
in the Union will be represented. Dele
cations have been coming in all day and
the hotels tonight represent quite an
ante-convention appearance. Many of
them have opened State headquarters at
the Ptister and PIankinton and the can
vass for the presidency for the ensuing
year is being actively waged. This and
the contest over the selection for the
place for the next meeting are really the
only matters of interest to engage the at
tention of delegates.
There is nothing to show that the at
tendance of visitors from abroad will IN
duly tax the accommodations or hospital
ity of the city. Owing TO the demands of
the campaign and the hold ing of several
State conventions this weeks many public
men and politicians, who would otherwise
have been present, will not be here and
the list of speakers arranged for the edifi-
cation of the convention is notable chiefly
for the omission of prominent leaders of
party. The members of the National
Committee located at Chicago in charge OF
the cam oaign-Messrs. Payne of Wisoon-
sin, Dawes of Illinois, Durbin of Indiana
and Cummings of Iowa-will be here in
the morning and several of them will ad-
dress the meeting Wednesday night. Ex-
Speaker Spooner of this State is also ex-
taA in ho tn toll in he
convention.
The contest for president is still an open
affair and no candidate is likely to go into
the balloting with commanding lead.
Charles q. Gordon of Illinois, who is be-
ing championed by Committeeman Dawes,
ana who, whether rightly or wrongly, is
credited with being the choice of the Ma
tional campaign managers, is the favorite
tonight, with D. D. Woodmansee of Ohio
a close second.
The latter has the support of the Ohio
and Indiana delegations. General Meal
pin is credited with being unwilling to ac-
eept another term, but his State delegation
and other Eastern men will urge his name
upon the convention. 1t has been the
policy of the league TO give its president a
reelection. Mr.. Clarkson, Senator Thurs
ton and w. w. Tracy each served two
years. A new candidate appeared in the
field this afternoon-F. r. Conway of
Iowa, president of the league of that State
and the Public Printer of Iowa. The
Hawkeye delegation has been credited
as supporters of Nebraska's candidate,
John L. Webster of Omaha, but at their
meeting to-day decided to ask the honor
of the presidency for their own State.
There is no opposition to the reelection of
NJ. ]. Bowling as secretary.
Half a dozen cities want to entertain
the next Portland, Or,
Omaha, Nebr., New Orleans, Boston. Chat
tanooga and Detroit. The choice will de-
pend largely upon the outcome of the
fight for the presidency. If that goes
East the convention will probably go
West, and vice versa.
The business of the convention will
probably be concluded at Wednesdays
session.
Secretary Dowling reported to the ex-
ecutive committee at a meeting held to-
night the result of the years work and
the plans of the league in the present
campaign. All the bills contracted for by
few small liabilities incurred by their pre-
decessors, have been met, and clean BAL
ance sheet will be turned over to the sue
cessors. For the first time in the history
of the National League the organization
has been self-sustaIning.
The National Republican Campain Com
mittee has organized a league bureau as
one of its adjuncts, and Mr.. Bowling has
been placed in charge at headquarters in
Chicago. He will supervise the distribu-
tion of all league literature and decide all
matters pertaining to league work. As
soon as practicable after the ad djournment
of the present convention branch bureau
will be stablished at headquarters in New
York in connection with the work in that
section of the country. Within the past
year the organization of Republican league
clubs has been extended into everv State
and Territory in the Union, and represen-
tatives will be present at this convention,
Mr.. Dowling stated, from every State and
Territory except some of the Southern
States. The reason for their absence, he
said, was that the railroads in that part of
the country refused to make special rates.
There is at present in National head
quarters list OF every club in the United
States, with the local organization. They
number, Mr.. Bowling stated, more than
20, 900, and the average mem bership is up
ward of 100, indicating total enrolment
of over 1000, 900 voters in these organiza-
tions.
Under the auspices Of the league poll
is being made. chiefly in the villages and
towns, giving names and postoffice ad-
dresses of boilers from the two parties
Democrats who have announced their in
tention to vote for Mckinley and Repub-
licans for BRYAN. Mr.. Dowling says the
reports thus far received show that the
Democratic bolters for Mckinley out
number the Republican bolters for Bryan
by about 25 percent.
PROTECTION THE KEYNOTE
Farmers Notc Loof to the Tariff Issue i,s
| Ule CdmDdiUu.