The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-11
CONVENTION INCIDENTS.
How the BOoms Exploded When
Caught by the Nebraska Cyclone.

Caught by the Nebraska Cyclone.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
CHICAGO, July 10.-The convention again
took only one step to-day. William J.
Bryan, of Nebraska, was nominated for
President on the fifth ballot. 1t was under
stood that the convention would nominate
the Vice President IN the evening, but
when the delegates met at the evening ses-
sion it was ANNOUNCED that Mr.. Bryan had
requested an adjournment until tomorrow
morning before the convention should Sc
lect his running mate. The true reason of
the adjournment is believed TO have been
the opposition of Mr.. Bryan to Mr. Mclean
as his running mate. There is every
son to believe that Mr.. Mclean would have
been nominated on the first ballot tonight
if a vote could have been reached. No great
delay is expected tomorrow.
1t need only to be added tonight that the
nomination of Mr.. Bryan keeps unbroken
the chain of successive defeats experienced
by the senatorial cliques that seek to direct
the will of the conventions. AT every con-
vention, Democratic or Republican, there
is invariably a senatorial syndicate running
matters. They always keep control of af
fairs until the critical point of selecting the
candidates is reached. Then the del
convention themselves and elect whom
they desire. The story of to-
days nomination shows how the SEN
atorial plans for killing off all the candi-
dates and producing deadlock was de-
feated. Senate Jones and Money, by their
eager opposition to Mr.. Marston's proposi-
ton to abrogate the two-thirds rule after
four ballots had been taken betrayed that
the Senators were hoping for a deadlock,
during which they could arrange their plans
for selecting the candidate who would be
most subservient. The chilling failure of
the Colorado delegation to spring the name
of Mr.. Teller destroyed what hope there
ever was to nominate Mr.. Teller and the
Senators were scherring for delay. Their
plans suffered the inyariable fate of sena-
torial plotting after national convention
has reached the nominating stage.
Chairman White presided to-day. having
happily overcome the obstacles which pre-
vented his occupancy Of the chair yester-
day. Mr.. White drove the necessary nails
into the coffin of any possible White boom
that might have survived the events of yes
terday He is Catholic and he announced
his faith as sufficient reason why he could
not be an available candidate. He presided
well, though he talked to the galleries more
than was necessary.
CAN THANK ALTGELD.
Mr.. Bryan may be said to owe his elec-
ton so early as the fifth ballot to Governor
Altgeld, of Illinois, who, after daily protes-
tations of undying fealty to Mr.. Bland,
permitted the Illinois delegates, who were
his body and soul, to fall into the Bryan
triumphant march that followed the an
nouncement of the result of the third bal
1sa1
overcome Mr. Bland original lead and was
himself now the strongest candidate. Mr..
Mclean. who was the candidate Of the
Ohio delegation, saw the drift Of events.
All attempts to make other combinations
had failed, and the managers saw that
the young element of the party was deter
mined to have Mr.. Bryan, the youngest
man ever nominated for the presidency in
the history of American presidential poll
tics Mr. Mclean appeared in his seat at
the head of his delegation for the first time
since the voting began and withdrew in
Mr. Bryan's favor. Then Governor Stone
read the letter which Mr.. Bland placed in
Senator Cockrells hands some days ago
withdrawing his candidacy if the interests
of the cause of free silver demanded the
sacrifice and the nomination was made.
The Blackburn boom surprised everybody.
1t was generally believed to be
only a pleasant balm intended to heal
the cruel wounds inflicted upon Senator
Blackburn by the administration. But it
showed a strength which might have re-
suited in something tangible had Mr..
Blackburn been on hand to play the cards
which a kindly fortune dealt him. The dis
tinguished Senator was nowhere to be
found when Mr.. Mclean and the managers
who saw the Bryan boom growing beyond
their ability to hold down sought for him.
The senatorial managers had intended to
kill off the Bland boom with the Bryan
boom and then in turn TO kill that off with
| some combination that the circumstances
might dictate. Messengers were sent all
over the city to find Mr.. Blackburn, but
his friends could only shrug their shoul-
ders in complete ignorance Of their candi-
| dates whereabouts.
| The Mclean boom, which was managed
on the same lines and with the same ends
| in view as the Blackburn candidacy, gave
up in despair when at the end of the third
ballot Mr.. Bryan showed that unless some
thing was done he could not be defeated.
But Mr. Blackburn stayed away and Mr..
Mclean released his own friends after the
next ballot and the chairman of the Ken
lucky delegation after the next ballot.
withdrew his candidates name under the
very silly pretext that Confederate SOL
dier did not appear to be popular in a DEM
| ocratic convention
THE BLAND BOOM
There remained only the Bland and the
| BRYAN booms the two booms between
| which the battle entirely lay from the out
set. 1t was known that Mr.. Bland would
lead on the first ballot but he surprised
| those who even from the first declared
that his managers were largely overcsti-
mating his strength Mr.. Bland's strength
ON the first ballot fell far below what his
supporters had claimed for him. even after
all allowances had been made for the votes
which were tied up on that ballot as com.
| pIimentary votes for favorite sons. He
fell. over one hundred short of what had
(Contlnued On Third Pa9e)