The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-10
MR. BLAND'S CHANCES
His Opponents Fear His Cleve-
land-Like Stubbornness.
LOOKS NOW LIKE WINNER
Illinois Stepping Away From
Altgeld to Stevenson.
w. VA. ALSO FOR STEVENSON
This Said to Be a Game of WhitneYs
Which Disturbs the SilVerites' hey
Fear the Predicted Silence
Of the GoIdites.

Chicago, July 8.-Wi5h the Demo
cratic nomination only twelve hours
of-because it is conceded that to-
morrow will see a candidate nomi-
mated before the session adjourns-
#here as still some speculation as to
the identity OF the winner of the
great prize as there was twenty-fouf
hours ago. The darkness IS not SO
intense as it was last night. There
have been flashes of lightning on the
political horizon which have served
TO point out the path that ~ to lead
Bland TO victory. The way is not yet
all clear. but it looks very much as II
1.-The great cammoner,' as his admirers
love to call him, could almost read his
title clear.
If Mr.. Bland is nominated he may at
tribute his success to the failure OF
the gold men to vooe and to the weak
ness Of the candidates opposing hlm.
1t is as much fact tonight as 1T has
been at any thine since the big chiefs
of the party took the trail that the
recognized leaders do not want to see
Bland nominated, and will only ac-
eept him because they cannot resist
the pressure of the delegates whose
constituents believe in him.
The opposition to the Missouri man
is two-fold. They recognize that
Bland is AN Intensely stubborn man,
in some respects resembling Cleye-
land in his adherence 10 an idea and
ciinging to it, and public men, Sena-
tors and members OF Congress espe-
a
with d stubborn man, s man of infiex-
Sole will, and whose mind once made
UP cannot be swerved, TO hail with
satisfao ion, another Cleveland type
of President in the White House.
BLAND'S STRENGTH WITH THE
MASSES.
Another cause of the opposition
from the leaders is the very reason
thas makes Bland 80 strong with the
masses, especially ih his own State,
and su3h States as Texas and Kansas.
He Is the great commoner, q man Ell
the people. re1oeRt Of the eanta.
Some of the men who are now here as
leaders would hardly be considered as
arstocIats or pose as such, and Yet
4hey are partrican in their ideas AVID
tendencies. Bland is too much of the
people TO suit them. They would Ike
to ses more Pliable man, and one
who is not 50 close to the soil, nomi-
mated.
Bur despite opposition Mr. Bland
has forged ahead and is NOW the lead
ing candidate. lie has not yet got in
hand the 60 votes which the success
ful nam mus have before he can be
dominated ii all the delegates. vote,
nor has he got even a bare ma orIty,
with which he might feel safe. Stall,
he has some $50 votes, and wa5h SHAT
as nucleus the rest ought to come.
4 he pie wagon is a potent force IN pol
itics, and when a man has lead
enough 10 make hihl look like acwin-
ner the uncertain" delegates, who al
ways wait until the last ninute be-
fore they make up their minds, jump
for the wagon TO grab a pie before '.he
procession gets around the corner.
Blaad's friends express themselves
as confident that Bland viii be the
nominee before to-Iforrow is over.
His opponeBa 5 do not coacede this.
but they have no confidence in their
own prospects. That is only too app3-
rent. They have not votes enough
on which 10 Justify any sangune 49,
@ertiOns.
ILLINOIS DELEGATION WEAKEN
ING.
II Bland is not nominated the bal
loon lis once more in the air, and no
ono can tell " mere some cross current
Will land it. While Bland has gained
to-day in several quarters, there have
also been rrAnors as to deflectiens in
his ranks with the net results in his
favor. From the start John L. Altgeld,
the most despised, as well as the most
admired, Executive tfas any State
ever had, has been for Bland, and
solely through his iron control of the
Illinois delegation, her forty-efght
votes have been counted in the Mis-
souri, alliance. A great many of the
delegates have no liking for Bland,
but Altgeld willed it, and they could
do nothing but Submit. Little by lit
tie the Altgeld influence has been sap
ped and undermined, until to-day
BANDS enemies say that Altgeld no
longer holds his delegation with a,
grasp Of steel. Only the slenderest
tbresd holds the delegation togetheF,
and that strand is in danger of being
severed by the lightest touch.
Last night it was known that West
Virginia was in favor of declaring for
Nice-Presideut Stevenson, The ORR
oinat0r Of this move was Gen. St.
Clair. the former Worlds Fair COM
missioner of the State To-day 4. S.
Trude. considered 10 be the braniest
politician in the Illinois delegation,
publicly declared that if the delega-
ton had any sense it would seize its
great opportunity, take up Stevenson,
was received with great favor by many
of the Illinois men. and it is said to-
night that majority Of the delegates
will throw over Bland and go to Ste
venson This is their statement. Alt
geld himself denies it, but it is the
cloud in an otherwise clear sky.
AGREEMENT OF THE GOLD MEN
The gold men at last took formal and
definite action this morning and this
action contributed greatly TO MIR.
1. 4 4 80 L.