The Portland daily press., 1896-04-02
HOW AND WHY 1T HAPPENED.
Senator Chandler's Explanation of the
New Hampshire Convention.

Why the Delegates Came to the ConcIu-
sion That Reed vas Noble and Illus
trious and Mckinley Was Pure and
Able
Concord, N. H., April 1.-Senator
Chambers paper, the Evening Monitor.
today publishes the following letter sent
to Senator Lodge last evening by Senator
Chandler:
To Senator Lodge, Washington:
The ludicrous incongruity between the
delegates elected and the last resolution
of the series adopted by today's conven-
ton needs explanation from me.
A short time ago Mckinley move
ment was organized in Manchester under
the lead of Henry M. Putney, Of the
Mirror newspaper. The Epretext of the
outbreak was my denunciation of the
campaign methods of Messrs. Osborne and
Hanna, which the Mirror represented
as an assault upon Mr.. Mckinley per-
sonaly.
The argument seemed to be that be-
cause Mr.. Chandler had injudiclously
told the truth about Osborne and Hanna,
therefore New Hampshire ought to aban-
don Mr.. Reed and.support Mr.. Mckinley.
An assumed virtuous indig nation was to
change mems deliberately formed opin-
| ions.
The movement did not seem to threaten
| anything serious Public opinion settled
| upon eight persons for delegates known
| to be favorable to Reed.
| Yesterday Mr.. Putney came to Concord
as the advance guard of Manchester dele
gates. He had been designated by the
state committee with two other gentle
| men as an advisory committee on plat
| II lod QcL bod for
views.
| l began saying that / assumed no reso
luton concerning presidential candidates
would be adopted, as we had not done
that even during the existing days of
| Blaine's canvass.
| He said that If resolution of instruc-
tion for Reed was proposed the Manches-
ter delegates would oppose it.
| / replied that no such resolution was
desired, but that the delegates ought TO
go uninstructed and free and uncon-
| trolled by resolutions Of any kind. as
| they had always gone. | understood him
| to assent to this plan.
l then expressed my views as to the
| currency plank, and he therefore asked
me to hear him read his resolutions
which I did and gave them my assent.
They were literally those adopted today
by the convention, without the last reso-
luton SO adopted.
This forenoon about 10 O'Clock just be-
fore starting for the convention, heard
accidentally that the committee on reso-
buttons might be forced to add to the
platform which had been shown to me,
a resolution declaring that Mr.. Reed was
mob le and illustrious, and that Mr.. Nc
Kinley was pure and able, that New
Hampshire could be happy with either
and preferred one or the other.
] also learned that it had been arranged
to keep it secret from me as long as pos
sible. Immediately [ asked to my room
the committee, such candidates for dele
gates as could be found and a few other
friends, and we consulted hastily.
The candidates said that they had all
been known for weeks as unreservedly
for Reed. That they were sure of the
election by reclamation; that distur-
bance in the convention was undesirable,
and that it was possible although not
probable that Of the 700 delegates pouring
into town from the cars, a majority
might be found against US, if we had an
resolution and that they thought 20 had
better let the whole platform pass with
out quarrel
AS was embarrassed by the fact that
was to preside at the convention, and
had no time to arrange programme of
fight, / reluctantly yielded to their opin-
ion and we went to the hall.
This explanation may not be satisfac-
tory, but it is all I can make. / confess
l was unpFepared at the moment of en-
tering the convention for the device which
was the ultimate development of the
OsbOrne-Hannam movement in New lamp
shire.
Our self-restraint was cowardly. 1t
was the opinion of good judges and it
was clear to me after all the delegates
had Assem- bled in the nall and cheered
first the name of Reed and later the name
of Mckinley that the convention was
for Reed two or three to one.
So mongrel resolution today might
have been easily defeated if men had
not cried peace when honest, manly
warfare was required. But delegates
are all for Reed and do not think Han
ma can capture any one of tnem at any
stage of the contest.
(Signed)
VIM. E. CHANDLER.
New Hampshire Style.
Manchester, Nh, April lat the
Republican district convention held in
this city this morning, delegates were
chosen to represent the districts at the
national convention. Convention adopt
ed resolutions tavoring either Reed CT
Mckinley.
Gen. McAlpin for Vice President.
New York, April 1.-The Evening Sun
says that, Adjutant E. A. McAlpin of
Gov. MorUon's staff, is a candidate for
the Republican nomination for Vice
President. 1 his would look as if Gener-
al McAlpin had not much confidence in
Governor Morton's Presidential chances.
Gen. McAlpin is treasurer of the Repub-
lican state committee.
| F|nGtricitv Cures