Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-23
INDICATIONS ARE STRONGLY BRYAN.
His Friends Inclined to Win and Welcome
the Inevitable Bolt.

LID thci.neU w IN ana w elcOule
the Inevitable Bolt.
The situation points strongly to Bryan's
Endorsement or nomination. In fact the
Bryan managers declare that they are alb
solutely certain that so far as the head of
The ticket is concerned they are out OF the
woods. But with regard to Scwall they
udmit privately that there is grave doubt,
and that there is now probably n majority
Of the convention against the Bath ship
builder. They are using all their energies
to prevent the complications that would
follow an Endorsement of Bryan and the
nomination of Il Populist for vice presi-
dent. The middle Of he-road" men can
not even get together on a candidate for
president
Debs is their favorite but the Bryan
managers say they have word that he will
decline the further use of his name. If n
Populist IS not named for vice president
there is sure to be q bolt of some of the
southern delegations But the Bryan
managers it is said. would welcome such
a bolt il it came with victory for the whole
Chicago ticket. They claim that they will
undoubtedly control the committee on
permanent organization and resolutions,
rs they have n majority CT the state and
territorial delegations.
Il is their purpose if they control TO
frame n platform along the lines of the
Chicago platform with as few concessions
tO the radicals as possible. For permanent
chairman there is a good deal of talk of
both senator Allen and General Weaver
but the former desires to remain on the
floor and General Weaver has been Sc
lectcd to nominate the silver Knight of
the West" It'scems probable. therefore,
that another will be neutrality-suspicious. eX-
Governor Lewelling or ex-Representative
Davis, of Kansas. The fight of the con-
vention will begin tonight.
The middle f-the-road' men, through
their steering committee, took action last
night which will probably have very
important effect on the convention Early
in the evening they selected Ignatius Don
nelly for their candidate as permanent
chairman. and sent committee to notify
him OF his selection. Donncily accepted
and it was given out. Later, the steering
committee held another meeting and Sc
lected J. l.. Campion, of Maine as their
candidate for permanent chairman. The
committee realizes that it is in very awk-
ward position, having notified Donnelly
and secured his acceptance.
i'tst iHC iSeiSci given iOF
Campion are that the Minnesota deleCa-
ton and the delegation which the steering
committee represented made great pro-
test against Donnelly's selection many
declaring they would not vote for him 1t
was also stated by members of the COM
rittee that Donnelly was a possible can
didate for president and ought not to be
presented for permanent chairman
1t WIS also stated that his selection was
very obnoxious TO the anti-Roman Catho-
lie clement, as it was believed he was q
Roman Catholic. Many of the leaders of
the ''middlc-of-the-road" party, and espe-
cially Branch, of Georgia, think a great
mistake has been made, and that the action
of the committee will cost the ''middle-of-
the-road" men many votes in the conven-
ton. Branch is not Il member of the
steering committee, but has been promi-
nent among the anti Bryan forces.