The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-15
A DRIzzLE.
Rain Is Falling in
St. Louis.
A Wet Blanket Fell Over
Enthusiastic Delegates.
No Brass Bands or Marching
in Muddy Streets.
New York Delegates Attempt to
Retire Boss Platt.
National Committee Decided Not 10 Make
Change In Representation.
New York Delegates Attempt to
Retire Boss Platt.
National Committee Decided Not 10 Make
Change In Representation.

ST. LOUIS, June 15.-The President
makers woke today to a drcary drizzle CT
rain, which fell like wet blanket over
the gaudy street decorations and repressed
whatever tendency there might have been
to demonstrative enthusiasm of the sort
which on the day tefore cropped out
sufficiently TO give an old-time conven-
tion mir to the city.
There were no brass bands in evidence,
nor any marching, nor shouters; the
delegations aud clubs which had pulled
into the depots during the early hours
preferring to remain on their trains or
take TO the street cars rather than to
march over the muddy pavements.
About the corridors of the big hotels,
stale cigar smoke hung heavy, and
medallioned citizens from back States,
who had forgotten to go to bed, rubbed
their eyes ana looked about for the
arrival OF the leaders who were late in
putting in their appearance at the head
quarters of the States.
An early stroke of enterprise was to be
seen at the Massachusetts parlors, where
colored men deposited several bales of
posters, samples of W hich they proceeded
to paste on every available space. These
posters were OF an aggressive yellow hue,
which caught tine eye from distance
and their flaming red letters announced
that they "were for gold" The Mnssa-
chusetts delegates have resorted TO this
spectacular device to impress their tnan-
cial views upon the convention, intending
also to placard the town with their an
nouncement and to keep in circulation
the banner with the following:
"solid as gold for Reed, Solid as Reed
for gold"
The reverse of the financial picture was
furnished by the silver men who were
among the earliest to gather in the lob
bies of the Planters, retreating to an sl-
cove, where dozen OF them drew their
chairs into circle for consultation.
Tne group were: Hartman of Montana, a
Congressman and also a delegate; Towne
of Minnesota, another member of
Congress-, who carries no convention
credentials, but comes a free lance to
forward the cause of the white metal,
although his State delegation is pledged
to- gold; Bryan, the Nebraska Democrat,
one of the silver wheel horses of the last
Congress, who stands very close 10 Bland,
as well as sundry lesser lights While
turning cool face to the interviewer at
this stage OF their campaign, the silver
men endorse the declaration by Hartman
that "we want them TO be right or to he
honest," whicn from the silver point OF
view bears the Interpretation that the
convention is desired TO make a 16 TO free
coinage plank or to adopt the single gold
standard. Their early morning efforts
were turned to the attempted conversion
of several southern delegates. Mr.. Towne
doubts the ability or the Repu plicans to
poll ANYTHING approaching their normal
majority in Minnesota on any platform
which does not 90 something for silver.