Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-19

II has been many a Ion" day since
Presidential nomination by either OF the
great parties fell so fiat as did that OF
Mckinley yesterday afternoon and
evening.
People assembled around the news
paper bulletins in greater or less num-
bers, as they always do when any I'M
usual event is occupying the public at
tention. ard scanned the BRIEF out
lines of the Convention at st. Louis as
they would have done had the annouce-
ments concerned the wreck OF a steam
ship. or the burning of city, or CUBAN
victory or a base ball game, but there
was absolutely nothing in the way OF
enthusiasm, even on Fourteenth street.
This was due to two distinct reasons.
The first was, that the selection of Nc
Kinley was inevitable. Long before
the Convention assembled NO other re-
suit was looked for, so well had Marx
Hanna and the other Mckinley manlp-
ulators of public sentiment and dele
gates arranged things, and when the
inevitable came to pass nobody was
surprised. nobody was enthusiastic,
and nobody cared anything about it.
The people read the bulletins mechan-
ically. said: Il told you So" or said
nothing, and passed on. Six, seven,
eight and nine o'clock came ard went,
last night, and there was no change in
this aspect of affairs in this city. There
were forty or fifty people about the IN
tlligencer office, reading the announce
ments, and nearly as mary at the Reg
lister, but they made no sign. When the
Vice Presidential nomination was an
nounced a few folks wanted to know
who the - is Hobart" but outside
of this pardonable curiosity there was
not a ripple on the surface, save that
occasiored by George W. Robinson,
who made a series Of free silver speeches
on Fourteenth street, and was raptur-
ously applauded.
About nine o'clock the local Republi-
can leaders became convinced that
there would be nothing in the shape Of
spontaneous outburst OF enthusiasm,
and they determined that something
of the sort must be manufactured. A
consultation was held, Mr.. Speidel and
a few others went good" for band,
and in about an hour sMeistsr's band
was gotten together. The band was as
sembled at the 1ntelligencer office, Col.
George B. Caldwell was called upon
for a speech, and responded with his
ideas Of what was going to happen as
soon as the greatness Of the Ohio Sphinx
was properly understood by the people,
and after his prophecy had been suffi-
GENTLY stated, the band, accompanied
by e.ghty-seven young men, started en-
tour. They serenaded Col Frew, Hon.
G. w. Atkinson, Mr.. III. c. Richards,
Congressman b. B. Dovener, and one
| or two others in the central portion of
| the city, and then somebody was in
| spired with the idea that it would be a
sood thing to rub it in on Col. Travis
| and T. C. Moffat. The aggregation ac-
| cordingly went to the South Side and
recalled some sad memories to the gem
| tlemen named, ard then aroused Jim
| Hall from deep dream of peace. Mr..
| Hall read an impromptr speech, pre-
| pared yesterday afternoon, ard then
the band marched back up town, and
feeling tired and lonesome, dispersed
about half-past one this morning, thus
bringing to an end one of the saddest
occasions seen in Wheeling for many a
| day.
| 1t was a convincing demonstration OF
what an utterly artificial thing the al
legged Mckinley enthusiasm is. A mud
| pie could not be fatter than was the
Republican enthusiasm in Wheeling
| last night.