The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-19
Scenes in St. Louis Con-
ventiOn at Its End.
Will Go On the Record AS a
COlOrleSS Episode.
SO Smooth That Enthusiasm Slipped
and Fell Flat on II.
Special to The News.

Sr. LOUIS, June 10. 10 a. m. The clos
ing hours OF the National Repn blican
Convention OF 1896 found the delegates
and everybody else in a condition of
ennui.
In about everything that went TO make
this quadrennial gathering inspiriting,
the convention was lacking. Ii will 60
on the records as a colorless political
episode without precedent in the his
tory of political conventions-with the
possible exception of that that nominated
Cleveland in 1855 in this same town.
In a word, the delegates and visitors
haven't had bit OF good time as good
times of this kind go. there has been
little of the spectacular about the con-
vention or any of the doings within or
outside the hall, nothing 10 awaken en-
thusiasm, nothing to stir up the locker
on or the participants in the rank and file.
AS a matter of fact, the average delegate
would cheerfuIly have started for home
before the single session of the opening
day was concluded, and as Tor spectators,
there are very few of them from out OF
town. There have been none of the tire.
mendous boom crowds here that have
been stirred up and have stirred things
up at other conventions, no train loads OF
shouters from States near ana far. Out
side the delegates and alterDates, the
politicians who are neither. limited
humber OF guests and associates, and a
few organ iZatioDs of one kind and an
other from near by cities, especially of
courfe from those OF ONO. the conven-
tion has attracted nobody to st. Louis.
Ths is not the fault OF st. Louis. ST.
Louis has been a most hospit ,ble and
liberal town. Locsl conditions could
never have been happier for great ma
tional gathering. The late cyclone is not
TO blame. Indeed. the cyclone ruins
have been drawing attraction rather
than the contrary. The natness of the
convention both for those who particirat-
ed in it's proceedings and for those who
arc spectators is.due to tie extraordinary
conditions that have controlled its pro-
ceedings.
The rising of the Mckinley tidal wave
so high I'm advance of the nctual proceed
ings Of Nomination simply took all the
life out of the proceedings. Thaps all
there Is to IT. The McKinleyttes Datu-
rally did not feel like adding TO the dis
comfiture OF the anti-Mckinleyites by
shouting or otherwise making any pre-
tence of n necessity for whoopin things
up to carry their candidate through.
Their candidate was safe and any dem
onstration in his favor against the pa
thetic ODDS would not have been ut all in
order had there been any disposition for
shouting over something that had lost all
thescha-m OF freshness and novelty.
About all the spontaneous shouting that
was done, indeed, has come from the
Rec 81 forces. Trey have bad one or two
occasions for Joy Of g comparative kind.
Monday night TX looked NJ n Hrrrssfuns
we're. being maze to the Reed ranks that
promised TO hold the Mckinleyites in
check for a ballot or two and though the
cooler calculators shook their heads ut
the idoa, they RETAINED from stamping II
as prepostorous and permitted the re-
joicing TO 90 loose. Later Senator Lodge
and tee gold men secured their mighty
triumph of the platform and the Reed
men celebrated that. Indeed, anything
that III any way ccuId be made as score