Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-12
HENRY CLAY EVANS LOOMS His Possibilities: Permanent Chairmam Vice President. HANNA BEAMS UPON HIM The Kerens Financial Plank Is Passed Around.
 Seems to Have No SpIinters. THE MCKINLEY GUlLL0TINE WORKS WELL The Basket Is Full of the Heads of Contest ing Delegates Who Forgot to Say
 They Were for the Man
 From Ohio.
HANNA BEAMS UPON HIM
THE MCKINLEY GUILLoTINE WORKS WELL

St. Louis, June 11.-Sentiment among the delegates already upon the ground appears to be strongly crystalizing in fa- vor of the financial plank promulgated by National Committeeman R. c. Kerens of this city, which was given in these dispatches of Wednesday. MT. Kerens admits that he is not the author of the proposed plank and that it is the handi- work of "a prominent republican,"
 Taken in connection with his recent visit to Canton, there have been sugges- tions that the draft has been submitted to and received the approval of Major Mckinley. Upon this point, however, MT. Kerens will not satisfy his inquirers, while, in line with their previous position that the convention rather than the can didate should make the platform, Mark Hanna and his lieutenantS continue to regard the topic as tabooed and will not touch it even in generalities.
 The only notable arrival this morning was Henry Clay Evans of Tennessee, who appears to be a favorite for the po- sition of permanent chairman and has also been considerably talked of for the vice presidential nomination. Immedi- ately upon his appearance in the rotunda of the Southern he was surrounded by the Alabama delegation, which has al- ready hoiSted the banner of Mckinley and Evans, and was also greeted with cordiality by scattering delegates from other states Then Mark Hanna, who came up while the impromptu reception was in progress, locked arms with the Tennessee man and bore him away to his private quarters.
 The members of the national commit tee were prompt in getting together in the club room of the Southern at 10 o'clock this morning for the purpose of resuming consideration of the numerous contests. A disposition to hasten th.s branch of it's work was manifested by the body, several members expressing the fear that if the unabridged debates and discussions that marked the sessions of yesterday were to continue the tempo rary roll would still be in abeyance when the convention was ready for business on Tuesday morning. Accordingly, when Congressman Hillborn of California ask ed for the postponement of the contest from the Third district of that state in consequence of the non-arrival of some of the men and papers concerned numerous objections were raised, and the Pacific coast representative was given the option of going ahead or letting the case of his friends go by default. He chose the former alternative and made ten min ute speech in support of the claims of c. M. Belshaw and W. B. Parker, whose seats are contested by Eli s. Denson and A. "A. f1OckIlelIHeF. HT6SlQeHIlal prOcllV- ities did not enter into the contest as both sets of these delegates were in- structed for Mckinley by their respective conventions
 Next on the special order was the Fourth California district. W. W. Mon- tague and Samuel M. Shortridge were the contestants against Joseph A. Spear and Henry I. Kowalsky, claiming to be the regular delegates. Spear and Kowal- sky were seated, only two votes being re- corded in the negative.
 This concluded the California cases. In the Third Ala bama district Samuel s. Booth and John Harmon colored, were seated, the contestants failing to put in an appearance.
 Kentucky had the call for the next spe- cial order, but it was productive of but a single contest. This was in the Fifth district, the seats of George D. Todd and Charles E. Sapp, instructed for McKin- ley being challenged by ID. J. Knoebel and J. w. Reeder. who were not instruct ed, but have declared for Bradley. Hart Vance, a Louisville attorney who stated the case for the challengers, contended that Todd and Sapp had been selected as the result of notorious fraud and bribery. He represented, he said, the re- publican majority that Bradley received last November, and unless justice was done to his clients there would be a loss of several thousand republican votes in
 
 Thompson occupied but two minutes in his reply, but Committeeman Sutherland of New York made an appeal in behalf of the Bradleyites that was vigorous and at times decidedly heated. The commit tee, however, had its mind made up, and Todd and Sapp were seated by 28 to 6.
 At 12:25 recess was order to D. m.
 When the committee reassembled at 215 the Florida contests were given precedence over the regular order. In this state the seats of four delegates at large and two each in the First and Second districts were challenged. Those claiming to be the regular delegates at large were National Committeeman John G. Long, Joseph Lee, Emory F. Skinner and L. w. Livingston, colored. all Me- Kinleyites, while the contestants were Edward R. Gunby, Henry w Chandler, Henry Chubb and s H. Coleman, all of whom have declared their emphatic preference for Governor Morton and his nomination.
 Ex-Congressman Thompson presented the case of the Long delegates and then David Martin of Philadelphia moved the seating of the Long delegation. Suther- land of New York demanded a roll call, but declined to vote. All the votes cast were in the affirmative.
 Colonel Long and his associates were placed on the roll and Governor Morton was deprived of four delegates at a swoop. The defeated faction will carry the case to the committee on credentials selected by the national convention. In- asmuch as the contest in the Second Flor ida district hinged upon the facts pre- sented in the one just decided, it was abandoned and Dennis Eagan and Isaac L. Purcell colored, McKinleyites were placed on the roll to the exclusion of Archibald and Robinson, Mortonites. The First district case, and in which the question was the regularity of a delega- fion elected by a convention held in a place other than that designated by the state committed, was presented and ar gued with more feeling on the part of the committeeman than had marked any pre- vious hearing, and by the close vote of 23 to 20 M. s. White and James N. Mo- Combs supporters of Governor Morton, were placed on the roll over E. c. Weeks