The herald., 1896-07-23

There was no night session owing TO an
accident which destroyed the electric
light connections. A severe storm had
passed over the city about 6 o'clock and
the wires were blown down. Despite
this fact the delegates assembled in the
hall and waited for over an hour In total
darkness for the lights to be turned on.
About a dozen candles were brought in
for the use of the newspaper men. One
was placed on the chairman's table and
another stuck in the top of a staff in the
middle of the pit. The effect was pic
turesque. CHASTITY faces fitted in and
out in the light of the tallow dips. The
band played and the crowd sang. Speech
es were made in the dark and the dele
gates appeared ready to stay all night
IL there was any prospect of light later
on. There was naturally considerable
apprehension that panic might seize
the crowd and a dire calamity result in
the rush for entrances. The middle of
the road people became possessed of the
idea that the Bryan men had put up job
upon them and that the hall was not
lighted because they feared the straight
outs would run away with the conven-
,tion. They denounced it all as a trick
and vowed vengeance long and deep.
At S:45 Chairman Butler declared the
convention adjourned until morning.
Within half an hour after the last dele
gate had left the hall all the electric
lights were turned on, much to the as
tonishment of the newspaper men and
policemen who fingered in the building.
Quite a number of delegates had stopped
on neighboring street corners to dis
cuss the all-absorbing questions. and it
was suggested that they return. But
they did not, as it was pointed out that
the doors were guarded and admission
would be denied; besides, the officers
having gone. nothing that might be done
would receive their sanction and there
fore would be Intellectual.
The situation tonight points more
strongly to Bryan's endorsement or
nomination. In fact the Bryan mana
gers declare that they are absolutely
certain that so far as the head of the
ticket is concerned they are out of the
woods. But with regard to Sewall, they
admit privately that there are grave
doubts, and that there is now probably
a majority of the convention against
the Bath shipbuilder. They are using
all their energies to prevent the compli-
cations that would follow an endorse
ment of Bryan and the nomination of
a Populist for vice-president. The mid
die of the road men cannot even get to-
gether 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 Populist is not named for vice-pres-
ident there is sure to be a bolt of some of
the southern delegations. The Bryan
managers, it is said, would welcome
such a bolt if it came with victory for
the whole Chicago ticket They claim
they will undoubtedly control the COM
mittee on permanent organization and
resolutions, which are to be announced
tomorrow, as they have a majority Of
the state and territorial delegations. 1t
Is their purpose, If they control, to frame
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.
lected to nominate the silver knight of
the west. 1t seems, perhaps, therefore,
that another will be selected, perhaps
Ex-Governor Lewelling or ex-Congress-
man Davis of Kansas. The middle of the
road contingent desire Ignatius DON
nelly. After the additional committees
are announced tomorrow, and the re-
port of the committee on credentials
is disposed of, Mrs. Lease will regale the
convention with her oratory. A recess
will then be taken until night when the
permanent chairman will be installed
and fight on the platform begun. The
nomination of candidates cannot be
made, therefore, until Friday at the
earliest.