The sun., 1896-07-08

free-silver contingent of the United States Sem
tors is James X. Jones of Arkansas, but never
once. from tho time William F. Harrity opened
tho Convention until Temporary Chairman
Daniel closed it. was the voice of Mr.. Jones
heard.
Not far removed from these national leaders
OF tho free.sllver party sat the loudest voice OF
its populistic element. Senator Ben Tillman
was at the head of the South Carolina deeRa-
tion, with q free-silver delegate's badge on one
lapel Of his coat and his celebrated three-tined
pitchfork impaling the gold bugs on the other,
but only twice did he use his strident voice. and
each time without rising from his chair. Once
he characterized the speech of Waller or Con-
nocticut as n damn fool speech" and again he
shouted for n vote ut once without any pre-
limnary speechmakinG.
Across the aisle sat the anarchistic free-silver
leader. Gov. Altgeld OF Illinois. He is a silent
man, and was not expected to speak. So 1t was
with all the prominent men In the free-sllver
delegations. They let the Convention run on,
interested. apparently, only in demonstrating
to the Convention and to the people that they
are In the saddle; that they wish no advice
from the gold men and no assistance from
them.
JONES OF ARKANSAS MAY LEAD
A canvass Of the free-silver men after the
Convention adjourned necessarily hasty and i'm
perfect, however, warrants the prediction that
Senator Jones OF Arkansas will eventually
emerge from the free-silver scramble and make
his bow the director chi Of the free silver
forces during the remainder OF the Conven.
ton. Senator Jones IL an able and inteli-
gent and honest man. He is courteous and
dignifed. but his soul lie as full Of free
silver as that OF Tilman or Altgeld
| and his advice and counsel will be offered in
| favor of the nomination of as radical an ad-
| vocate Of the free coinage of silver as can be
found. Who will receive the support OF Senator
| Jones no rree-silver man seems yet able to say.
"Silvcr Dick " Bland still stands at the head OF
the free silver candidates, but none OF his most
| enthusiastic followers ventures to claim that he
| is within 200 votes OF the number necessary to
| give him the Presidential nomination.
| The man who yet, in u certain sense, holds the
key to the situation is Gov. John P. Altgeld.
| and the delegation OF his State stands commit
| ted to Bland. There 10 still an impression
| abroad that Atgeld is for Bland only for the
| purpose OF holding the Illinois delegation to-
| gether. and at the proper time he will swing
| them for some candidate who is satisfactory to
himself. or course AltReld cares nothing for
! Bland nor for any other of the numerous can
| didates. The question with him is simply wheth
| er he can best promote his own political pros
periy and the interests of the political faction to
| which he belongs BY bringing about the nom-
nation of the free silver rustic from Missouri.
| and no one doubts that II he sees better chance
before him he will promptly seize it. Those
who are in tine confidence of the Illinois Gov
| ernor. however, and W no have had private talks
with him during the past few days. insist that
| he has committed his delegation to Bland. after
| the most careful consideration OF all possible
| contingencies. aud that he will stick to him as
| long as there is a possibility of his nomination
BLAND AGAINST THE FIELD.
This Illinois support and the enthusiasm with
| which the Missouri delegation is standing by
Bland, with the fact that he has long been re-
| garded as the logical nominee in Convention
| controlled by disorganiZed conglomeration o
financial cranks. are the causes that now make
Bland the most prominent figure in the Conven-
ton and its possible nominee. 1t Is still Bland
| against the field. as it has been for a week. Cn-
less some leadership is soon directed In behalf
ot another candidate. Bland may secure the
prize almost by default.
Secretary of Agriculture J. Sterling Morton,
who is largely responsible for the election of
the solid gold delegation from Nebraska, who
Will be promptly ousted from the Convention
when the silver men take control of the per-
maneut organization. stood in a hotel corridor
to-day and told little story to illustrate the
general disgust at the triumph Of the free-silver
factions within the Democratic party. Mr..
Mortnn's story may not be strictly polite. but It
is characteristic and may be tolerated, because
1t illustrates the present situation.
II don't know" said the Secretary. rejecting
II: d" | don't know but what II we were to have
outrixh hit free silver 1t would not be better than
four years more OF this everlasting talk about
1t. II makes me think Of the doctor who pre-
scribed a lot Of medicine for a patient TO take
and left without telling the proper amount for
Il dose. The nurse ran after him and asked how
much OF the med cne to give the patient The
doctor replied: Give 1t to him steadily until he
throws up
The free silver onvention will give the coun.
| try the whole dose to- morrow. and the patient
! will have TO stand II until the November cleo
ton when other action may he taken There
arc still candidates other than Bland for the
honor OF being the doctor to administer the free.
silver medicine to the country and to-
night they are all ut work using as q
basis of operation the vote taken In
tho Convention to-day on the question of the
selection of n temporary Chairman. but there
is something the matter with all these free
silver Presidential booms. The trouble has moi
been accurately diagnosed. perhaps, but in the
absence OF more certain symptom, the doctors
say that their patients are suffering from q lacl
OF political lead ership."
Even Bland's boom has made no appreciabl,
headway during the last twenty four hours. /
Ia possible that more Bland clubs march abou
the streets. that more Bland bands of musi
play In front OF the great hotels, and that NOR
Bland money from the Mississippi Valley ha
been spent In empty fireworks 1t Is certain
that there are more men going about the streets
with Bland badges on their coats, but the st
| Louis inventor OF gin and whiskey "Rickeys,
who Is ostensibly the chief boomer of the Blanc
boom, Is unable to show on paper that the Blan'
figures have grown to any great extent.
The Boies men have not yet consented to co
auette with the Bland boom, and Senator Jone
of Arkansas. whose support Is now go busil
sought by the various candidates and thei
friends. has not committed himself to any body
He says nice things OF Bland and praises hin
as a loyal advocate OF the free coinage o
silver, but he does not put on paper that tn
votes of the Arkansas delegates or the dele
gates from other States who are willing to fol
low his nd vice. will be cast for "Silver Dick"
THB BoIEs BOOM AT A sTANDsTILL.