The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-09
SILVER DICK DLAND'S BOOM LOOMING UP.

Several Points-Boies Said TO
Be Dickering With the
Fasteners.
Chicago, July Con the eve of the
| national Democratic convention. which
| cOnveneS in the Coliseum on the lake
| front at noon tomorrow, all is in c6nfu-
sion. Only one thing looms up like a
searchlight in the fog that hangs over
the situation and obscures the vision of
| the wisest and most far-seeing of the
| leaders. That is the convention will
be fo- silver at 16 to 1. AS for candi-
dates, the convention is still cropping in
the dark. The din of the Bland and
Boes boomers is deafening and so III
| fectious at times that it almost carries
| the public off its feet.
Bland Is unquestionably in the lead
so far as actual votes are concerned, his
strength approximatng $50, "A liberal es-
innate, with Boies moving along at his
heels with about 200, but neither is able
| to demonstrate as yet how he can win.
In this choice condition of affairs, gossip
| and speculation casts about for dark
horses.
William j. Bryan, the boy orator of
the Platte; Vice President Adla Il. Ste
| venson; John X. Mclean, the Ohio jour
nalist; the Blue Grass orator, Senator
Joe Blackburn of Kentucky, and Senator
White of California, all share the dis
| tinction of being canvassed. Even Sen
ator Hill of New York is talked of and
his famous Elmira speech of 1893 is re-
called as an evidence that he is BIZ
metallist and would make Il strong COM
promise candidate.
The name of Ex-Governor James f..
Campbell of Ohio is also heard. The
Pennoyer boom from Oregon was for
mally launched today and eX-Congress-
man Joe Silbey of Pennsylvania an
nounced his candidacy. AT work in the
background is the senatorial movement
for Teller, with the free silver Republi-
cans and their allies, the Populist lead
ers, straining every nerve to impress on
the convention the ACCESSIBILITY of nom
mating the Colorado man.
With all these silver forces struggling
agaist each other, with the gold men
solid and intact, ready to obey orders,
| it is shrewd political prophet who can
point the way out.
1t will require at least one day for the
fog to lift, The silver leaders now re-
luctantly admit on the eve of the CON
vention that their two-thirds majority is
an undisciplined mass, running hither
and thither possibly to be stampeded
in the end.
They started out with the announced
Intention of getting together, arranging IA
program to be put through by sheer force
of their majority. They were to abro-
gate the two-thirds rule and select their
candidate in Il caucus of silver men
Both these We're put aside and they are
t1n of Ia rnt,ti 4 |,
the question of ii candidate open and Il
deadlock inevitable.
1t will require every silver vote in the
convention TO nominate, and the friends
of any candidate can, if the gold men
do not plump their votes to Il silver man
who may be FORMIDABLE but not the choice
of the majority, prevent IA nomination.
This would, of course, play into the
hands of those who are maneuvering to
bring forward Teller at the opportune
time; or if the sentiment of the conven-
ton refused to yield to the leader of the
st. Louis boilers, into the hands of the
managers of Il dark horse. The gold
men are without definite platform; they
are practically reconciled to defeat 80 far
as the platform is concerned, bur seem
to be possessed of the vague hone that
something will turn up which will secure
for them an acceptable candidate.
Among some of the radicals there is still
talk of q bolt.
The silver men will 20 into convention
tomorrow with nothing decided as to
platform, and there promises to be a rup-
ture and perhaps bad blood over the mat
ter. The ma jority favor a simple plat
form which will subordinate all others
to the financial issue, which they regard
as the vital paramount issue of the battle
nj the polls A very considera BILE num-
Der with their eyes on the votes of the
silver Republicans desire to completely
ignore the tariff question, while others
are in favor of moderate declaration
for tariff which will raise sufficient rev.
enue TO run the government. On the
other hand, there are radicals who want
an absolute free trade plank in the plat
form. The Nebraska delegation today
elected a member of the committee on
resolutions who wants free trade decla-
ration.
Governor Altgeld and Senator Till
man are fighting for Il condemnation of
the president by name. while others insist
that there shall be denunciati0n of the
bond issues and forego any mention of
Mr.. Cleveland. AS a matter of fact it is
becoming apparent that the shrewd gen
erals on both sides do not desire to widen
the breach between their followers.
L ne VIII every W dNOlu UDe
disruption of their party, confident with
the firm maintenance of their opposing
views ON the single issue
The contest will be precipitated the |
the gavel falls tomorrow. The
gold men had control of the national com
nittee today, despite every effort of the |
silver men to wrest it from their grasp. |
md they used it in way that can not |
out infame the silver men. BY a vote
If q to % thep placed the sixteen Ne
,raska delegates ON the temporary roll.
They elected Senator Hill for temporary
chairman by the same vote, notwith-
tanding the protests of the silver men
hat, being in the majority, their side
vas entitled to the initial uttetrance in
he convention. Mr.. Hill himself was
ppealed to, his friends among silver
,aders being Senator White of Califor-
ia and Senator Cockrell of Missouri,
OF to accept. They explained to him
ow distasteful it would be for many
T the senator's silver friends among
ne delegates who admired and respected
i'm to be obliged to oppose his installa-
on, but Mr.. Hill would not consent.
The result is that the silver men will $