The San Francisco call., 1896-06-12
Republican Leaders of the Nation Are
RalIying for the Struggle at
St. Louis.
REEDS WHITE BUTTONS MAKE THEIR APPEAR
ANCE AND MANLEY EXPLAINS.
Platt Scores the National Committee for Ruling
in Favor of Delegates Who Champion the
Ohioan, and Says New Workers rIay Bolt.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June 11.-McKinley is
not to be nominated without struggle.
Twenty-four hours have so changed the
positions on the political chess-board that
there is still fighting chance for the
field against Mckinley.
The stumbIng-block in the road of the
latter is the divergent views of the dele
gates on the financial plank of the plat
form. These differences are as wide as the
continent and at present seem irreconcn-
able. The Western delegates main tain
their adherence to silver with frankness
that in former gatherings of the party
would have been punished as political
heresy. The other half of the country is
represented by sound-money advocates
who will listen to no suggestion of any
other platform declaration. This issue,
even in these ante-convention days. has
ranged the delegates into two camps.
The men from Maine and the Far East
still uphold the banner of Reed, while
those from Iowa, supported by scattering
delegates from the Middle West declare
themselves for Allison. Quay will, OF
course, receive nearly the full support of
Pennsylvania, and Morton is assured of
all but four of e'New York votes. Brad
ley has not been sidetracked by the allure
ment of the Vice Presidency.
So many tables have been compiled
showing that Mckinley will or will not be
nominated on the first ballot that they are
valueless. The monetary plank of the
platform will, unless miracle supervenes,
determine the nomination for or against
the leader.
The arrival cf Thomas C. Platt tonight
gave encouragement and impetus to the
opposition. While he is not IN sympathy
with the silver wing of the party, it is
thought ne will be the rallying point for
combined opposition. There is no hint
that other than an honorable fight will be
made against Mckinley, but political exi-
gencles as presented here demand the al
lance of all opposition for a successful
struggle against the Mckinley avalanche.
When the National Committee resumed
its session tonight it was noticed that sew
eral prominent members, principally those
from Eastern States, were absent. Among
them were Gear of Iowa, Yerkes of Ken
lucky and Manley of Maine.
Later on it was learned that a confer
ence of anti-McKinley leaders was being
held in the rooms occupied by Thomas G.
Platt. 1t was stated that the absent com
mitteemen were in attendance at the in
vitation of Mr.. Platt and that the situa-
ton was being discussed with the view of
sizing up the strength of the anti-Mc-
Kinleyites and formulating some plan to
counteract the strength that the Ohio
candidate has shown he will possess in
the convention. The conference was in
session at 10 o'clock, and no information
could be secured as to what had been pro-
posed or adopted.
J. H. Manley OF Maine was deluged to-
day with kilograms requesting him to ex-
plain or qualify his statement given to the
United Press yesterday, in which he con-
ceded that Mckinley would be nominated
on the first ballot but declared that
Speaker Reed would remain in the field to
the finish.
Late this afternoon the National Com