The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-07

CHICAGO, July 6.-On the eve Of the
Democratic national convention, which
convenes in the Coliseum ON the lake
front at noon tomorrow. all is con-
fusion.
Only one thing looms up like
searchlight in the fog that hangs over
the situation and obscures the visions
of the wisest and most far-seeing Of
the leaders.
That is that the convention will be
for silver at 16 to 1.
AS for candidates, the convention is
still cropping in the dark. The din OF
the Bland and Boies boomers is deaf
| ening, and so infectious 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 approximating 250. a lib
eral estimate. with Boies moving along
at his heels with about 200, but neither
/ is able to demonstrate as yet
HOW HE CAN WIN.
In this chaotic condition of affairs,
gossip and speculation casts about for
dark horses. William j. Bryan, the
| boy orator Of the Platte; Vice Presi-
dent Adlai E. Stevenson, John r. Nc
Lean, the Ohio journalist; the Blue
! Grass orator, Senator Joe Blackburn Of
i Kentucky; Senator White of California,
all share. the distinction of being can
vassed. Even Senator Hill of New
| York is talked of and his famous Ell
mira speech of 1898 is recalled as an
evidence that he
IS A BIMETALLLST
and would make a strong compromise
i candidate. The name Of Ex-Governor
II ,J,1IT - nJ,fO se Ill
heard. The Pennoyer boom from Ore
gon was formally launched today. and
ex-Congressman Joe Sibley of Penn
sylvania announced his candidacy. At
work in the background is the sena-
! torial movement for Teller. with the
free silver Republicans and their allies,
the Populist leaders, straining every
nerve to impress on the convention the
/ advisability of nominating the Colo
RADIO man. With all these silver forces
struggling against each other, with the
I gold men solid and compact, ready to
obey orders, it is a shrewd political
prophet who can point the way out.
1t will require at least another day for
the fog to lift. The silver leaders now
reluctantly admit, on the eve of the
convention, that their two-thirds ma
jorlty is an undisciplined mass, run
ming hither and thither, possibly to be
stampeded in the end. They started
out with the announced
INTENTION OF GETTING To-
GETHER
and arranging a programme to be put
through by the sheer force of their
majority. They were to abrogate the
two-thirds rule and select their can1i-
date in a, caucus of silver men. Both
these projects were put aside and they
are now at the door of the convention
with the question of a candidate open
and a deadlock inevitable. 1t will re-
quire every silver vote in the conven-
ton to nominate, and the friends Of
any candidate can, if the gold men do
not plump their votes to a, silver man
who may be formidable, but not the
choice of the majority, prevent an
early nomination This would, OF
course, play into the hands of those
who are maneuvering to bring for
ward Teller at the opportune time; or,
if the sentiment Of the convention re-
fused to yield to the leaders of the
st. Louis boilers, into the hands of the
managers of a dark horse.
BUCK HINRICHsENs POLL
of the Illinois delegation showing a
: majority for Bland, was confirmed to-
day when the delegation voted AZ to
1 to support the Missourian. Kansas
and Texas also fell in line for Bland,
and these acquisitions made Silver
Dicks followers very confident, but
Boies' boom also grew apace. Iowa's
ex-governor's managers received as
surances Of support from the south.
which buoyed up their hopes. But it
is a long road to a two-thirds major
ity, and Bland has naturally become
the target of the friends Of all the
other candidates. The dark horses are
especially willing to have the Missouri
ian draw fire. 1t is possible that
eventually
BLAND MAY REACH THE GOAL,
but the most sagacious political obser-
vers seem to believe he may have
reached the top of the hill. After he
has been pulled down they expect to
see the Bland cohorts, with their blood
aroused, turn on Boies and destroy
him.
The Iowa candidate at present has
the support, perhaps unconsciously so
far as he is concerned, of many of the
eastern gold men, who expect to bow
to the will of the majority. Bland,
they urge, is a man of a. single idea
In the end the situation seems to pos
sibly point to an outsider as the ter
mination OF this political strife. The
gold men are without a definite pro-
gramme They are practically recon-
ciled to defeat, so far as the platforms
is concerned, but seem to be possessed
of the vague hope that something will
turn up which viii secure for them
am acceptable candidate Among
SOME OF THE RADICALS
there Is still talk Of a holt Mcnar-