The record-union., 1896-07-04
Likely to be Quite as Lopsided as the
Recent Gathering at St. Louis.
But Little Doubt Silver Men Will Have
Their Own Way.
Leaders All at Sea as to the Name OF
the Candidate Who Will Head the
Ticket-TeIler Gaining Surprising
Strength With Controlling Men OF
Eastern and Southern Delegations.


CHICAGO, July 8. 1t looks as though
the Chicago Democratic Convention
would be quite as lopsided aus the recent
Republican gathering at st. LOUIS.
There has been no break to-day in the
monotony of the signs and tokens OF
what is to happen. II is to be free sill
Yer convention Moreover, with sur
prising unanimity the controlling men
OF Eastern and Southern delegations
have declared their preferences for Tel
ler. Nearly all his associates or former
associates in the Senate who believe in
free coinage are giving him their sup
port The list includes Turpie of lndl-
ana, Jones of Arkansas, Harris of Ten
nessee, Walsh of Georgia, Chiffon OF
Texas and CockreH of Missouri.
When the delegates and friends of
gold reach Chicago they will find the sill
yer men have absolute control Of the
situation. Conferences have been fire.
quent during the day. Out of all this
consultation but one concrete fact seems
to have been evolved. The platform
will be concise, short and clear cut
without so much as an ambiguous word
l1dl CtIil pG CCIASLI Of-N -lAlo SA4S
thing other than out and out declara-
tion for the free and Unlimited coinage
Of silver at a ratio Of l6 to /.
Senators Jones of Arkansas, Bate and
Harris of Tennessee, Blackburn OF Ken
tipcky, Tillman of South Carolina and
Cockrell of Missouri, Senator-elect
Money of Mississippi, Representative
Richardson of Tennessee and Hon. John
t. Mclean have been IN conference dur
ing the day. and all are agreed that the
financial plank shall be given that prom
inence which its Importance demands,
and that its text shall be so short and its
meaning so fixed and determined that
he who runs can read lit understand
ingly.
"Platitudes will be esohewed by this
convention" said Senator Jones Of Ar
kansas to-day The silver men rep
resent the plain people of the country,
the thinking masses. and our decIara-
Gion will be such that no man can Jug
gle with it's meaning or seek to represent
it as something that 1t is not. This con-
vention is TO be run by the silver men;
we are in control. and everything that is
done will be by the consent of the ma
jcrity only This situation might as
well be accepted by the minority at
once. The minority will be accorded all
its rights, and will be part and parcel
of the Democratic Convention. but the
voice of the majority is the voice of the
party in the convention
When asked if he had any fear of the
delega tes being weaned from their allie
glance to silver, Mr.. Jones replied with
a negative that was emphatic and con-
Yincing as to the sincerely of his own
views.
IF the gold men are hoping to be sue
cessful in proselyting among the sill
yer men," he continued ',it is high time
they understood the character of the
timber of which this convention will be
constructed. The delegates are men
who can neither be bought nor bull
dozed They are firm in the faith, and
nothing can shake their loyalty to the
cause Long months ago, when we or
ganized the silver movement in Wash
ington we provided against that"
While there seems to be no cOncen-
traltion upon any one for Temporary
Chairman, the general opinion is that
either Senator Harris or Representa-
tive Richardson, both of Tennessee.
may be made Permanent Chairman, and
that Senator Blackburn of Kentucky
may be Temporary Chairman. All these
gentlemen are good parliarnentarianS,
Harris having been President pro tenn.
OF the Senate, Richardson a frequent
and experienced occupant of the Speak
er's chair during the two terms Of
Speaker Crisp, and Blackburn having
frequently presided over the Senate.
Concerning the report that the Ma
tional Committee intended to attempt
to force a gold standard man upon the
convention for temporary Chairman,
Mr. Richardson said to-day:
Nothing of the kind will be done. OF
course we recognize the fact that the
committee as at present constituted is
against silver. The committee will be
very apt to remember, also, that the
convention is very largely the other
way. II ii decides by majority vote
to recommend to the convention a gold
man. the convention will offer substi-
tute naming a silver man. When the
committee makes Its report to the con-
vention this substitute will be adopted,
and If there is to be a brush on this. sub
ject 1t will be short and quick, and re-
suit in victory for the silver men,"
Altgeld's idea that the convention can
complete its work in one day Is secuted
by the experienced politicians. One of
them said this afternoon that while he
was in favor of reasonable haste, he re-
cognized the fact that 1t required time
to carefully transact the business of a
National Convention The platform
would cause some debate, depending
entirely on the pleasure Of the conven-
tion. exercised through the gavel of the
Chairman. While all reasonable expedi-
ton is desired by those having control.
no one of good judgment predicts less
than three days session.
The Missouri gold delegation arrived
to-day, with Governor Francis at their
head. They are mostly residents of ST
Louis.
Governor Francis, who has been the
particular object OF attack by the Mis-
souri, silver delegation. said that he
and his colleagues had called to pay
their respects to the Whitney party.
II am Democrat, and expect to re-
main one; but as / am against the 16 to
/ idea, ] am in Chicago only as an on
locker. If | can be of any service to
the sound money workers, / am here to
render it. / do not believe in the boiling