The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-06
BLAND SECRETLY "xN1FEp..
How the Missourian's Opponents Are
Striving to Defeat Him.

number of delegates arrived to-day, many
being from the South All these latter are
free-silver men of course. and as rule the
delegates favor Mr.. Bland Thus Congress
man Bailey with his long black frock coat,
his big black felt hat and his white tie led
in the Texans and Immediately began
working for Bland. This accession, added
to Altgeld's announcement of yesterday
that the forty-eight votes of Illinois would
be cast for the farmer from Lebanon,
caused strong Bland feeling to-day which
grew steadily as one delegation after an
other from the West and South announced
its adherence 70 Bland. Beyond doubt.
Mr.. Bland at this moment controls nearly
cne-half of the votes of the convention.
But he does not hold the two-thirds ma
icrity needed to nominate. And therein
will lie his constant weakness, and, in all
probability his final defeat. The figures
given out by the Bland men after this
afternoons caucus are by no means ex-
aggerated. The Sherman House senatorial
clique does not want Bland. They will de-
feat him if they can. Its first step was to
call down Mr.. Altgeld's assertion that the
two-t thirds rule would be abrogated. The
clique decided that il shall stand, for it
believes IL can prevent Mr.. Blands nomi-
nation by forming some new combination
while he Is vainly seeking to win the votes
| he needs TO make his simple majority
| two-thirds majority.
The methods of attacking Mr.. Bland
| mean beyond contemplation. Allusion has
| already been made to the fact that all the
| attacks on Mr.. Bland are first whispered
| In dark corners. Southern veterans of the
war are reminded that though Mr.. Bland
! lived at the outbreak of the in
| that part of Missouri whose SYM
| pathies were with the South yet
| he never entered the Confederate
| my. Nay, more, instead of showing
the courage of his convictions. If he
| had any, by joining the federal army, he
left Missouri and went to California, where
| he remained until the war was over. This
bit of history is retailed TO arouse the
| Southern soldiers TO vote against him. An
appeal TO the secret members OF the A. p.
| A is made by the statement that Mr..
| BANDS wife, an estimable lady to whom
| Bland is devotedly attached, is a member
| of the Roman Catholic Church. Then. too
there are the whispers of his lack or polish
| and his unfitness for the social duties of
the White House, an appeal which, to
many Southern delegates. is having it's ef-
feet. There is every reason to believe that
| while Mr.. Bland will lead all competitors
| by many votes on the first and the sec
| end ballots, he will thereafter gradually
grow weaker.
Col. Nicholas Bell ex-superintendent of
| foreign mails under Postmaster general
| Dickinson. and manager of the
| Bland boom, develops quail
| ties as press agent. He is i'm
| parting. in strict confidence, the results Of
| this afternoons caucus. I'VE have all the
| States and Territories west OF the Mis-
| souri," says he. I'VE have go votes abb
solutely pledged to us. There are 1G0 votes
which we will get the second ballot and
we have number of votes in the Middle
! and Eastern States. We count on no less
than six votes in Maryland. 1 mention
Maryland to show that we have Eastern
| strength"
The Bland people claim that eight men
| from Ohio waited them this evening.
with a proposition looking to the delivery
of the forty-six votes which John Mclean
controls in return for a price. To them the
| Bland people gravely replied that they were
already considering a proposition from the
Teller people which would allot Mr.. Teller
| the vice presidency i'm return for the votes
| which his managers claim to control. They
intimated to the Ohio people. however, that
they could offer Mr.. Mclean Cabinet Of
flee, say the Secretaryship of the Navy.
1t is amusing TO note the gravity with
which these hair-brained 'cranks'' discuss
the parceling out of places. The mission
to France has been promised and the con-
sul-generalship to London has been ped
died out half dozen times already.
None of the other booms has gained in
the proportion that has marked the Bland
movement. Mr.. Boies seems stronger.
He has yielded to the threats of the sena-
toral syndicate. like Tillman, Money and
others, who have signed the call for the
conference tomorrow and who notified him
that no candidate who kept out of the eau
Gus need expect any assistance from dele
cations which went into it. The confer
cree, if it assumes respectable proportions.
will be the key of the situation. Both Bland
and Boies declare they are more devoted
to the principle of free silver than they
are concerned with their own private am
biticns, and that if the leaders of the silver
| movement deem it best for the success of
free silver. they are willing TO withdraw
| their pretensions to the nomination. Mr..
Bland has been trusting enough to put n
| letter of this kind into the hands of Sem
| ator Cockrell. to be used when necessary.
Mr.. Cockrells senatorial associates will
| take care that the necessity for the pro-
duction of this letter shall arise.
There is growing steadily stronger the
belief that the nomination will go to some.
at present, unsuspected quarter. Mr..
Stevenson's name has been used and there
are people who. a week ago. denounced the
Vice President for maintaining silence on
the silver question during all these months
now praise that silence as being the dis
cretion and reserve which Mr.. Stevenson
owed to his Office presiding officer over
a dignifed body like the United States SEN
| ate.
The arrival of tie Maryland delegation
| this morning has naturally turned the
channel of thought 70 Senator German
and it is hinted that the six votes that
Maryland now says she will give Mclean
on the first ballot may find manifold re-
ward in the solid vote of Ohio later in the
balloting.
1t seems hardly possible that Tomorrow
| conference of the silver Senator's can final
ly determine the candidates. 1t is any.
body's race and will probably remain free
for-all as lase Wednesday. The failure
J of to-morrows conference may compel the
readjustment of those prophecies which
limited the duration OF the convention tc
| Thursday. This would be unfortunate.
.