The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-30
DISRUPTION IS CERTAIN.
Democracy Will Surely Be Foun-
dered on Silver Rocks and
Republicans Will Win.

CHICAGO, ILL, June 29.-There is no
added hustle in Chicago to-day by reason
of the fact that a Democratic convention
will be held in this city next week. Only
a few of the scouts of the sonnd-money
men sent hither to spy out the land have
| put in an appearance as yet, and the
Palmer House presents only its wonted
| appearance with the gentlemen from the
| South and East and West and North sit
ting around in the chairs and speculating
as TO whether Jones would not have added
more largely to his income by putting an
other story on his nineteen-storygs gsky-
scraper.
The only symptom that something out
of the way is in progress is the presence of
a large number of desperate footpads and
burglars. During the last four nights in
Vulnerable burgiaries have been COM
mitted. PeaceabIe citizens have been
stood up at the revolver's point on the
public highway and robbed, and during
the same period saloons have been entered
as early as 10 o'clock at night by from two
to four armed men and the proprietors
have been forced to deliver up to them the
contents of the till. Last night, for in
stance, four men attacked saloon keeper,
who was seriously shot by the robbers.
An hour or so later man trying to break
into freightcar was shot dead by a night
watchman. Even as 1 write three men
drive up in wagon to the American Ex-
press Company across the way. One of
them has valise handcuffed to his right
wrist. The grip may contain thousand
dollars in currency or it may contain a
million. The two men who walk on each
side OF him are Pinkerton guards. Each
has a revolver in his right hand
pants pocket with bis right hand clutch
ing the handle ready for action on the in
slant. These and other extraordinary
precautions to guard money and other
property have been made necessary by the
presence of a large body of criminals
gathered here from all parts of the coun-
try for the purpose of plunder. They have
been attracted by the immense crowds
that will be here next week, and it is ex-
pected that gold bricks will find a ready
market among the silver farmers of the
South and West.
Everything political here is in state of
suspense, and we are listening to the tick
ing over the wires of news from New York,
the headquarters of the sound money
forces. No move will be made until Thurs
day, when Whitney and a contingent
from New York will be on the ground.
The Democratic National administration
favors sound money and has already sent
its couriers here to spy out the land. 1t is
understood that President Cleveland is
more than ordinarily interested In the
financial plank, and that the adminjstra-
ton officers who are here and who have
been here came with his assent. A day or
two ago First Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral Frank Jones and Charles Tracy came
here from New York and left again few
hours later. They were to lay a wire or
two on behalf of sound money and kept
their movements secret.
Another representative of the admins
tration is ]. H. Eckels, National Comp
troller at Washington. He will remain
here until the close of the session of the
convention and has not the slightest fear
of offensive partisanship'' or it's punish
ment by the mugwumpery. Comptroller
Eckels is small, light-built man, with
sandy hair and brows and pale blue eyes.
He dresses here in sack suit of gray,
topped with stiff brimmed straw hat. 1
asked him to-day as to the status of the
sound money fight, and he replied that
the ''gold element" as he termed it, would
make the best fight possible. The over
whelming numbers of the siIverites did
not worry Mr.. Eckels bit. He was con-
fident, he said, that the sound money ad-
vocates would be able to show such
condition of things that they would
secure hearing, and that if they got that
there was chance that they might make
many converts.
Eastern Democrats, he added, depIored
the fact that there should be discord in
the party, especially this year, when the
prospects were brilliant for the carrying
of New York State by the Democracy, and
they feel very sorely that there is danger
that these hopes may be dissipated. New
York cannot be carried on a silver plat
form. OF that he is positive The work
ing people of that State very generally
were arrayed against the position taken
by the silver men. He emphasized this
statement by adding his opinion that the