The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-03-26

Il. Hawley of Galveston as chairman of
| the committee on resolutions, and that
the Reed-Allison faction had decided to
make Eugene Marshall their candidate
| for the position of permanent chairman.
A PERFECT CYCLONE.
The people of Austin have probably
heard of ''the great cyclone" and wild
and woody" but they can see him in all
his glory and beautiful simplicity at this
convention. He is represented by negro
named Clements from Ell Paso, who is
human cyclone, and when things don't
go to suit him he disturbs the atmosphere
| for miles around. Last night he didn't
| want certain speaker to speak and be-
gan paving the air in swimming man
ner and at such vigorous rate as to at
| tract universal attention and admiration
and as to occasion half a dozen mems
united efforts to get him back in his seat.
PROCEEDINGS DELAYED.
All day yesterday the politicians were
in perfect stew over the situation anent
the meeting of the Republican conven-
ton. 1t was announced yesterday
morning that the convention would meet
at high noon in the convention hall, but
the nearer that hour came around the
more evident it became that there would
be no convention at that hour, if any
was held yesterday at all. When the
hour of noon arrived, the executive
committee was still in secret session, and
it was given out that they would not
adjourn for some five or six hours. In
the mean time the Driskil hotel corri-
doris and the streets in the immediate
vicinity of said hotel were packed by
an eager throng of delegates who were
busy talking over the situation and the
more they talked the more rumors there
were going the rounds. 1t became ev-
ident that the fight in the executive COM
mittee, as well as elsewhere, had mar
rowed down to the simple issue of
"Cuney VS.. anti-Cuney" and would be
fought out on that basis to the bitter
end Outside the committee room,
Cuney's lieutenants were working indie
fatigably and with marked success to
convince the colored population that the
white men had combined to do Quincy
up. So successful was this. talk that
by noon n large number of the colored
delegation who were known to be Nc
Kinleyites announced their allegiance to
Quincy in his desire to be temporary
chairman of the convention. The Nc
Kinley men were quick to realize that
Cuney's mastery control of his men
were making heavy inroads into their
ranks and this matter in itself served
to occasion them no little uneasiness.
All three factions realizing that gain
of time was mutually beneficial, raised
no objection to the prolonged session of
the executive committee. A careful and
accurate poll of the committee gave ev-
idence to the fact that on said commit
tee there were IA Mckinley men, nine
Reed and four Allison men. and vet the
complicated condition of affairs without
prevailed to such an extent that the
committee was powerless to do anything
in favor of one faction that did not i'm
mediately meet with resentment on the
part of the others. In view of the many
contests, the committee realized early in
the action that some definite arrange
ment agreeable to all parties must be
made in the matter of seating delegates,
else the convention could not go into
temporary organization. AS the means
of an amicable adjustment, the commit
prima facia evidence would be recog,
nized. This ruling was adopted on a
tie vote, Chairman Grant casting the
deciding vote. Under it's operation the
Ogden Clifford delegation from Bexa1
county was seated. Having resolved
itself into this committee on credentials
looking to a temporary organization OF
1 Uuc COuNeul1OI, the COlulullleC
ly ploughed through the long list of coun
ties and at 1:30, having only reached
the HIS, taking the counties in alpha,
betical order, an adjournment was had
until 3 O'clock in order that the com
mittee might have dinner.
A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION.
Republican convention affairs were in
more delightful state of uncertainty
| ,,,Io ba clanc oxuolyn ynctnr-
day morning. There had been many con-
ferences between midnight and dawn,
but nothing had come of them. The Reed
and Mckinley men had failed to agree
upon a compromise, so that when the
members of different factions hunted for
information as to where they were, they
learned that their leaders were still wide
apart. They found Quincy still standing
pat. with the Reed men hunting for an
scared and demoralized, although palpa-
bly, in the majority. In brief, it was a
case of Quincy and anti-Cuney. The Gal
yestonian was determined to be tempo
rary chairman or nothing, and to dictate
who should go to the National conven-
ton as delegates at large. Quincy stock
was way up also, and it was evident that
he had been working to good effect. A
story was started on the rounds that the
| Willie ulun L WduJ
Niger to preside over the convention, and
that settled it. The color line was at once
drawn and the "black clouds" Immediate
ly began to roll towards Quincy. Further
more, majority of the colored delegates
are merely instructed to vote for Grant
and Quincy for delegates at large, and the
Quincy candidacy was a new thing to
them. AS soon as they learned that it
was more case of Quincy VS.. Grant, now,
than anything else they began to align
themselves with Quincy.
The Mckinley people saw the point all
right enough, however. and began early
to rally their crowd and to make sem
blance of organization, in which respect
they are weak. They had the bulge at
the start, but their forces were undisci-
plined, and Chairman Grant, who is no
match for Quincy as political general
soon found that the latter was slowly
through political finesse depriving him
of the advantage he had in mere num-
bers. Dissatisfaction began to creep into
the Mckinley ranks also, and complaints
that Grant was too vascillating began to
be heard
In the meantime the Reed people, led by
Mcdonald, Ferguson, Moseley, Hancock
and Hawley, kept cool and continued to
) play for place in the final heat. They
dickered with Quincy and they dickered
with Grant, and although Quincy pro-