The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-16
THE DELEGATES RETURN.
King County Democrats Profess Salts
factIon With the Convention.


The King county delegates to the Demo-
cratic state convention held at Tacoma
Tuesday all express great satisfaction
with the result OF that convention. They
claim TO have accomplished all the prog
ress they had In view. namely. the I'M
qualified Endorsement, OF free silver. and
the election of W. III. White as delegate
to the national convention.
Several OF them were seen yesterday and
asked how they reconciIed the &C ton Of
the convention In tntorsing and demand
ing the unlimited free coinage OF silver
with the subsequent action of the conven-
ton in electing among the delegates three
men who have heretofore been known as
representatives of the single gold standard
element. which was IN such a hopeless
minority IN the convention.
A. u. Warner was one of the delegates to
whom this query was put. His expiana-
ton was that Mr.. Wallace and the other
two geld men In the deiega ton were
honorable gentlemen. They had accepted
the position at the hands OF n convention
whore the FREE silver sentiment was over
wheimingiy In the majority. and on a
straightforward free silver platform. No
matter what their private Views might be-
these gentlemen were bound TO obey the
expressed will OF the convention which
elected them, and their own pledges were
implied by accepting the election on such
a platform.
Others, however, were no. 30 confident
that the gold men elected az delegates
would stay By the platform. especially as
the convent ton did not in express terms
instruct them rs TO their action on the
financial question.
From the returning delegates II was
learned that there was far from being the
harmony in the convention which on the
outside appeared. The committee on reso-
.4ss~
several hours the differences between the
members appeared to be irreconeiIable.
At o'clock in the evening the committee
had about come to the conclusion that /.
was impossible 70 agree upon a platform,
and had about decided to report that fact
10 the convention II this had been done
the fight would have been transferred 10
the floor of she convention and a hot time
would certainly have followed The free
silver men had resolutions ready for intro
iuctFon much more radical than those pre-
scented by the committee. utterly rsrudiat-
ing the financial policy OF the national al
fninistration.
The Federal ofsceholders. under the
leadership OF Hugh Wallace, made des-
perste tssht before the committee for an
unqualified Endorsement OF the adrninLst-ss-
ton. financial policy and all. ami had so
successfully dragconed the country dele
gates that for Nne & looked as though
they might carry their point
The ultimate reason wh.eh led 30 the
compromise report. which WAS adopted.
was that both sides were afraid Of tAe re-
suit Of a contest on the foor OF the con-
vsntton: the administration men hseanga
they recognized early that the free silver
men were overw hsininsiy in the ma sssrf;v.
and the other side sec,Gse many Of ~.
Eastern Washington delegates. Who earn
carried pocketfai of proxies. while pos
ms as free silver men. were extremely -
igctsns 70 oppose too far TIRE FEDERAL of.lee-
holding h~osse<- and dsres rot put them
selves on record as opposing the admins
tratfct1.
The platform as adopted and the per
sonnsl az tue delegation chosen were ear =
the result OF mutual concessions. brought
about ~ p fear On each SIDE Of fae
strength os the other.
90 ave az the Delegates elected 10 Cns-
eASo 1t may he safely as<erssd that they