Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-27
LOOK FOR A BOLT.
Those Who Are Watching the
Cold Water National Meet.
FOUR FACTIONS MTHE GATHERING

And Each Determined to Have Its own
way cor Bust" So It L. said-Prospects
Very Good for the Iccman, as the Con-
ventioa VIII Be Very warm-National
Republican Convention Hall - Rumor
About Col. Fred Grant.
PIrTsBURo, May 27.-That there will be
. split in the Prohibition party as a result
Of today's convention leaders of both fac
tons freely admit. The split will come,
shey say, over the money plank in the
platform. As yet scarcely a word has
been said regarding prohibition. Money
the root Of all evil has been the all abb
sorbing topic Of discussion. 1t has come
to be bitter and acrimonious discussion,
and the opposing factions have said many
unkind things Of each other in the hotel
Hobbies. The bitterness of feeling increases
hourly, and when the convention meets it
promises to be q battle of determination.
Either Way Means . Bolt.
If a gold standard plank should be adopt
ed in the party platform by the delegates
from the east, then those favoring the
coinage Of silver at a ratio Of Is to will
s,cede. II on the other hand the so-called
free silver delegates adopt free coinage
plank, then the gold standard crowd will
leave, and should the convention fail to
declare for woman suffrage the feminine
portion Of the convention will sever its
connection with the party. 1t promises to
be a memorable convention for the Prohi-
bitionists, and bids fair to wreck the
party.
Nobody Talking of q Compromise.
No move has been made by any of tho
contcnding factions for compromise
Each faction seems possessed by an undy-
ing confidence in its ability to worst its
opponents, and SCOTS at the idea of max
ing terms. There were three caucuses
yesterday. One was held by the women,
who decided that unless suffrage plank
ware inserted in the platform they would
leave the party. Then the free silver wing
caucused and declared that its leader
should run upon n ''broad gauge plat
form or none at all. Finally the single
issue people came together and announced
that neither free silver, woman suffrage,
nor anything else but prohibition should
he mentioned in the platform.
Silveri.cs Jumping on Diclxie.
Much acrimonious talk has been in
obliged in by the contending factions in
gauge" or free silver people have been Bit
terly upbraidine Samuel Dickie for what
they term his ''traitorOus' conduct. He
Is national chairman and delegate from
Michigan, and is the only one from Mich
igan who is out for gold standard in
money affairs. Ex-Governor st. John
and the other leaders of the "broad gauge"
wing have openly accused Dickie of vio-
lating the instructions of his people.
Dickie Says His Critics Lie.
In reply to these accusations Dickie said
that Ex-Governor st. John and his free sill
yer clique We're guilty Of uttcring I'M
truths. He justified his action in advo-
eating gold standard by the statement
that he had informed the. Michigan con-
vention when it instructed him for free
silver that he did not intend to abide by
such instructions, and asked that another
be elected to take his place.
Candidates Tell Where They're At.
The leading candidates for the presi-
Dental nomination have made public
declarations as to where they stand on
money matters. Joshua lowering, after
announcing his adherence to n gold STAN
dard. said: IF the convention sees fit to
adopt a broad gauge platform 1 cannot
assent to the use of my name" Rev DIR.
Bentley meets lowering half way and ret-
crates his statement, except that his is dia.
metrically opposite in tenor. He is for
silver and woman suffrage
At a meeting of the central committee
of the national Prohibition party last
night A. A. stevens, marrow gauge
man, was selected to act as temporary
chairman Of the national convention