New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-17
PORT OF COMMITTEES.
fey TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIPrNE.1

fey TELEGRAPH THE rRIPrNE1
ct Louis June 16-Those who were present
10 witness the opening session OF the eleventh
Republican National Convention to-day must
have been struck by the busnesslike character
Of the proceedings and the apparent absence OF
all enthusiasm, as compared with the great gain
erings OF 1892, 1888 and 1884 There was no
lack Of earnestness nor failure to appreciate the
responsibility Of their duties on the part OF the
delegates who assembled In the Convention Hait
at noon but there was at the same time. no
doubt feeling prevalent that much OF the Ia
bors OF the delegates had been performed alreaoy
by the silent but the less effective machinery
OF public opinion during the last three montns
and that therefore. little remained for the Con-
vention itself to do except TO register In formal
and definite shape the will Of Republican voters
throughout the country. Until this stage ID
reached. and until the name of Major Wiiiia"
Mckinley is presented to the Convention. the en-
thusiasm of the throngs that have descended
upon ST. Louis will find vent only In the ioooies
Of hotels the heado I'd rters of the different dele
cations and in the busy thoroughfares OF ths
metropolis Of the Mississippi Valley.
II was not until nearly 1890 that the Conven-
ton was called to order by Chairman Carter.
The hall at the time presented an animated ap-
nearance To go into raptures over a oarn-
Ike structure built with the view OF accommo-
dating the largest number of people WITHIN tns
smallest space possible, the only decorat'on'
Of which are a half-dozen well-meant portraits
of celebrities the flags Of the States OF the union
and some miles more or less. OF red white anu
blue bunting may be the orthodox way OF re-
cording the interior appearance OF the naii.
Those who look for dithyramblc exploitation
Of the number of feet Of lumber, the nuhorso-
weight Of iror. the square yards Of roofing the
] o,I tba flag
consumed in the construction and decorating OF
this hall are respectfully referred to the columns
of the local press which for the last few weeks
have teemed with informa don. interesting no
doubt to the mind of a statistician but OF utter
Indifference to him whose duty IL IL 10 now
passing events, and to record as faithfuiiy as
/ may be the fieetng impressions OF the momen@
REPRESENTING A MIGHTY PEOPLE
There s however an impressiveness IN the
| gathering Of large numbers OF people, especiahy
when they have come together. using trite e&-
nression. 70 make history with no tawdry ad-
junct of decoration or lack Of taste can u'rec'i.
d,snel The fall OF Chairman Carters gavei
called 10 order just such a gathering. II was
impressive by It's very numbers. but 1t was more
SO by the character of the men, almost 2VVV Ok
them. who took their seats in the body OF the
hou Tbera vere men who had witnessed the
| birth Of the Republican party nearly half CEN
trrv ago ranged alongside Of men TO whom the
record of forty years OF Republicanism could
signify little more than incentive TOT tne
f,ture There were men whose empty sleeves
| bore silent witness 10 the part they hac TAKEN
In that crisis In their countrys history which also
marked tie triumph Of Republican principles
| There were men whose reputation was not con-
fined to the limits OF their country, out "hos7
fame has penetrated the four corners OF the CIV
lized world. In short it would be difncuit 70 i'i'
agine gathering more representative OF VIVA.
i.os .ba American name respected wherever II
Il mentioned than this was. II is easy. OF COURSE
for those whose view Of things In life seems ha'u
rally TO take a sombre II not cynical view 10
look upon these quadrennal gatherings OF the
noIitical clans as nothing more than WHO de-
tauch in which % per cent OF the participants
ors nersuaded By the remaining per cent into
the belief that they. the 99 per cent are ASSIST
ing in the making Of a President
7, 10 tho view taken by Professor Bryce In his
",m.r,can Commonwealth" and shared with
him by thoughtless readers OF his work. whose
on,orturit,es do not permit them to lcok deeper
than The surface OF these events-no deeper IN
,oct than the noise Of the street bands. the wiio
h,laritv OF the marching campaign CLUBS. tho
sulv devices often resorted to by the indiscreet
friends of candidates to boom their champio"s'
and the score or more Of other pieces OF tom-
foolery which nowadays seem to be the inoispe"-
sable accompaniments Of the Convention satn'
or,rgs Such people are fond Of asserting thas
the real President making is not going on u"
tho Convention itself. but In the headquarters
q, the marty leaders-the bosses WHICH
roints the members of the Convention are WORKED
,rLa Tho figures in a theatre Of marionettea
While there may be a modicum or truth IN this
ossertion as in all others touching upon the
-.,.,, 81, ssreralities there can be no doubt that
,aw conventions have like this illustrated the
<ouacv NJ this iaundiced view. There nave oeen
o,ber conventions where the will OF the promi-
ort leaders has been thwarted. and the cause OK
. majority OF the voters triumphed, but there
has heen none in which the intrgues' the caoai.,
tho conspiracies of the bosses nave rece'eo
so effective a setback or their authors su"efeo
so crushing and humiating defeat as III '"~
CONVENTION TO BE TRUSTED.
Look at the Convention to-day would easiiy
have explained the cause The people, o.es
.r,,ssa evidently sent persons 10 this convention
IN whom they &C lid trust, and wnom 'hey A"e"
% ho nroo, against the machination OF dsrepu'
,, ,.,o,, tr,cksters II IL the one charac-
-,a.,s =, tho Convention. which It is impossible
. - .rd wherein II differs from many that
h,,a nreceded It. The real and paramount USE
,,ross q, these conventions. however, Is the
to-, thu, they furnish opportunity FOR tnou-
o,r1s or neople who otherwise would never
moo, 70 come together and exchange views an4
oninions. and get at the drift OF public opinbn
IN the most widely scattered communities In the
country. 1t is necessary only to witness the
scene on the floor OF a national convention
shortly before it is called to order to render its
significance clear to the mind OF thoughtful
hehoIder. The number and the character OF
those participating in 1t make the spectacle sinsu-
lary impressive.