The record-union., 1896-06-15
All Four Leading Candidates Have
Headquarters at st. Louis.
Crowds of Visitors Constantly Pass
ing at McKinley's Rooms-The
Allison Boom Not Developing Its
Expected Proportions, and Orders
for Special Allison Trains Counter
manded-Rush of Incoming Dele
gates Continuous.

ST. LOUIS, June 14-St. Louis now
looks like a convention city. 1t has
hung out it's bunting in tasteful pro-
fusion to bid welcome to the big Repub-
lican gathering. A little slow in start
ing the demonstration, it has landed it
in good form at last.
All four of the leading candidates,
Mckinley, Reed, Morton and Allison,
have their headquarters at the South
ern Hotel. McKinley's headquarters
are designated by an allegorical rep
resentation Of "Protection"-a marvel
Gus work of art.
1t represents in the foreground five
female figures-Fates. A fiorid one of
them is standing and holding alOft in
one hand the stripes and starry shield,
labeled Protection" and holding in
the other hand a naked sword on which
she leans. The other females are squat
ting around in rather ungraceful atti-
tudes-one of them appearing to be
seated ON a Texas steer, which looks
as if it would like to get upon its feet.
but was too heavily laden to do so. In
the background of the picture is wild
prairie with no sign of life or human
habitation; so that it puzzles even an
Chic man to determine where the pro
lection" comes in.
But in the Ohio headquarters on the
first-floor corridor, where Mark Hanna
presides, there is a graceful array Of
festoons and flags and State shields,
and every one of the big crowd of Wis
itors constantly passing in and out is
made welcome to a Mckinley badge.
While it appears to be conceded that
Mckinley has the most antique room,
the Reed headquarters are in the paflors
of the Southern, magnificent suite of
rooms that have been elaborately dec
grated with tri-colored bunting, fes-
tooned from the chandeliers. Banners
bearing the seal of the State and other
flags have also been utilized. The most
imposing effects, however, are made on
the outside of the building. The ex-
tensive porch over the main entrance
bears the words, Reed Headquarters, -
and at each end Reed" appears in in
candeScent electric lights which at
night throw a brilliant glare upon a
banner suspended across the street, con-
tanning fairly good pictures of the
Speaker and the inscription, For
President, Thomas B. Reed"
The largest room on the parlor floor
at the head of the stairs and in normal
times the ladies ordinary'-is the
temple sacred to the Governor of New
York. The walls and ceiling are pro-
fusely draped with bunting and at one
end Of the room the suave and tranquil
countenance of Governor Morton. re-
juvenated by the artist, beams on all
who enter those precincts.
Down stairs on the office floor and
close to one of the four large entrance
doors of the hotel large room is fitted
up for those who are attached to the
political fortunes of Senator Allison of
Iowa, and whose faith is strengthened
and stimulated by editorial assurances
from Des Moines paper (copies of
which are strewn around) that he has
no idea of withdrawing from the con-
test, and that his name will be pre-
sented without fail as a candidate for
the Presidency. Nevertheless, the Alli-
son boom is not developing the propor-
tions that were expected of it. The
terminal railroad officials TODAY re-
ceived information from the Superin-
tendent OF the Wabash line that special
convention trains to start from the
HaWkeye State loaded with Allison
boomers had been countermanded. One
OF them was expected to bring 900
Allison rooters from Des Moines alone
The rush of incoming delegates TO-DAY
mas been continuous, but though their
increased numbers added largely to the
volume of sound, no change was indi-
Gated in the trend of sentiment. 1t still
ran strongly for Mckinley for first place
and with no very marked choice for
second place. The Vice Presidency. in
fact, seems to be a Field MarShal's
baton, which may be hidden in the
knapSack of any one of half q dozen
private soldiers who have been named.
or with almost equal probability NAV
be concealed about the person of some
one who has not yet been publicly sug-
gested for the honor. The large and
beautiful rooms on the parlor floor Of the
Southern are now occupied by the head
quarters of Massachusetts, Iowa, Maine,
by the United Press.
The headquarters of the United Press
are fitted up more with an eye to busi-
itcSo lilciI " SUOW- II COUSlSCS OF four
rooms en- suite, all facing east Here
are telegraphic instruments for the OBJ
orators, tables for editors and reporters
typwriting machines and all the neces-
sary outfits for the convenient and
rapid>performance of the work devolv-
ing upon that organization. It's leased
wires are connected from these rooms
with it's own telegraph circuits, which
extend over the whole country, and be-
sides it has established it's own tele-
graph instruments at the convention
hall. The arrangements for news gath
ering, reporting and compiling are un-
der the personal supervision of Walter
P. Phillips of New York, Secretary and
Treasurer of the United Press, and of
p V. De Graw of Washington, it's Gem
eral Southern Manager. The actual
work of news gathering, reporting and
editing is done by its own regular en-
ployes from New York, Washington
Chicago and st. Louis.
The United Press rooms in the South
ern Hotel are a pleasant rendezvous for
Senators, Representatives., politicians
and newspaper men from all over the
country, and find there a warm well