The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-21
Are Well Organized and
Working Vigorously.
Opponents of the Boy Orator All at
Sea AS to Candidate.
Vandever OF Omaha Is Man Most FIRE.
auently Mentioned for the Place.

ST. LOUIS, July N.--Another dark dis
NAL day broke this morning. The dull
Ieaden clouds drizzled and the conven-
tion city was wet and dripping, but the
rank and file of the Populists who are
early to bed and early to rise were
astir before 6 O'Clock. and about the
hotels discussing the. situation and sill
yer, initiative and referendum and in
come tax. The corridors of the Linoel
Hotel were crowded before z, and the
orations at the headquarters.of the mid
die Of the road" men at the Laclede had
begun before that hour. The lead ers,
OF coprie, were later putting in appear
ance. The Bryan managers were In a
jubilant frame OF mind. they confident
lv claimed this morning that they had
passed the iubicon, and that their con-
troll of the convention was practically as
sured. The conditions and details are
yet to be worked out, but they believe
they have won the main victory-the
n omination or endorsement of the Chi
cago ticket.
The attempt OF some OF the Populists
to force the withdrawal of Sewall and
the nomination of q Populist for Vice.
President had been defeated by the stand
taken by Bryan's friends, and the posi-
tive answer of Chairman Jones OF the
Democ ratio national committee that
such a thing could not be considered
ana would not De tolerated. Notwith-
standing the confidence of Bryan's man
ayers, however, they will not relax their
efforts. They have most complete or
gsnization, and, every man has instruc-
tions for today. They Will meet and can
vass every incoming delegation and keep
up. the work of proselyting among those
already here.
Although they now claim the victory
they believe there will he q bolt OF the
radicals and paradoxical as il may seem,
a bolt of the extremists is what some OF
the most level headed say they desire.
The Democratic managers certainly are
not averse to a split which will carry out
of the convention the extreme men. They
claim the allegiance OF some of these men
would do the ticket infinitely more harm
than good. The battle, of course, will
come on the floor Of the convention and
no one now doubts that there will be
generous display of bitterness and bad
blood. The national committee will
wrestle with the question OF organiza-
tion today. The Bryan men have put
forward General Weaver for temporary
chairman. This is shrewd move. They
do not believe the opposition Will care
to make fight against their late stand
ard bearer.
No fact better illustrstes the chaotic
state of the Populist convention than the
fact that with tho convention only a day
distant there is not an approach to crys-
| |tallizatlon of thought in favor OF any
candidate for the Presidency on the part
OF the element unfavorable TO toe en-
dorsement of Mr.. Byrap. The question
eceives occasional attention, but
majority OF the "middle Of the road'
Populists when Intercepted upon the
point reply that the question is one OF
|compsritive insignificance- Names are.
however, occasionally mentioned.
So far the pame OF Paul Vandevor OF
|Omsha, ex-commander of the Grand
Army, Is more frequently heord than
that OF any.other,.but his friends admit
Continued on Page 3