The herald., 1896-06-08
At THE CONVENTION CITY
Newspaper Men are Sharpening
Their Pencils
POLITICIANS ARE COMING
And Cycloneburg Is Prepared to Take
Them In
Eminent statesmen Take Prophecies Which
May nean nuch But Probably nean
Nothing-Non-po political Lightning
Associated Press Special Wire.

are fully five times as many out-of the
town newspaper correspondents in st.
Louis as politicians who have come to
the national convention. A bakers dozen
Of political news disseminators arrived
last week, and today's trains brought in
as many more, while all told less than
half dozen politicians of national re-
pute have put in an appearance. 1t Is
not expected there will be much real
activity in political way until the ar
rival of M. A. Hanna, Maj. McKinley's
manager, with his forces. He Is ex-
pected Tuesday, as Is also the Hon. T. c.
Platt, who Is coming to look after the
interests Of Levi p. Morton. 1t Is also
said that ex-Gov. Gear of Iowa will put
in an appearance before the middle Of
the week, with a corps of assistants, to
engage in the preliminary skirmish in
behalf of Senator Allison. The bill-post-
ing brigade for the Hawkeye state can
didate was here today, and as result
Autographs, portraits of Senator Allison,
have been hung in shop windows and
posted upon the dead walls of the town.
The national committeeman will all be
here before the close ofthe week. With
them will come scores of delegates, es-
pecially those having contests, and
horde of camp followers in the way of
citizens WHO desire to serve the state,
or rather party, in the capacity OF as
sistant door-keepers and other useful
and necessary positions about the con-
vention hall. Then, too, the crowd in
the hotels will be augmented to a con-
siderable extent by members of congress
and other statesmen and patriots from
the national capital.
All arrangements for handling the con-
vention have been completed. All the
hostelries and boarding houses have
laid in their supply of food and extra
rooms. The street railway companies
have, by working forces of men night and
day, repaired the damage wrought by
the tornado sufficiently to enable them to
handle the crowds Of people that are ex-
pected to come. The convention hall
has had the finishing touches and will
be dedicated with ponp and ceremony
this week.
In fact. st. Louis, in spite Of the fact
that fortnight ago storm swept a
hole q mile and half wide through her
center from the western limits to the
river. is ready comfortably to accommo-
date and handle the scores of thousands
of visitors whom 1t is expected will at
| tend the convention. 49,
None of the managers of the Republi
can presidential candidates have as yet
arrived. Mckinley has a number of
lieutenants here, however, who are bus
lily preparing the way for the Ohio can
didate's manager, Marcus A. Hanna.
The latest arrival is ex-Congressman A.
Q. Thompson Of Ohio, who, with Gen.
Grosvenor, will argue the cases Of the
contested Mckinley delegates before the
national committee.
men have arrived. They are G. w. Hill
Of Tennessee and J. G. Long of Florida.
Both are avowed Mckinley men,
Judge Thompson, who is looked upon
as the only Mckinley spokesman yet in
the field, said he was certain there will
be but one ballot for the naming of
presidential nominee. He also said the
Hon. Thomas B. Reed would not accept
the vice-presidential nomination. He
was quite as positive of this as he was
that Mckinley would be nominated on
the first ballot.
In regard to the platform he had this
to say:
It will be sound money platform
1t will be a platform that will be accept
able to the Republicans east and west.
However, some of the delegates may go
away dissatisfied at not having been
able to word it just as they desired,
yet it will be a platform they can sup
port"
In making this statement, Judge
Thompson said he did not wish to be
| understood as attempting to dictate SEN
timent to the delegates or to the party
as a whole. He was merely speaking
from the knowledge he had of the plat
forms adopted at the various state con-
ventions.
When asked as to who he thought
would be named for the second place
on the ticket, he said he had heard no
one talked of by the Mckinley men.
Regarding the contests, he said he had
no idea how many would be brought be-
fore the national committee. A week
ago there were sixty-seven contests,
involving the rights of 1855 delegates
from the states of Alabama, California,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky.
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennes-
see, Texas and Arizona. Many of these
contests. he believed. would be amicably
settled or abandoned before the meeting
of the national committee. Another Of
the Mckinley force, in reference to the
platform, said 1t would make a square
issue with the 16 to Democrats. 1t
would read SO as to admit Of no double
Interpretation. 1t would be for gold
standard.
1.-THE Tennessee delegation will pre-
sent the name of H. Clay Evans for the
vice presidency" he said, "and will do ali
in their power to secure a victory for
him."
According to an interview with
Chauncey I. Filley, the Republican lead
err of Missouri, which appears in the
Post-Dispatch, William Mckinley will
not be nominated on the first ballot.
Can Mckinley be nominated on the
first ballot?" was asked Mr.. Filley.
Yes, but there is no purpose on the
part of his friends and managers to at
tempt such condition. Those who talk
or urge it are not the friends of McKin-
ley in the real sense of true friendship
They are evidently unfamiliar with the
rules of Republican national conven-
tions and the courtesies due to every
candidate and his right to have his name
presented, voted upon and to have the
vote announced. 1t would be the height
of presumption If not impudence to at
tempt any other course. The friends
of Reed, Allison, Morton and Others
even if in the minority, have their rights
and they will be respected. The rules
of this convention, like others in the
past, will, without doubt. provide that
when the roll Is being called no change
of vote will be in order and that 1t will be
announced. Then If majority has not
been had, another ballot will be proceed
ed with and continued until there is a
majority of all the delegates elected an
nounced.
Hence no stampede or acclamation
vote will be In order. Without the con-.