New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
CONVENTION TIME AT HAND.
ORGANIZATIONS MEETING FOR THEIR
ANNUAL SHAKING UP.
THE PECULIARITIEs OF THE CONVENTION CITY,
PLACES THAT OFFER SPECIAL INDUCE
MENTs-wHY NETWORK IS NOT
CONVENTION CITY"


lasting through the entire summer. the "conven-
ton Epidemic promises to rage violently as
ever this year. These the months when ali
members OF organizations OF any kind-poItcal
benevolent, religious patriotic or socia-are seized
with a desire to meet one another face to face
They want 10 sec what sort OF persons their fellow
members who live at distance and they fee
that an annual shaking up Of It's affairs Is a good
thing to have happen to any society. With tho
constant increase in the number OF conventions
there has been notable tendency toward holding
them In comparatively restricted set OF cities
situated in widely separated parts OF the country
These places, which have been selected so fire.
quently as TO call universal attention TO the fact
and to win for them the name OF convention
cities, owe their popularity In this direction TO
variety Of causes. Sometimes It is because OF
their central location with respect to the homes
of the circle of persons who wish to attend.
More often still 1t is Oh account of especial
attraction in the city itself or I'm its suburbs for
1t is generally admitted that even people who
have the convention habit desire to go to a place
wnere there are ample facilities for recreation
after their routine labors over. The attitude
OF TIE place regarding the entertainment OF visi-
tors is another factor which governs the keli-
hood OF It's selection. AS rule. the Western
cities are exceedingly anxious to have any large
assemblies which will attract strangers to their
gates Every effort is made encourage the idea,
and the city government sometimes goes so far as
TO appropriate money for some OF the expenses OF
the convention.
The action Of the railroads in the matter IL,
however. probably the important consider
alton OF them all. In the West and throughout
the interior of the country In general all tho
roads make liberal concessions in rates whenever
any assemblage OF Importance is projected Peo-
pie who would probably not think OF attending
otherwise are thus tempted 70 take the trip, and
| the success Of the convention Is assured. The
Eastern railroads. and particularly those which
Ia ke
/ view Of the subject They contend tina. they lose
rather than gain by the extra. rush Of passengers
at reduced rates. and that their average every
day traffic is good enough TO mako such trouble
some expedients unnecessary.
Chicago and ST. Louis owing TO their unusual
accessibility from all parts OF the country have
/ for several years been among the favor.te
ing places for all kinds OF organiza tons Their
selection for the two great political conventions
last year naturally increased their popularity still
more. and the list of societies which 10 rally
! their forces I'm the two cities this is strik-
! ing in its length and variety. Statistics are never
! of much use in conveying impressions, but II may
| be interesting TO state that throughout the months
of May and June alone Chicago will shelter thir-
teen different conventions and in the same space
of time sixteen will meet in ST. Louis. Seven
of the conventions in each place are National
affairs, the remainder of them being confined tho
West or to the single State of Illinois Missouri.
Washington, as the National Capital. has always
/ had a large share OF the convention pilgrims. II
is city which all Americans are glad to have an
| opportunity to see. and which is particularly at
tractiye also to foreigners. This explains why
| many OF the conventions held there are highly
| important international assemblages such the
| Universal Postal Convention, in progress.
Buffalo and Niagara Falls. for obvious reasons.
| are immensely popular meeting places. The former
! city has rather superseded the Falls OF late be-
of its better railroad and hotel facilities but
! Niagara Is within easy travelling distance and
! receives about as much benefit as II the visitors
/ we're quartered there That Buffalo welcomes
all classes of conventions without regard their
| object may be noted from the fact that In June OF
this year it will entertain the United States Brew.
ers' Association and in October the National Con-
! ycntor of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. Buffalo. by-the-way. Will be a change
for the brewers. who have bden I'm the habit Of
assembling in the cOngcnal town OF Milwaukee.
| with occasional variations Ia favor of 81. Louis,
which protested against being ignored in this
ter But Milwaukee is also the favored spot for ths
many German singing societies, so II may console
itself for the loss OF the brewers this season. De-
troit is n convention town which must rot be over
looked. In the three months it is to give
fewer than twenty-three OF these as
scmbages many of which OF Material i'm
portance
Saratoga took It's rank among meeting places
/ many years ago. when it was at the zenith OF
/ its social success. and although as a fashionable
| resort its gorles may nave passed away III sonhcc
/ degree the people who attend conventions nave
never lost their affection for IT, July ana Angus
arr. It's busiest months and II shelters eVerytnins
from sunday schools and other religious soeletles
10 sporting ORGANIZATIONS OF every description.
/ Several conventions connected with the baptlst
Church have met in Saratoga at dlnerent tines:
to have these visitors defer their coming untu ne
the md of the season. because they invariao>
STmg a %h here Rem any onT Truth pf in this or not
/ toga viii be spared the worry this year. for the
Baptists going 10 PittsbJrs for their annual
/
/ New-York Is seldom included in the list wheI,
convention cities are talked OF IL mas atauit.en
A reputa tiCn-nOt exactly for innospitaIty-p lo-
/ never exhibiting overwhelming desire 10 attraci
a crowd itself on AIRY special occasion. vo And
! streets hotels and all her places OF amusement are
/ ordinarily so well filed that she has no OBJECT J.
cndeavoring TO pack them to the diseomtoFt, Oh
..oop, as mary of the smaller cities do or think
they do So while she is willing at all times I,
things she does offer starting inducements L
/ charm outsiders Neither, as has been mentioned
do the railroads here atemPt D., 70 osa raw. 90 ,ha
state OF things NETWORKS ordinary attractions
are sufficient 20 mark her out as a desirable spos
for pilgrimage. The size OF the city prevents th'
uaioritV of people from realizing how many cor
ventions actually held here In the course OF the
year Assemblies which would throw most sow WI,
, ddnnt everywhere are lost in New-York: Half
dozen conventions might be, and rot infrequentiy
out being noticed by the mass OF the citizens. ex.
cent in so far the headlines In the daily papers
call their atenton TO the ma,er III hnr POM 10, D
,rcnih of June and il is safe to say that the ma.
7 ioritv OF New-Yorkers will never near OF any o.
tHeni II is the unanimous opinion OF severai men
/ ~ axnerlence who have been asked about this
! point that while New-Y might have many more
Of the large conventions. II she cared TO Try Tor
them. she has far larger 'u"'oe' "''ea'' '
most people ever realize