The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-15
Keynote of the Republicans For
Next Year.
Sounded by Senator Depew Be-
fore the
NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Meeting Held to Decide Upon
the Time and Place
OF Holding the Next National
Convention of the Party.

Washington, Dec. 15.-The Republi-
can national committee met in the ban
quet hall OF the Arlington hotel today
to select the place of meeting for the
next Republican convention Chairman
Hanna presided and prior to the open
session at which the claims of the var
iOus candidate cities were presented
brief executive session was held
The corridors of the hotel were alive
with the delegations from the various
cities and before the meeting assem-
bed they put in their last quiet work.
The executive session of the committee
was very brief an1 consisted in calling
the roll, the adoption of the order OF
business and the adoption of a resOlu-
ton in memory Of Vice President 1o-
bart.
The resolution was offered by Mr..
Fessenden from Connecticut. The del
egatiOns of the different cities were
then invited in to present their claims.
An hour was accorded to each city. The
first city heard was Chicago for which
Mr.. Samuel Raymond made the opening
address. Mr.. Raymond said that every
one knew the facilities which Chicago
possessed in the way of hotels, rail-
roads and telegraph.
1--WE have had you once and would be
glad to have you again. he said. A
picture of the building in which the
convention would be held was present
ed. He concluded by saying that Chi
cagO would guarantee the fulhlIment of
any request that the committee might
make.
Mr.. George w. Miller followed in
more elaborate speech. He spoke as
representative of the Hamilton club.
He said that if the convention was not
to be held in a state that did not have
a candidate it could not come to 1ll1-
nOiS, for that state had a candidate,
not a resident of that state but one
from the neighbOring state of Ohio. This
reference to the president evoked ap-
plause
Republican platform adopted in that
city to wipe out the name "Chic2SO
platform of 1896" which stood Tor re-
In mentioning the cities which were
candidates for the convention, Mr.. Mil
Ter omitted St.LOuiS, to this MI. .kerens,
national committeeman from Missouri
objected and said he wanted it under
stood that st. Louis was strictly in it.
Mr.. Miller replied that he had omitted
st. Louis by inadvertence, but that the
people OF his city had long ago conS1d-
cred st. Louis as a suburb of Chicago.
Mr.. John 5. Miller, president of the
Union League club of Chicago. was
then introduced. He said the cOnven-
tion should be held in the west, in St.
Louis, Omaha, Denver or st. Paul, but
more particularly in Chicago which was
the center of the whole west.
ST LOUIS CLAIM.
st. Louis claims were next presented.
Mayor Walbridge making the first
speech in behalf of that city. He said
that they did not have large dele
cation, having left some of our people
at home" This reference to the large
delegations from other states was re-
ceived with laughter Mr.. Walbridge
said that the facilities for holding the
convention were superior to those of
1896. He spoke in behalf of 305,000 Re
publicans of Missouri.
Abiding to the reference of Mr..
Miller to President Mckinley he said
that he wanted the citizens from the
lake city to understand that being for
Mckinley was not patentable and if it
was St Louis claimed priority. He
then eulOgiZed President Mckinley, say
ing they were for him because he tried
co prevent the horrors of war, but
when congress decided upon war, the
president conducted it in a manner
which reflected credit upon the country
and established the United States upon
a high plane before the world.
Mr.. Nathan Frank of St. Louis was
the next speaker. Today" he said,
I'VE have but one candidate and bound
less prosperity. The party intended to
give that candidate a reelection. Why
not give the city in which he was first
nominated the convention in which he
would be again placed in nomination.
He had nothing to say in disparage-
ment of other cities, but he would say
that New York city was principally
famous for Democratic majOrities,
while St Louis was as strong Repubh-
can"
Mr.. Edward Devery was introduced
as a Democrat, but one who spoke for
the business men of St Louis. He said
that all the people of his city, irrespec-
tive of party would welcome the con-
vention It was unfortunately true, as
Mr. Frank had said. st. Louis was Re
publican, but so far as the business
men of st. Louis were concerned, there
would be no party spirit in the enter
tainment of the convention.
This concluded St. Louis hour and
New York was then called. Gen. Nc
Alpine introduced Senator Depew who
was greeted with tremendous cheers.
DEPEW'S SPEECH.
ssNTr Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Committee:
ION behalf of our delegation, I wish
to briefly present to you the reasons
which We believe make New York the
best place for holding the next national
Republican convention.
The first considerations in selecting
a city are On1mOdatiOns and easy
and frequent methods Of cOmmunica-
ton New York is pre-eminently equip
ped beyond all other cities in this re
spect. Fifty or one hundred thousand
additional visitors make no impression
upon its hotel accommodations. These
accommodate atiOnS are of the variety to
meet every pocket and every taste
They are from the Mills Hotel to the
WaldOrf-As Astoria- Madison Square Gar
den accommodates, without crOwding
13. COO people and is also so centrally sit
uated as to be within easy and con-
venient access from the city hotels
| This convention will probably be in ses-
sion a. fewer number of days than any
of its predecessors The ticket will be
nominated by reclamation
There is no division of sentiment in
wisdom and craftsmanship of President
| Mckinley have satisfied the party and the
country so that he viii receive the I'M
mediate and unanimous nomination Of the
convention and that choice will just as
certainly be ratified by the people BY the
time the convention meets the choice for
vice president will be equally clear. The