Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-15
Said to Be Favorite Candi
date for Governor.
SOME CONVENTION GOSSIP
$. H. Bnshor Is the Idol of tho Radical
Free silver Men-Judse War
tin j. Wade Not Yet
in the Race.

Des Moines, Aug. 14.--With the ap-
proach OF the democratic state conyen-
ton there has been marshalling OF
forces and a lining up of men who
might be induced to offer themselves
up on the altar of free silver. There
is no question but that the party will
endorse the Chicago platform as a
whole, and the method OF adopting it
has been widely discussed. 1t is the
opinion of many of the party leaders
that motion to adopt the platform
will be brought before the convention
without any mention of the silver
plank, and the convention will be shut
fled over on the Bryan platform before
it knows what has happened.
Democratic papers throughout the
state have been pleading for harmony
on the money question, and ask that
it be not discussed. The gold men will
be. asked to swallow the silver pill
without any objections, and the demo-
cratic press of the state has been hedg-
ing Continually to prevent The gold
plainly marked, however, and the Polk
county convention is a good indication
OF the strife that will arise between
tiC NduuiidlSS WHO are hION IL ~ De
avowed gold men. Polk county could
not endorse Cato Sells because of his
affection for gold, and Polk county. is
not the only county that has a gener-
Gus sprinllling of populists, who claim
to be democrats, and shy at the mem
ton of the word gold.
Cato Sells. of Ninton, and S. II. Ba-
shor. of Waterloo, are the two most
popular candidates for the nomination
for governor. Bashor is welded to sill
yer and Sells doesn't care to say where
he is on the money question, but is as
much feared by the populists as Grow
er Cleveland or any of the plutocrats
who fail to chirp about the 'crime of
1873"
A score of other gubernatorial cam
didates has been suggested, but out of
the lot the most promising one seems
to be Judge Martin j. Wade, of Iowa
City. Judge Wade has been suggested
as compromise man upon whom the
gold and silver forces might unite. His
views on the money question have al
ways been so similar to those of Cato
Sells, however, that it is doubtful
whether he would be a popular man
with calamity crollers.
The silver element has taken the
reins in its hands and will rule the
convention without question. The gold
element in sthe party is either very
slight or is quite reticent and may eN-
pect TO find itself speeding over the
Iowa political sea in Il free silver
launch. Bryan and 16 to 1" is the
war cry and Il man who chokes on that
cry had better stay away from the
convention next Wednesday.
Few aspirants for the Office of rail
road commissioner have come to light.
A rabid anti-railroad man is desired
for the place and the only two demo-
Gratis who have launched campaign
for the Office are ]. r. Burgess, of OF
tumwa, and Horace NJ. Rebok, of Ia
ma county.
There is some question as to what
stand the platform will take on the
liquor question. but there is a grow
ing feeling that no future democratic
platform in Iowa will be silent on the
liquor question, as Bashor is said to be
opposed to the present mulct law and
favors high license and local option
statute.
There is unanimity in the opposition
| to expansion and Iowa democracy will
no doubt go on record with an anti
expansion plank that win revive Agui-
naldo's spirits ard set the Philippine
insurgents to warning with renewed
vigor.
All the antitrust leaders in the par
| ty have been at work on an antitrust
platform, and the only contest will be
to see which plank presented de-
nounces trusts in the most violent
terms.