The evening times., 1899-11-16
THE CONVENTIONS OF 1900
Large Cities Not Likely TO Make
Efforts to Get Them.
Found to He Expensive Anairs-De-
mands 10 He Met-some Places Mem
GatherfnEs-A Sergeant-at-Arms'
Experience-Pacihc Coast Claims.

Experience-Paciac Coast Claims.
The call has already been issued for a
meeting here in December of the Republic
can National Committee. at which will be
decided the time and place for holding
the next Republican National Convention.
According to present indications the large
cities are not likely to race for this honor
with the zeal that they have formerly ex-
hibited Several of the Chicago newspapers
are saying that that city does not again
want the Democratic convention at any
price, and is not over-anxious for the Re
publican. ST. Louis is likely to make only
q perfunctory bid, if any at all, for either
convention as that city has all the adver-
tising enterprise il can grapple with in the
louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition,
for which ii is now preparing. The big cities
nave come to believe that national con-
ventions do not pay. The day OF prolonged
wrangles and big convention fights appears
to have passed. and IL was those things that
made a convention OF financial advantage
to a city, to its hotels, saloons, fores.
and transportation companies. Every hotly
contested convention attracts aiders and
abetters of the various factions, as well as
interested spectators by the thousand. OF
late conventions have been three-day rat
ification meetings largely, and next year
both will be gatherings OF this sort, and
probably of the tamest character.
national convention is a pretty expen-
siye luxury for the city that undertakes
it. 1t is said that the Republican con-
vention Of 1896 cost the public spirited cit
izens of ST. Louis $4,000 They had to
Day for the building of a convention hall,
the printing Of the tickets and the badges,
the wages of ushers and doorkeepers who
were employed by the hundreds, for cleo
tric lighting. and for other incidentals. 1t
cost Chicago about s25, 900 to entertain the
Democrats in the same year, and the sum
would have been larger had it been neces-
sary 10 erect convention hall.
T E Byrnes, of Minneapolis, who was
sergeant at arms at the St. Louis conven-
tion. saws that the people of that city be-
came very weary of the enterprise last
time long before it was over. Il mean,
said he that the bills which were in
CURED by my office for legitimate expenses
did not make the hackers OF the enterpri-e
happy. There was a shortage OF almost
81 GOO after the citizens committee had
drummed and drummed until the entire
city was tired; this shortage was hnaily
made up by handful of rich men, who
grumblei a good deal over 1t. They did
not receive cents worth of beneht from
the convention, and yet had TO meet the
bills TO preserve the city's good name.
Il wrote is. 600 letters" Mr.. Byrn IS add
ed, land every one was 10 man who had
written to us, and who was EMIT ed not
only TO a reply, but TO courteous one
What were the letters about? Tickets and
convention appointments, ma My Every
letter which | answered was writ en- IN
manifold and copy of the answer was
filed with the original letter. The ap-
plications for tickets began as soon as
had received my appointment, and con-
iinued down to convention day, period
of six months. My corr spondence was SO
heavy. that at times | was compelled TO
have three and four stenographers. For
these the ST. Louis citizens commi tee had
to pay"
While Mr. Byrnes was one of the most
successful sergeants- at arms. he did not
escape criticism. At a secret session OF the
Republican national committee, IN the
Southern Hotel. st. Louis, the day before
the convention opened, one OF the mem
bers arose and insisted that Mr.. Brynes
be discharged on the spot. The speaker
had asked for a certain number of tickets.
and his request had been ignored. Mr..
Brynes not even condescending to answer
his letter The offended member was a
very prominent man in Republican coun-
ellis; so, assuming that a mistake had hap
pened somebody moved to take recess
for luncheon with the understanding that
Mr.. Brynes was to be on hand after
luncheon TO give an explanation. Accord
ing to programme, Byrnes appeared. Again
the offended committeeman made his bit
Ter speech and Byrnes responded. show
ing that he had sent the tickets to the
members hotel room the day before, and
had taken his private secretary's receipt
for them which receipt was thereupon ex-
hibited to the amused committee. Apollo
gies were in order. The complainant it
seemed. had not been in his room for TWO
DAYS. and so did no; know what had been
going OF there.
In Chicago in 1886 there was also a good
deal of trouble in raising the money for
the entertainment of the convention 1t
finally came out of men who, as at st. |
Louis, received no benefit from it, and !
would rather have seen II go somewhere |
else. These men. in both cities, are said |
10 have served notice that in the future |
they would not respond to eleventh hour |
appeals of this sort, and that local commit |
tees which engage to entertain national |
conventions must themselves be ready to |
pay the bills. A good many Republicans, |
on account Of the interest of the Pacihc |
Slope in the expansion question. and the |
strong probability that all the Coast States |
thinking very favorably of San Francisco |
as a proper place for a convention which |
will renominate Mr.. Mckinley and an |
nounce definite party policy regarding !
the Philippines and trade expansion in the |
Orient. AT the same time, on account of |
the change of heart in Maryland, many |
leading Democrats believe that il would be /
a good plan to hold the Democratic Ma !
tional Convention next year in Baltimore.
which used to be a great convention city.
Chicago is the best convention city in |
the country, as far as permanent facilities |
go, and Kansas City is the place now
making the greatest effort TO secure a con- |
vention. 1t would not be strange if the !
Republicans finally went to Chicago, with |
out any very energetic urging, and the /
Democrats to Kansas City. Denver and |
Milwaukee are among the few claimants.
Mr.. Gorman's Coal Mine.
CUMBERLAND, Md, Nov. 16.-Former |
Senator German is becoming actively inter !