The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-03
A SPLITTING OF HAIRS
SOME DELICATE WORK FOR THE DEMO.
CRATIC CONVENTION
THE FREE SILVER QUESTION.
How IL Shall be Placed In the Demo-
cratic National Platform Already
Causing Much Discussion Among
the Leaders-A simple Reaffirmatfon
of the Chicago Platform on Specific
Declaration I'm Favor OF IG TO 1 the
Question Before the Delegates.

Il
Question Before the Delegates.
Kansas City. No, June 30.-There is
constant bang, bang of hammers.
raSping OF saws, shouting of orders
and rushing OF feet, day and night. ct
the big hall where the democratic na-
tional convention is to be held. As
fast as one portion of the structure is
finished, the decorators pounce upon
IL with bolts of bunting flags and
pictures Of democratic leaders. set in
the national coat of arms, cover I'D
the walls and spaces so that the dele
gates who assemble on the Fourth will
see all the colors and emblems of the
holiday, coupled with evidences OF a
democratic celebration.
Some fears are expressed by new ar
rivals regarding the possible failure
TO have the hall ready in time. but the
genuine western push and energy,
characteristic of Kansas City, encour-
aged the belief that everything will be
ready when Chairman Jones, of the
national committee, calls the conven-
ton to order next Wednesday at
noon.
The preparations on the outside, of
the state delegation headquarters, are
not yet in place save in a few in
stances and only a building here and
there is ornamented with flags, but by
Monday there will be a great change
in their appearance.
AS it rains here nearly every day
and night at this season, decorations
would soon be disfigured and they are
therefore, being saved in order that
they may be fresh when the delegation
come.
About the hotels, however, there is
already briskness and moving throngs
or familiar convention faces.
A number of old line democrats,
who have been going to conventions
for years, and the younger men who
belong to the new democracy have
arrived and taken up the work in
hand. Several boomers for vice pres
idential candidates have come in and
are making considerable noise.
Delegates are dropping in from diff
ferent sections and the meeting of the
subcommittee on convention arrange
ments attracted quite a knot of men
about the national committee head
quarters.
topic and that which gives the dem
ocrats here the most concern, is the
promised contest over the 16 to
plank of the platform. The utter
ances of men like National Chairman
Jones, William ]. Stone and other
western and southern leaders, togeth-
er with the action of western and
southern democratic state conventions
in their platforms, would seem 10 in
dicate that simple reaffirmation of
the Chicago platform is all that would
be necessary.
Such action under ordinary circum-
stances would be apt to be accepted
as the probable action of the national
convention, but the reports from Lin
coin indicate that 16 to l must be spe-
cificaHy declared if the views of Mr..
Bryan are to be followed. There are
SO many delegates who desire to carry
out the wishes of the coming nominee
that the clash between them and
those holding different views is likely
to be spirited, and the result some
what doubtful. Chairman Jones said
that the declaration on silver should
not vary the breadth of a hair from
that contained in the Chicago plat
form and he thinks a reaffirmation is
sufficient
The breadth of a hair, however, is
still too wide for some and they favor
splitting the hair, especially if the Chi
cago platform is to be the test. The
silver men insist that "a reaffirmation
will be a concession" Gold men and
others who have returned to the party
say such a concession is sufficient. So
the hair that Senator Jones spoke
about seems to be wide enough to
cause a lively contest when the plat
form is under consideration.
There are some other features of the
platform that may not be agreed upon
at once-expanSion, the present Chi
nese situation and the Occur d. Aline
riots; but the differences over these
l'can be readily adjusted, as they are
either foreordained or susceptible of
manipulation by the platform experts.
VICE PRESIDENTIAL POSSIBILI-
TIES.
Three vice presidential possibilities
came in today-chairman of the silver
republican committee, who was named
by the populists for vice president.
Charles A Towne; Benjamin z. Shive-
| ley, ex-member of congress from In
| diana, and William Sulzer, member of
congress from New York
The last arrived late in the evening,
after spending a day or two at Lin
| coin. where he had been comforting
with Mr.. Bryan. Mr. Towne modestly
| outlined the reasons which prompted
| him ITO be a candidate. Mr.. Shive1ey
said he was not a candidate. while his
| friends declared that he would be pre-
| sented by Indiana
No one is yet ready to hazard a pre-
| diction that any one of these men will
be selected. Inc arrival OF LneSe can
| didates created talk and speculation,
| but neither they nor any one else can
now even guess how many votes any
| one of them will receive.
There has been renewal Of the tax
| about the nomination of Mr.. Bryan on
| July 4th, and night session of the
convention has been suggested in ar
| der TO accomplish this. Il is even said
| that he may be nominated before the
pIotform is adopted, but many
| are doing what they can 10 discourage
this proceeding, declaring that II VIII
| be crowding sentiment too far TO de-
part from the regular and orderly