The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-22
TO name A PLACE.
Democratic National Committee
Meets in Washington
To Choose Date and Location Of
Convention.
BUT TWO CANDIDATES.
Milwaukee and Kansas City Con-
test For the Honor.
David Overmyer Backs Up Mis-
souri, Towns Claim.
BUT TWO CANDIDATES.

L
national committee met in the parlors
of the Hotel Raleigh at noon today to
fix the time and place for holding the
national Democratic convention. The
convention was called to order by Sen
ator Jones, chairman of the committee.
Every state and territory was repre-
sented either by the national commit
teeman or by proxy.
There was a vacancy from the Dis
trict of Columbia caused by the death
of Laurence Gardner. James L. Norris
had been elected to fill this vacancy but
his election was contested and a com
mittee of three was appointed to report
upon the contest. It was decided to al
low each city which is a. candidate for
the honor of entertaining the conven-
tion 80 minutes in which to present its
claims. 1t was decided that the speech
es in favor of the two rival cities, Kan
saS City and Milwaukee, should be made
in rotation.
James A. Reed, prosecuting attorney
of Kansas City made the opening
speech, presenting the claims of the me-
tropoliS of the southwest. The invita-
ton he presented, he said, came not on
ly from the citizens of Kansas City but
from the unfaltering triumphant De
mocracy of Missouri. In the contest of
1896, when some of the leaders in other
sections of the Union were faltering and
hitherto Democratic states were stag
gering and weak, Missouri increased her
plurality 0,0O0. Milwaukee, he said, was
a worthy opponent and was represented
by a SPLENDID set of worthy gentlemen,
but he submitted that a comparison of
her facilities with those of Kansas City
would show the immeasureable superb
ority of the latter.
Kansas City has 80 lines of railroad
and her telegraphic facilities are excel
lent. Her hotels are more than ample.
| Outside of the great hotels of New York
there are in Kansas City, seven hotels
that will rank as high as any in the
United States. The committee he said
should have the first choice of rooms at
these hotels, the delegates the second
| choice. Hotel rates he promised would
| not be raised.
Mr.. Reed was especially fulsome in
@is eulogy Of the convention hall, which
ne said would seat $4,000 people. He
| quoted Mr.. Bryan as having stated that
| the hall could hardly be surpassed.
The mention of Bryan's name drew
| the first applause of the meeting.
He also quoted the late Dwight L.
| Moody as having said that no hall in
| this country or Europe could equal it.
| This hall would be given free of charge.
| He appealed to the members of the
| committee in the name of the Demo-
Gratis of Missouri to come to the strong
| hold of Democracy. The delegation did
not come begging for the convention in
| the hope of carrying a doubtful state.
| Whether the convention went to Kansas
| City or not, Missouri would be true to
| Democracy.
| called, Chairman Jones announced that
! Representative Levy of that state had
| announced that he desired to present
| New York's name, but as Mr.. Levy was
not present New York was passed.
| National Committeeman Campbell of
New York said he had no knowledge
that New York desired her name pre-
sented
Mayor Rose. of Milwaukee. presented
the claims of the Cream City. He
opened with a bit of pleasantly at the
expense of Mr.. Reed. He was not the
| prosecuting attorney of Milwaukee, he
said. and therefore could not offer the
| convention the protection of his office.
/ daughter) However, as the mayor of
| the city, he would instruct the police
force to prevent any Of the delegates
or visitors to the convention from
breaking into the police station.
Mayor Rose urged the selection of
Milwaukee for the great good it would
do the Democracy Missouri Demo-
Gratis were entitled to all credit for
their Democracy. He had lived for
years in Wisconsin, where it cost some
| thing to be a Democrat. Where is the
| battle of the next campaign to be
fought? he asked. In the east hope was
vain. In the extreme west there was
| great danger on the issue of expansion.
The votes for the election of the next
/ Democratic president must come from
the middle west. Eight years ago Mil
waukee had asked for the convention
and had said I'VE could carry Wis
consin" They were laughed at
Yet Wisconsin was carried for Dem
ocracy Now, although Mckinley car
ried Wisconsin by 100000 majority, Mr.
| Rose promised that the state would
this year give her electoral vote tc
| Bryan. This announcement was
greeted with great applause.
The same element which carried Wis
consin in 1892 was in sympathy with the
Democrats now he said. The hope OF
success for the Democracy this fall lay
in the German-American vote.
| He was not here to say that if Milwau-
| kee did not get the convention the state
would go Republican: Wisconsin would
| this much was due the Democrats of Wis
| consin. He pointed to the fact that one
| of the influential German newspapers of
| Wisconsin was now hostile to the admin
| istration. With It's support, the Demo-
| Gratis could and would carry Wisconsin.
| Show to the Germans" said he, 'ftnat
| the Democrats are opposed to Imperialism
and expansion and they will be with u.s.
| ated by the speech of Representative
Lentz of Ohio in Milwaukee last fall. He
| said it had aroused the Germans and that
| now four-fifths of them were opposed to
| imperfalisrn and McKinlevfsn
Mayor Rose then turned to the facilities
| of Milwaukee for accommodating the con-
vention. In the matter of railroads. hotel
capacity and telegraphic facilities, he said
/ that the convention had nothing to gain
by going to Kansas City. Besides. Mil
waukee had a summer climate far super
ior to that of her rival The determine
ton of the convention, he said. should
not be question of personal predilec-
! ton, but of party welfare.
/ Representative Cowherd of Missouri re-
inforeed Nj. Reed argument in favor Of
Kansas City. This city came not with
promises of the future, but with her rec
| ord Of the past