New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
KANSAS CITY CONVENTION.
HURRYING WORK on THE HALL WHERE
DELEGATES WILL MEET.

| CLEAR INDICATION OF VICE-PRESI-
DENTAL cHoICE-HoPEs OF
SPEECH BY BRYAN
! Kansas City Mo-. June 30.-There is con-
slant bang bang of hammers, rasping Of saws
shouting OF orders and rushing Of feet day and
| night at the big hall where the Democratic
National Convention is to be held. AS fast as
one portion Of the structure IS finished the
decorators pounce upon It, and with bolts Of
| bunting, flags and pictures of Democratic lead
| ers set in the National coats-of-arms, cover up
| the walls and spaces so that the delegates who
| assemble on the Fourth will see all the colors
and embiems Of the holiday, coupled with evil
| dences OF a Democratic celebration. Some fears
| expressed by arrivals regarding the
| possible failure to have the hall ready in time.
| but the genuine Western push and energy
| characteristic of Kansas City encourages the
belief that everything will be ready when
! Chairman Jones Of the National Committee
! calls the Convention to order.
The decorations the outside OF the State
delegation headquarters are not yet in place.
in a few instances. 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 dis1gured. and they are therefore being
saved in order that they may be fresh when the
! delegates come
| About the hotels. however, there is already
| triskness and moving throngs of familiar con-
vention faces. number of the old line Demo-
Gratis. 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 of Vice
Presidential possibilities have come in and are
making considerable noise. Delegates are drop
in different md he
Of the subcommittee on convention arrange
ments attracted quite knot of about the
National Committee headquarters.
PROBABLE CLASH ON SILVER.
AS on Friday the most interesting topic and
that which gives the Democrats here the most
concern, is the promised contest over the 16 to
plank of the platform. The utterances Of men
like Chairman Jones. William ]. Stone and other
Western and Southern leaders, together with
the action of Western and Southern Democratic
State conventions in their platforms. would
seem to indicate that simple reafirmation of
| the Chicago platform is all that would be neces-
sary. Such action under ordinary circumstances
would be apt to be accepted as the probable ac-
tion of the National Convention, but the reports
from Lincoln indicate that 1G to 1 must be
specifically declared if the views of Mr. Bryan
are to be followed
There 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 somewhat doubtful. Chairman Jones
said that the declaration on silver should not
vary the breadth of a hair from that contained
in the Chicago platform and he thinks a re-
affirmation 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 extreme
silver men insist that "a reaffirmation will be a
concession" Gold men and others who have re-
turned to the party say such concession is
sufficient So the hair that Senator Jones spoke
about seems to he wide enough to cause a
lively contest when the platform is under con-
sideration.
There are some other fea lures of the platform
that may not be agreed upon at once-expan-
sion. the present Chinese situation and the
CUur dAIene riots. But the differences over
these can be readily adjusted, they are either
foreordained now or susceptible of manipulation
by the platform experts.
VICE E-PREsIDENTIAL POSSIBILITIES.
Three Vice-Presidential possibilities came in
to-day-the chairman OF the Silver Republican
Committee who was named by the Populists
for Vice President Charles A. Towne; Benjamin
F. Shively, ex-member of Congress from In
diana and William sulzer, member of Congress
from New-York.
The latter arrived late in the evening after
SPENDING day or two at Lincoln where he had
been comforting with Mr.. Bryan Mr.. Towne
modestly outlined the reasons which prompted
him to be candidate. Mr. Shively said he was
not a candidate, while his friends declared that
he would be presented by Indiana. No one IS
yet ready TO hazard a prediction that any one
OF these men will be selected. The arrival of
these candidates created talk and speculation,
guess how many votes any one of them will re-
ceive.
There has been renewal of the talk about
nominating Mr.. Bryan on the Fourth of July and
a night session OF the Convention has been sug-
gested in order to accomplish this. It is even
said that he may be nominated before the plat
form is adopted, but many are doing what
they can to discourage the proceeding declar-
ing that 1t will be crowdng sentiment too far to
depart from the regular and orderly procedure
of the Convention.
There is vet uncertainty as TO whether Mr.
Bryan will come to Kansas City after the Con-
vention makes the nomination. No one now here
is authorized TO speak for him. 1t has been
said that the Convention can conclude all its
business in two days and that the third day will
he devoted to giving a reception TO Mr.. Bryan
and listening 10 a speech from him. This would
be attractive programme. especially for Kan
City, the appearance of Mr. Bryan would
day
Although the National Committee has taken
n action, there has been a great deal OF cor
respondence and consultation among leaders
everywhere the subject Of presiding officers,
and the understanding is that Mayor Rose OF
Milwaukee, will be the temporary chairman and
James D. Richardson. of Tennessee. the minori-
ty leader in the House of Representatives the
permanent chairman.