Evening star., 1900-06-27
Democratic Factions Both Sure Of
Those Kansas City Seats.
VIEWS OF MESSRS. SLATER and NORRIS
Delegates and Contestants VIII
Start West Sunday.
PERSONNEL OF THE PARTIES

tional convention at Kansas City Will have
probably been settled. 1t would be novel
national convention for either of the two
great parties If 1t was not called upon to
settle a controversy over the question of
seating District aspirants. and the recent
Philadelphia gathering. of course. enjoyed
such episode just the Kansas City
aggregation will next week.
1t is interesting to note in this connection
that contests in democratic national con-
ventions are almost always confined to the
territories. and this year the only contests
Will be waged between aspirants from the
District Of Columbia, New Mexico and
Oklahoma This recalls what Clark Howell
said In 1852, when the same comedy was in
progress with actors from New Mexico in
one scene and the District in the next
you fellows from the territories he re-
marked, who have no votes in the wide.
wide world. make more trouble and cause
more delay than the boys from all the rest
of the Union put together
Perhaps the custom has come to be
habit with the territorial disfranchised,
but the conditions are as stated. So far as
the Districts representatives are concerned,
including both delegations selected in the
same term. all are confident Of occupying
those seats.
Personnel of the Actors.
One delegation chosen by a convention
composed of delegates elected in the twen-
ty-two election districts of the District and
instructed for William Jennings Bryan Is
composed of Messrs. James L. Norris.
chairman; j. Fred Kelley. William F. Hart,
John a. Clarke. William ]. Donovan and
William T. Whelan, delegates. and Frank
B. Lord. j. G. Campbell. Charles F. Shell
ton, George Davidson. D. Webster Han
cock and Joseph Bradley. alternates. These
gentlemen have credentials issued by the
democratic central committee. which has
been recognized as the governing body in
District democratic affairs since 1t was
instituted by the democratic national COM
nsttee in 1880. Mr.. Norris, the chairman.
is member of the democratic national COM
mittee from the District, and the delega-
ton he heads represents what has come 70
be popularly known as the Norris wing OF
the District democracy.
The delegates who will claim the right to
occupy the coveted sextet of seats afore-
said were chosen at convention or mass
meeting held In Grand Army Hall. called
because of the alleged corruption praoticed
at the primary e1ection by the Norrisites;
They repTeseas aat e f9nyenen.ly snh eataa fe1
lows: Messrs William HMmead. chairman; i;
Cotter T. Bride, phaNeS ". Slater, who
presided owe: the tlass meeting which Sc
lected the contestHntsi J. Frank OMera;
who represents. it "a Claimed. the organized
labor Of the District; Robert E. Mattingly
and Edwin A. Newman, the editor of the
Silver Watchman.
The alternates are Frank Richards. John
Schlotterbeck, ]. Syme Hastins. Herman ].
Schulteis, N E. Vowles and Milton A. HaW-
kins.
Mr. Slater, who has been active in max
Ing arrangements for the journey to Kan
sas City, stated to a Star reporter this
morning that all the delegates and alter
mates would leave for Kansas city in
private car attached to the c. and o. train
=; G,,y,1 1.Hr
The party will be augmented by a score or
more sympathizers The delegation will
have quarters and headquarters at the new
Centropolis Hotel.
MIR. Slater Confident of Success.
Eve are going to make a vigorous fight"
said Mr. Slater. with confident valor, land
we are going to win 1t. We have received
assurances from a majority of the dele
cations to the Kansas City convention who
are the loyal supporters of William Jen-
nings Bryan and stanch advocates for the
reaff1rma ton of the Chicago platform of
1885, pledging us their support.
1--WE have aff1davits from over 800 OF the
best democratic citizens of the District
showing the widespread corruption prac-
tfced by the Norris element at the prl-
maries, and its leader will find his pre-
tended complacency very substantially dis
turbed when the result at Kansas City
confronts him and his followers"
Mr.. Norris Departs Tomorrow.
Mr.. James l.. Norris will be in Kansas
City before any Of the others, either friends
or enemies Accompanied by his sons.
James L. Norris, jr.. and Erastus Ransom
Norris, William A. Gordon, jr.. Dennis P.
Callaghan. Senator Kenney of Delaware,
Senator Morgan of Alabama and L. Victor
Baughman, who holds Senator Germans
proxy as national committeeman from
Maryland, Mr.. Norris will leave over the
Pennsylvania road at 1850 o'clock tomor-
row morning and proceed to st. Louis.
which will be reached Friday morning; ar
rival in Kansas City will be Saturday. The
two sons of Mr.. Norris have accompanied
him to all national conventions for twelve
years. Young Ransom Norris has been Sc
lected by the national committee to have
charge of the platform speakers at the
coming gathering, and Messrs. Gordon and
Callaghan have also been appointed TO
positions.
The other delegates and Messrs Lord.
Davidson, Hancock and Campbell will leave
Sunday morning by the Baltimore and Ohio
road. They will carry with them the ban
ners of the Jackson Democratic Associa-
ton, the Columbia Democratic Club and
the Young Mems Democratic Association to
add to the decorations of the headquarters
in the Coates House, where the delegation
will stop. Messrs Shelton and Bradley
may also go. but are yet undecided.
At the conclusion Of the convention MI.
Norris will take the delegates. alternates
and others on trip to Colorado, the itin-
erary Including Denver. Colorado Springs,
Pixies Peak and the Garden Of the Gods
Just as Confident as MIR. Slater.
When asked his views over the approach
ing struggle for those six District seats by
a Star reporter today. Mr.. Norris said;
.1There will be no question whatever about
the seating of the other regularly accredited
delegates from the District of Columbia by
the democratic national convention next
week. The other people have nothing In
the world to stand upon. They have no
credentials from any democratic organiza-
ton in existence. The regular methods Of
the regular democracy will be followed at
Kansas City. I am going there with my
delegation to protect the democratic citi-
zens of the District and the great party
they represent and to preserve the conf
dence and trust imposed In us by those citf-
zens. 1t will be surprising to all If the
representations Of the opposition will be
even listened to-
Mr. Norris has had prepared some very
handsome badges for the delegates and
will send one also to each of the twenty
two members of the democratic central
committee this afternoon.
CHAM RATTLE