The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-03
THE SILVER REPUBLICANS.
Unexpected Interest In the Gathering
Rt knr.nn City.

KANSAS CITY. Mo- July 2.-Ex-Repre-
sentative Charles A. Towne. the candidate
Of the Fusionists for Vice President, and
prospective candidates OF the Silver Re-
pubicaus. went over TO Topeka this after
noon TO address a meeting there tonight
Before he left he declared that the de-
velGpments of the last twentyfour hours
had been very encouraging to him and
his friends.
Delegates to the Silver Republican Con-
vention which will be held Wednesday are
| arriving on every train. and 1t Is expected
by the National Committee. OF which Mr.
Towne is the head, that the total attend
ance will be at lest 1900. Before Mr..
Towne went into Kansas he held num-
Der of conferences in his headquarters
in the Choates House. at which the situa-
! ton was gone over thoroughly.
Mr.. Towne's friends declare that they
feel the utmost confidence that he will be
nominated on the Democratic ticket for
Vice President The belief OF Towne's
friends is that Bryan intends that the plat
form to be adopted shall contain SPECIFIC
IS to / declaration. and that it is his per-
sonal desire that Mr.. Towne shall be the
nominee OF the Convention.
Today they said he had no doubt that
Mr.. Towne would be nominated. Their
| feeling is that Colonel Bryan has abso-
| lutte control of the situation, and that
the Convention will do as he directs in
everything. Feeling this they are open
in their declarations that Mr.. Towne will
| be the Democratic nominee. Among the
! men interested in MIR. Townes candidacy
are Sentor Teller and ex-senator Dubois.
Nathan Cole, jr, of California; Colonel
| Chisholm, of Montana: Judge Brown, OF
Ohio, ex-Chairman of the State Central
| Committee, and II. A. McCraney. OF San
Francisco. the Secretary of the National
| Committee of the Silver Republicans.
These and dozen other men spent two
| hours in Towne's headquarters this after
noon. They talked of the plans of the Ma
| tional Silver Republican Convention, and
| il was decided the National Committee
should be called together tomorrow after-
noon for the purpose Of laying out pro-
| gramme. The main points of the Conven-
| tion have been solved already. Mr.. Towne,
the Chairman OF the National Committee.
will call 1t to order at noon on the Fourth.
| in the Auditorium Theatre, while Chair
| man Jones, OF the Democratic National
| Committee. is calling the Democratic dele
gates together in the big convention hall.
After Mr.. Towne has finished his open
|, ing speech. prayer will be offered by the
Rev DR.. Bigelow, OF Cincinnati Then
tho call will be read and the Declaration
OF Independence will be read
Then Mr.. Towne VIII introduce Senator
Henry NJ Teller, who viii be the tenn
porary chairman. Senator Teller will maks
speech. and the Convention will then
elect Judge W. L. Brown, of Ohio. as Its
permanent presiding officer.
Judge Brown will be presented with
gayel. the head OF which Is made OF elm
from a tree planted by Abraham Lincoln.
The handle is a piece from joist in this
floor OF the Lincoln dining rom. After
this the Convention will adjourn until af-
ter noon. when Mr. Bryan will be nomi-
mated for President and Towne for Vice
President. The Convention will not last
more than enc day II the present plans are
carried out.
The size of the delegations which are
going to attend it, 1t was said by Secretary
McCraney today. has been a great surprise
to the members OF the National Commit
tee. Ohio promises to send a hundred
delegates and shouters. California's con-
tngent will count at least thirty. Iowa is
going to send 12S anyway, and possibly
more The representatives of the States
along the northern border of the country
from the Great Lakes to the Pacific will
be particularly strong. Ex-senator Dubois
of Idaho. in speaking of the situation to-
day. said:
''We want Is to l. but II the Democrats
will put Towne on the ticket with Colonel
Bryan We will be willing to make some
concessions on the money plank. II, how
ever such man as Hill or one like him
is to be the nominee we want an ironclad
platform. Thus you can see that the per
sonahty of the Vice Presidential candidate
may have a very decided influence on the
character OF the financial plank to be
adopted by the Democratic Convention.
Bryan and Towne would be i; platform
themselves and everyone would know what
they stood for"
Senator Pettigrew arrived in town today
and at once began a conference with Mr..
Towne and the other Silver Republicans.
Senator Pettigrew represents the Fusion
lists here. He wants Mr.. Towne to get the
Vice Presidential nomination and he wants
to have the Convention adopt a financial
plank in which the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at 16 to l shall be de-
manded in specific terms.
This Convention" he said today, will
write it's own platform. The simple re-
affirmation of the Chicago platform will not
be enough to satisfy the demands of the
people They want to have a perfect out
and out declaration of principles. They
have enough OF the backing and filing.
This is not to be the Convention of 1886
any more than the Convention of 1892
Every National Convention must write its
own olatforni.
"Of course the platform. so far as 1t
relates to the currency question, is writ
ten already. 1t will repeat Colonel Bryan's
views. emphatically think that spe-
cific declaration for free coinage of silver
at 16 to 1 will be inserted in the platform.
Mr.. Bryan has stated his views on that
question distinctly in his recent utterances
and writings and 1t is known to all that
he is absolutely in favor OF such a dec
laration. His desires will undoubtedly be
respected by the Convention in this mat
ter as in others.
After this Convention" he continued,
"the Democratic party will stand on the
Kansas City platform and not on the Chi
cago platform or any other. Therefore.
there should be no possibility of mis-
construction OF platform or any OF Its
planks and l believe it will be distinct
manly, straightforward, and honest
A BOMB ON RAILROAD TRACKS.