The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-08-06
CARDINALS PREPARE TO VOTE
FOR NEW POPE.
Princes of Church Will Remain
Prisoners Until Duty for Which
They Are Assembled Is Per-
formed Believed There Will Be
No Prolonged Deadlock.


to Pope Leo XIII. Sixty-two cardinals,
with over two hundred clerical and lay
attendants, are, to all intents and p1r-
pose, prisoners within the Vatican.
One of them, Cardinal Herrera y Es-
pinosa, bishop OF Valencia. was
Frustrated Immediately after entering
the conclave and lies i'll in his cell.
Tomorrow morning the cardinals will
enter upon the solemn duty of choosing
the new pope by ballot. The general
impression exists that within two or
three days, possibly, though not proba-
bly, tomorrow, a pope will have been
chosen. But no matter how long a
tins may be required, the absuolute
seclusion Of the princes of the church
from the outer world must, according
to the church law, continue until
choice il made.
Guesses at Random.
Representations as to who will wear
the tiara as Leo's successor have little
value, as even the cardinals who this
evening entered their cells seemed to
be without definite ideas as to the issue.
Cardinals Rampola, Se~sfno, Vannu-
tnue to be the most frequently men
toned as the likely candidates, but the
moment the name of one of them is
mentioned a hundred reasons are sup
piled TO show that he could not posi-
bly, be elected.
So seldom have the majority of the
cardinals now here met each other, and
so widely do they differ in personality
and nationality, that no organized
movement in support of any one cardi
nal has thus far been obtainable. nor,
in fact, seriously attempted. This does
not apply to the Italian cardinals, who
are nearly all we'll acquainted with
each other.
With their numerical strength this
Italian cardinals, if united. practically
insure the election of pontiff OF their
own choosing. 1t is the disunion and
rivalry among the Italian cardinals
which, in fact, leaves the question OF
guess almost as good as another.
The rival claims of the leading Ital-
ian cardinals. SO freely ventilated in
the local press, are matters which are
all important in connection with tie
decision of the conclave, because it is
assumed as foregone conclusion that
the next occupant of the holy see will
be an Italian.
The foreign cardinals have shown no
indication of opposition to this assump-
ton, but however willing they are to
honor an Italian, it is believed that Sc
rious differences among the Italians
themselves upon matters of political
cjled before one Of them suita ole to all
sections can be selected.
Outsider May Get 1t.
The apparent difficulty of accom-
plishing this has rendered interest in
the conclave doubly acute, and is large
ly responsible for tie frequently ex-
ss9d opinion that some cardinal little
talked of may emerge from the con-
clave as the next pope.
More interesting, perhaps, in a Ger
tain way is the impression which pre-
walls in certain sections that, no matter
what the verdict of the conclave may
be, great changes are impending in the
policy of the Vatican and that within
year or so the new pope will no longer
consider himself prisoner in the Vat
lean. but will, unlike Leo, leave it's
precincts when necessary.
BY O'Clock this afternoon all the
cardinals had arrived at the Vatican
aud had gone to their cells. The con
clave has been duly formed and its
members are now shut in from the out
er world. Everything is prepared for
tomorrow's voting. Shortly after 4
o'clock the cardinals began to appear
on st. Peters piazza, where small
crowd watchei interestedlv and raised
their hats as the prionces OF the church
passed into the rear entrance of the
Vaticna.
With each cardinal were the conclav-
lists and servants who will attend his
wants during the conclave. Some had
bags in the carriages with them, though
most of the baggage had been sent on
beforehand. The majority of the car
dinals contented themselves with TAX
ing portmanteaus and handbags.
At the Vatican doors the Swiss guard
kept back the curious crowds, among
whom were many priests. Photogra-
piers vigorously snapped the occupants
of the black CARRIAGES prior to their en-
trance to what one cardinal called their
prison.