Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28
BONE OF CONTENTION
Miles Central Figure of Pro-
hibitioniSt Contest.
PUZZLED OVER SILENCE
LEADING MEMBERS OF PARTY I'M
DOUBT OVER ACCEPTANCE.
Informal Conferences Held at In
anapolis-National Chairman
Stewards Position.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
lNDlANAPOLIS. Ind. June 2e-Ths
spirit of Mars is master of the ceremonies
at the opening of the tenth prohibition ma.
tional convention. Viewed at this distance
the convention. a delegate expressed It
today, promises to be "one long g-drawn-out
string of trouble"
II is not surprising that the central fig
ure OF the biggest fight that the prohibition
lists have had for years is that grizzled. old
warrior, Gen. Nelson A Miles. The ad.
vance guard arrived last night and stimuli.
taneously the batteries on both sides opened
fire. One faction of the prohibition army In
determined that Miles shall be nominated
for President at any cost, the other faction
is equally belligerent in its opposition to
him.
oliver w. Stewart. prohibition national
chairman, is the backbone of the fight on
Niles. He says he would be for Miles and
would throw his hat in the air and whoop
Tor the old warrior lively as ANYBODY IL
he only knew that Miles would accept but
he insists that Miles wants the nomination
10 come to him without any obligation on
him to accept it, in which event he NAV
conclude to throw down the nomination
and the prohibition party at the same time.
Opinion of Miles Boomers.
Miles boomers say that Mr.. Stewards
declaration that he would like to support
Miles, If the general would only say some-
thing, Is stuff and nonsense. The national
chairman, they say, has taken that attitude
because he knows that Miles will not say
anything, and they insist that at heart he Is
against Miles. They are telling stories to
the effect that Miles and Stewart have had
falling out, and that Stewart knows that
II Miles Is nominated for President his lob
as national chairman will go a-glmmering.
They say that General Miles has simply as
stunned Fairbanks attitude, and that 1t
would be neither proper nor dignfed for
him to appear in open Irritation with the
nomination.
IF you fellows don't allow General Miles
to be nominated, you can expect the worst
peanut campaign We have ever had in our
history" We're the words that Wilson Doan
hurled in the face of Charles L. Newlin.
Miles, added Mr.. Doan. has said az
much as Fairbanks said prior TO the Chi
cago convention"
Miles has said nothing" retorted Mr..
Newlin.
We'll, Fairbanks said less than nothing"
sharply rejoined Mr. Doan.
There We're several informal conferences
In State Chairman Newlln's Office yester.
day, and one of the principal topics of dis
cuss!on was the comparative ability of J.
G. Parker, Senator Fairbanks and General
Miles TO hold their tongues.
The Miles boomers are roundly criticising
National Chairman Stewart for the vigor hd
is displaying in the presidential contest and
1t looks now as If by the time the conven-
ton meets il will be a fight for or aga 'nst
Stewart quite as much as for and against
Miles.
Chairman Ought to Keep Hands Off.
1t is insisted that national chairman
ought to keep hands off on the other
hand, Alonzo f. Wilson. chairman of ILL.,
nois is one of the chief pushers OF Miles
candidacy and is sending Miles buttons and
lithoprapbS % IndjauataliS hy tho ,ybnla
sale.
Miles friends who already are here IN
numbers say that Miles tacticaIly gave his
consent to the program to nominate him
for President when he refused to make any
answer at all to the letter from the editor
of the New Voice. in which the editor
served notice that the national organ would
exploit him for the presidency unless he
speedily call n halt. His silence, they
say, denotes his assent.
Opponents Plan a Coup.
The opponents of Miles were busy last
night framing up a coup. They propose to
bring out as a presidential candidate Homer
L. Castle of Pittsburg, in order to divide
the Pennsylvania delega ton, which has IA
votes, and is the bulwark of Gen. Miles'
support.
Charles r. Jones, of Pennsylvania state
chairman is here however, with absolute
authority to prevent the use of Mr.. Castles
name There is possibility that Castle
may be made temporary chairman of tho
national convention.
II. B. Metcalf of PaWtucket, X. l., a rich
manufacturer, who is held in great rever-
ence by the prohibitonists arrived last
night with the news that he had had a
conference with Gen. Miles, but had OBJ
tained no information as to whether tho
general is even prohibitionist, not alone
whether he would accept the prohibition
nomination for President.
Name on Every Tongue.
With Gen. Miles name already on every
tongue there was additional excitement last
night over the announcement that he has
left Washington and is westward bound.
His destination is unknown, but If he shows
up in Indianapolis willing to accept the
presidential nomination he will be nominat-
ed with a whoop.