The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-08
DEMOCRATS ARE
IN SESSION
National Committee Gathers to Sc
Iect Convention City for Noml-
inatlon Of Presidential
Candidate.
ST. LOUIS OR BALTIMORE
w. J. Bryan Is Central Figure bus
Says He VIII Not Take Part
Unless It Becomes
Necessary.

ChieCA AVoo lLCobOu NNii0 AOl NiSo.J
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.-With Will
lila Jennings Bryan the central figure
Iof the occasion, the democratic ma
ltional committee met to decide on the
city for holding the convention, and
I to set the date for the gathering. The
peerless leader, holding the proxy Of
the committeeman from Nebraska,
asserted before the meeting was call
led, that he would not Join the delib-
erations unless it became necessary" I"
While Bryan termed as the centre
of interest for the hundreds of dem
ocrats who foregathered for the meet
ing of the committee, three men who
sat down together in a little room at
the Shoreham hotel for conference
this morning, were the real moving
powers of the meeting. They were
EChas. F. Murphy of Tammany hall; !;
Roger c. Sullivan, erstwhile boss of
Chicago, and tom" Taggart, engi-
ineer of the democratic steam roller
in 1908.
i These three were prepared to lead
ETaggart named as chairman of the
powerful committee on arrangements
for the convention, and they were
confident that they would do so des-
pite any fight that the progressives in
the committee might make.
With Taggart in his place, the Old
Guard trio would be in position to
control the preliminaries to the con-
vention, and 1t is generally believed
will throw whatever influence they
may have to the support Of Governor
Harmon of Ohio. for the presidential
nomination. Supporters OF Wilson
and other candidates were prepared
ito make all the fight possible against
this program, but the Old Guard
playing oldtime politics. had the del
egates pretty well lined up
Murphy came to Washington with
the idea that he might carry the con-
vention back to New York. But to-
day it was generally believed he had
abandoned the plan, under pressure
from his associates, and that either
St Louis or Baltimore would win the
prize. st. Louis had injured it's chan
ces by an independent stand in the
matter of money and as Baltimore Of
!, ifered $150,000 for the convention, i
seemed that the Maryland city woult
have the votes when the committee
went into session. Chicago and Den
yer were considered out of the run.
ming.
The program for disposing of the
two contests for seats on the commit.
tee as prepared by the leaders. con
templated the seating of Col. James
Guffey from Pennsylvania, instead o.
Representative A. Mitchell Palmer
. Guffey is an ancient political enemy O.
Bryan and it was expected that the
latter would let loose some sort O
an attack on the Pennsylvania lead
er. In the trees-Mouncastle con
test in Tennessee the committee ex
pected to appoint special committe,
to go to the state and make an inves
tigation of Mouncastle's election Sup
porters of the presidential primar,
were enthusiastically confident wher
the committee went into session. Sen
ator Chamberlain of Oregon, leadins
promoter of the plan asserted that he
was assured of the support of ma
: jority of the committee. Col Bryan
was one of the leaders in the fgh
!. for the resolution which was identica
with that voted down at the recen
meeting of the republican nationa
committee. 1t recommended the pres
idential primary to the various stat,
committees for adoption.
II
Only Two Fighters.
} WASHINGTON. Jan. S.-St Loui
and Baltimore were fighting neck ant
!, neck for the democratic national con
. vention when the national committe
went into session here today witt
both claiming victory.
g Only the fact that ST. Louis ha
Y declined to meet the Baltimore offe
I of $150,000, has prevented the west
: erners from cinching the meeting. Blu
lRQlfipnnro with h,,r -1y