Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-12
Doors of st. Louis Thrown
Open in Welcoming Dele
gates and Visitors.
PLATFORM OUTLINED
Foreign Policy, Mexican Sit
uation, Preparedness and
Tariff Touched On.

St Louis, June 12.-Pre1iminary to
the opening of the democratic national
convention the members of the ma
.ional committee will meet and pass up
on the final arrangements for the con-
vention whose 1902 delegates are to
name the party ticket The commit
tee also has before it five contests,
three of which involve the seats of the
national committeeman from the Dis
trict of Columbia, Hawaii and Texas.
Another contest involves the seating
of delegate from Hawaii and the fifth
contest embraces protest against the
seating of the six delegates from the
District of Columbia.
Convention Is Outlined.
I'VE expect a short session of the
committee" said Chairman McCombs.
THE convention arrangements are all
perfected and the contests before the
committee should be speedily settled
We have made change in our con-
vention program. The first session
will be held Wednesday when the
temporary chairman will make the
keynote speech and the committee will
vention will hear the speech of the
permanent chairman and addresses of
prominent democrats.
"On Friday there will be long ses-
sion when the platform will he,%Fead
and adopted and on Friday night we
will name the ticket"
National Chairman McCombs held a
conference with Senator William j.
Stone, who will be the chairman of the
resolutions committee.
Senator Stone brought with him
from Washington. certain drafts of
more important planks that have been
sketched in some detail by President
Wilson and his advisers in congress
and in the cabinet
Platform Laid Out.
The principal planks that await pre-
sentation to the platform committee
are foreign relations, the Mexican sit
uation, preparedness and tariff. The
foreign relations plank will set forth
the unprecedented conditions that have
arisen as a result of the war and it
| will be pointed out that while Presi-
dent Wilson has kept us from strife
he has also maintained a neutrality
both strict and honest"
The plank on the Mexican situation
| will develop that this question has
been approached with the idea of
keeping peace not only with the Mex
lean republic but to maintain peace
within her own borders.
On the question of preparedness the
platform will assert that the party has
met the demands of the world wide
situation by an advanced stage of pre-
paredness of the navy and enlargement
Of the army and the reorganization OF
the national guard. The tariff plank
Will point out that the reorganiza-
ton of tariff duties so that the income
from that source in normal times
would meet the needs of the govern.
ment is an active element of the dem
ocratic party.
Ask Chairman Preference.
The national committeeman are
awaiting an intimation from President
Wilson as to whom he would prefer
as the chairman of the committee tC
succeed Mr.. McCombs, who has an.
nounced his retirement. 1t is Learned
that word has been sent to President
Wilson asking him to suggest the
name of chairman who would b.
agreeable to him, that the new com
mittee may act upon the suggestion
imediately after the final session of the
convention. Committeeman here say
that if President Wilson's choice lie.
within the committee membership i
probably will be Vice Chairman Homer
Cummings of Connecticut. Mr.. Cum
mings said that he was not a candi
date for the Office but if called upor
would serve.
Several Contests On.
A smart contest was anticipated be
fore the committee today over wht
should be seated as national commit
teeman from Texas. Thomas Love
formerly Of Missouri, has protested
against the seating Of William Poin
dexter. There is trouble from far-of
Hawaii. A protest has been mad
against the seating Of one of Hawaii
six delegates and W. P. Jarrett ha
contested the reelection of ]. H. Will
son as national committeeman.
| Four members have entered pro
test against the seating of Nationa
Committeeman John F. Costell and tn
six delegates to the convention from
the District of Columbia.
Visitors Pouring In.
Early trains brought scores OF dele
gates to St. Louis today and Nationa
Chairman McCombs said there was ev
cry indication that tremendou
throng would attend the convention.
This is a remarkable tribute {
President Wilson and the party" sal
Mr.. McCombs, when one consider
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