' VOL. 31 AT CHICAGO Gossip of the Seventeenth i National Convention. EXCITING TIME EXPECTED. Face to Face With the Great Money Problem. TEE CHANGES OF A COMPROMISE. Hlntorjr of the "Two-thirds Rale," Which Some of the Delegates Propose to At tack The 'Tnlt Bule" and Ita KCfcoU Fight Over the Temporary Roll In the ; National Committee Where the Contest Will Come Will the Majority Make Ooncennlons on the Currency Question? r-mlllnr Flgnres on the Floor Other Conventions and Their Nominees How Cleveland Was Noulnatcd This Time It Is Likely the Man Will Fit the Pl-t-form and Net the riatform the Man. Copyright, 1806. There havo boon 10 national Denio emtio conventions and nono of them sinoo tho war has been fraught with such ecrions possibilities an tho ono whioh will ossein bio in Chicago on tho 7th of July. Tho memorable Charleston convention which adjourned to nioet in Baltimore was moro important. On itr decision might have rested tho stability of tho Union. The crisis which tho Democratic party faces iu 1890 is a question less of government than of coinmoroiol prosper ity. Tho silver problem whoso decision has been postponed for nearly a quarter of a century confronts tho Domocratlo party and demands a final settlement. And tho bitterness whioh tho currency campaign of tho last two months has aroused ?ecms to threaten tho integrity of tho party. Tho lines of tho great political parties havo been changing gradually for a good many years. A sectional sentiment al most as strong as that which once, sepa rated north and south hua como into be ing. Tho tariff reform Republican has bocomo a Mugwump and then a Demo crat, and in many instances a free trad er. Tho free trudo Democrat has been converted to "incidental protection." The currency question has split the country on sectional rather than politi cal lines. To be sure there are ' 'sound money" men in tho west and advocates WILLIAM F. HARIIITY. of free ooinago in tho east. But as a rulo tho peoplo of the west and south favor the free coinage of silver and tho peoplo of tho east aro committed to the gold standard. , l&f I There aro no very distinct party pnn- I ciples today, forties are political ma chines, held together by self interest Thero aro freo coinago Democrats and sound money Democrats; freo coinago Republicans and Republicans who bo liovo in the gold standard. There aro Domorrata who want incidental protec tion and Democrats who favor free trado ; and there aro Republicans whoso wild views on the tariff question will match those of their Democratic brethren. It is a biugulur condition of affairs when the Democrutia party, with the government at Washington in Its hands and committed to tho gold standard of .currency, should be assembling appar ently for tho purpose of declaring for the free coinago of silver. Those things sometimes straighten themselves out in convention. The two wings of a party often find an acceptable eoniproiuisAVn u great political question -soiuothin; which appeases if it does not satisfy both factions. If they do not? Then ono of tho wings flaps a"' byt-ielf perhaps whilo the oth er goi'S ,'o spi-vo another party. Blaine's nomination cost the Republicans not ouly the floating, changeable vote, but the adu'ivji,.e of a great many widely known ii. i Via of thoir organization. It i.i ; easy thing fur a man to accept i .uy platform which does, not agree with his convkCtohn. That is what a great many men havo had to do. though, ever sinoe parties came into existence. Somo men never can find a party whoso principles are entirely sat isfactory to fliem. Tho host they can do is to toko the moat satisfactory of them and coudono its faults. Severn! conditions assist in making tho Chicago convention remarkable. The Republican convention threatened to bo overloaded with presidential ma terial, and for a year before it met holf a down active candidates were canvass ing tho country for Bupport Tho Dem ocratic party was almost without a can didate until six months ago, when Gov ernor Matthews of Indiana was in dorsed. Most of tho "favorite sous" who had been discussed were holding off to see what the Democratlo state conventions hod lo say on tho currency question. Somo of them could not run on a free silver platform, and some of them would not Somo of them were pledged to silver without recourse. Some wanted to see what way tho cur rency cat would jump before they de clared their principle. Just us soon as there come an intima tion that the convention would probably declare for silver, candidates began to grow on tho bushes. Somo are ardent silver men, some are compromisers and some might bo willing to run on any platform that will suit the party. Such growth of presidential timber in so short a time is phenomenal. And not satisfied with the great opportunities offered in thoir own party, Democrats in somo places are disoussing even the possibility of finding a Republican bolter from St Louis to lead tho party to vio- noKACE iioies. tory. They think a Republican from a silver state might carry tho west and south and hold enough of his own party iu the east, if the Populists indor30 him, to assuro his election. And if the silver Democrats do not control if tho administration influence is strong enough finally to hold tho con veutiou to tho administration currency standard, Mr. Cleveland is always a possibility, even though the Democrats of Virginia have declared the third term idea to bo un-American. It is a very pretty situation. Who could have foretold it? Six months ago tho Hon. J. Sterling Morton, head of the agriculturol department at Wash incrtou, said to mo: "Thero will bo two chief candidates for tho presidency a sound money candidate and a rotten money candidate and tho Republicans will huvo tho rotten money candidate." It is hardly necessary to say that Sec retary Morton's idea of "rotten money" is silver, coined at tho option of the owner, at the ratio ol 10 to I. Six months before that timo Senator Jouos of Arkansas told mo the Demo cratic national convention would declare for tho freo coinago of silver, and that Mr. Cleveland was not a possible candi date Who was the prophet? Not Secretary Morton, cortainly. The Two-thirds Rale. It is safo to say tho Democratic party approaches tho Chioago convention with greater trepidation than any other in ita history except tho memorable con vention at Charleston. Tho party is old er than tho convention, because na tional conventions wore not known to tho Democracy till Andrew Jackson was nominated. Tho Jackson couventiou was held at Baltimore May 31, 1883, and it followed tho indorsement of Jackson by tho legislatures of Now York and Penn sylvania. In fact, tho convention mere ly ratified tho popular choico for tho presidency. But over the vico presidency there was a contest, and in this origi nated the famous two-thirds rule which has had so much weight iu determining tho action of many conventions Biijp. It is a Democratic institution this two thirds rulo. No other party has adopted it, but the Democratic party has olung to it for 64 years. No ono knows who was the author of tho rule. Mr. Saunders of North Caro lina reported it from the committee on rules in 1833 in tho following resolu tion : KumIvmI, Tbut own stuto be entltlud iu the nuiuinutton to bo inudofortlio vtoo pnwldenoy to n uuiubrr of votes equal to tho nuinbur they will bo untitled to In the olwtorul oullego tin der tho now apportionment In voting for prs ldont aud vioo prusldent and that two-thtrdd of tho wholo number of vota In otmwntlou slittll bo nocestmry to constitute a ohoioo. This rulo ex-Senator Martin of Kan sas says must bo changed iu the coming convention. It hus boon attacked in many conventions by the friends of men uad luoumuvi which Hguuiitfl to have-J o BLOOMSBUKG, PA., TIIUllSDAY. JULY 2, 1S9G. favor of u majority of tho delegates. But it has withstood cvory attack. It was voted down in the second convention of the party, but tho vote was reconsid ered, aud it was adopted ugain. In 1844 It was attacked, but though thero was a majority of Van Buren's friends in the convention some of them held tho two-thirds rulo to bo abovo partisan ship, and its adoption by tho aid of their voles defoatod their candiduto. Iu 1848 the rule was Indorsed by a vote of 175 to 78, and in 1863 by 373 to 13. Tho rule does not apply to the adon- tion of tho platform, but controls the nomination of tho party's candidate. So there can bo no issuo ou it between tho friends of silver and the friends of gold. For that reason tho opposition o it may fail, as it has failed in tho past Former Conventions. Tho Democratic conventions sinoo 1833 havo been held as follows: May SO, l&ti Baltimore Van Huron May 6, 1840 Baltimore Van Buren May 27, 1844 Baltimore Polk May 22, IMS Baltimore Caw June 1, 1N62 Baltlmnru Ptorro J nnn If, Cincinnati Buchanan April 23, 110 Charltwton Adiourntu May 8 to meet Jane 18 Baltimore Douglas Aug. 20, 1WM Chicago MaClollon July 4 1AC8 New York Boyinour July 9. 1872 Baltimore Orooley Jnnu 2H, 1878 Bt. Louis TlUUn Juno 22, 1KS0 Cincinnati llancock July 8. 1KK4 Chicago CU-vi-land June 5. 1BH8 8t. Louis Cleveland Juno 21, 181)2 Chicago Clevuland July 7, 1SW Chioago t In tho convention which nominated Jackson and created tho two-thirds rulo was made also tho unit rulo which has been a rulo of every convention since and which until 1880 was a rulo of Republican conventions as well. Under this rulo where a state has given instructions individual votes arc of no valuo except in the conferences of a del egation. Tho vote of a majority of tho delegation controls tho veto of tho entire delegation. And this rulo has resulted moro than once in tho defeat of a candi date who might huvo commanded the individual support of two-thirds of tho delegates to a convention. The L'nlt Rule. The first forraul expression of this principle, which had been recognized informally in prior conventions, was had iu the convention of 1848. it was contained in tho following resolution: Resolved, Thut In voting upon any question which may arlHo In the proceedings of this convention, tho voto Bhall bo taken by Ktatea at the rtxjuoht of any ono Btate, each stuto to bo entitled to the number of votes to which such statu Is entitled In tho electoral collcgo without regard to tho number .'f delegatos In attundunco, tho manner In which (wild voto Is to bo oust to bo decided by the delegation of each state for itself. But this rule was modified by the convention of 1800 and tho modification has stood to this day. The amondmont (which was iu tho form of an additional rule) provided: Thot in any totv whioh has not provided or dirwtod by its stato convention how its voto may be given, tho convention will recognise tho right of each detonate to cunt his indi vidual vote. This is tho form iu which the unit rulo will likely bo adopted by the convention which meets in Chicago on tho 7th of July. It is more than likely that tho convention will adopt the rules of tho last convention as a whole, though pos. sibly not without some contest and a sharp discussion. Chicago Hotels. Ono singular thing about national conventions is tho unexpectedness with which the assnruo importance or be come compa ratively commonplace. Four years ago .t was predicted confidently that the Republican convention at Min neapolis would bo uninteresting and that the Democratic convention at Chi cago would bo exciting. Tho reverse was true. The Republican convention was one of tho most exciting iu the his tory of tho party aud tho convention of tho Democrats was out und dried. So it was predicted six months ago thot the Democratio convention this year would be ooinmoupluco and the convention at St Louis, with its hulf dozen candi dates running ou even terms, would bo exciting. Long before tho Republican convontiou assembled its work was cut out for it, while the interest of tho wholo country has centered for many weeks in tho convention at Chicago and its candidate. Tho hotel keepers of Chi cago will bo tho beneficiaries of this oondition of affairs, for, where they looked forward a few mouths ago to vacant rooms during couventiou week, they havo now tho prospect of over crowded houses. Still the rates at tho principal hotels havo uot been udvuuued, and ut tho best of them single rooms with meals havo boeu rented for fo each. Chioago has many hotels too many for ordinary occasions. Tho big houses which were built for World's fair business stand half empty during a great part of tho yoar, and one of tho oldest and best of tho big hotels of other convention years the Grand l'aoifie has been closed.' But the Palmer Houso is still headquarters for many of tho doloKations, and tho Auditorium hotel, with its big annex, will be orowded to the doors during convention week. In thoso two tho largest orowds will gath er, and the streets about thorn will bo packed thlok with hoarse, boriblHmeO, red eyod men. Bands will stand bo neath their windows serenading state delegations, and clubs of men iu long skirted coats with oaues in their hands will trump iu and out of their corridors, filling tho air with shouts for their can didates. Thoro will bo hospitality f l' a liquid character qt .the. hcddon n-t r" rf tho silver states, and music everywhere. And whilo tho crowds rend the air with their shouts below tho leaders of tho convention will get together in the quiet of their rooms up stairs and map out the business and determino how it will bo done. The Wigwam. Tho lost convention held in Chicago met in a wigwam erected ou tho luko shore a great deal larger than tho wig wam in which tho Lincoln convention met 80 years ago. Tho news of that con vention was sent to tho world by tho hand of a slnglo telegraph operator. The convention of eight years ago was held in the Auditorium. Both those wero OROIIOR O. VEST. within easy access ot tho hotels and busi ness places. Tho Coliseum, iu which tho convention of 1800 will bo held, is moro than half an hour's ride from tho oenter of tho city and is reached by sev eral lines of street cars. It is a huge building, constructed with a view to just such gatherings as the national con veutiims. It is 737 feet loug by 800 feet wide. The outer walls are 43 feet high and tlie roof rises iu terraces to a height cf 105 feet Twelve steel trusses, each 230 feet wide, support the roof. Exclu sive of the vestibule, the interior of the building is G7 feet long. Twouty-flvo feet alove tho main floor of the hall is a baloony. It is 40 feet wide and it runs arouud the four sidos of tho building. Forty feet above the main floor is another gallery. Tho sec ond is 13 feot wide. Tho wholo floor space of tho building is 285,000 square feet. It will accommodate IB, 000 people during the convention, though the ca pacity of tho building for show purposes cuu be increased to 50,000 people. The exits are ou all sides and tho facilities for emptying the hall quickly ore ample. Tho lighting of tho hall will be done by 100 aro lights provided with powerful reflectors. The Democratio national commit too will meet in Chicago tho week before tho convention assembles, and its delib erations will bo watched even more cloncly than thoso of tho Republican na tional committee at St. Louis. Interest in tho contests was keyed up to a high point when Chairman Harritywas quot ed In a New York paper as saylug that no man who announced in advanoo that ho would bolt tho convention under cer tain conditions should be admitted as a delegate. Mr. Harrity has denied since thut he had any idea tho gold men would attempt to control tho convention by shutting out on coutests thoso who hod threatened to bolt, in tho interest of tho freo coinago of silver. But tho friends of silver havo their eyes on tho national committee and they will not bo satisfied until they know that their frionds aro to be seated. They, too, havo hinted at an advantage to bo gained iu tho recognition of contesting delega tions. They aro said to b -onsidering the possibility of shutting out tho Mich igan stato delegation on the ground that tho delegates and alternates to the stato convention did not voto aocording to thoir instructions, which in a majority of cases wero for tho freo coinage of sil ver. This question is not likoly to figure, Bcrionnly before tho national committee, and if it is raised at all, it will bo in tho convention, where ex-Postmaster General Dickinson will have a chance to explain how ho elected administration delegates from what was claimed to be an uutiadmiuistratiou state. The Temporary Chairman. The national committee, besides do ciding tho contests of delegations to be placed on tho temporary roll of tho con vention, will choose candidates for tem porary officers of tho convention, but if the national committee chooses a "gold" man for temporary chairman and tho "silver" men aro in tho majority in the convention, as is now expected, it is quito probablo that tho choice of tho national committeo will bo ignored, and that tho temporary chairman of the convention will be chosen from tho list of western or southern delegates. It is not unlikely that tho honor of the tern- porary or permanent chairmanship will bo conferred on tho senator from K.eu- tucky, Mr. Blackburn, who has routed tho administration forces in his state so recently, and who has been indorsed by his sle couventiou as a candidate for fho presidency. Vest of Missouri may bo one of the olUoors of tho convention if ho is not engaged in preparing "Sil ver Dollar" Bland for nomination. Pos sibly Missouri's other presidential pos sibility, Governor Stone, or the man who has routed tho administrat ion army in Illinois, Governor AHfeld, will re reive honors at the hands of the conven tion. Many scats will bo vacant, as I have nam, Ihv.vimi tie, Oii.iuli.fj piiKwdings CON: IN i l-.i ON I'AGE 1WO. We devote an entire basement to the dis play of trunks, teles copes and traveling bags. Some People Pay i "Whatever merchants choose to ask. Others hag rgle over prices. Shrewd buyers do neither ; they read advertisments and know the market price. They come here and invariably buy because val ues at this store are standard for first class goods, the only kind we sell. The men's and boy's suits that we sell for $5.00, $7 50, $9.00 and $10.00 should not be confused with the many quoted at same figures. Our's are exceptional. They're goods that belong to higher priced families but are reduced because sizes cannot be matched and we're preparing to do our fall ouying. Straw hats, all reduced. Serge, mohair, linen, crash, alpaca and duck coals and vests, bicycle suits, bicycle pants, caps, belts, hose, &c. THOMAS V, VAHNATTA. Thomas V. Vannalta died at his home on Iron street on Tuesday morn- ng at halt past four, aged sixty-nine years, eleven months and twenty-four days. He was a man of quiet dispo sition, a good citizen and a kind hus band and father. His surviving family consists of his wife and eight children, the latter being Mrs. John L. Woods, Sadie, Lillie, Sophia, Wallace and Benjamin, who reside here, Mrs. James Lewis, of I lollidaysburg, and John, of Lewistown. I he funeral will be held on Friday afternoon at two o'clock, services con ducted by Rev. D. N. Kirkby. Mr. vannatta was born in Blooms- burg, July 6, 1827. In his boyhood he was employed at the furnaces. I or many years past he followed the business of well-digging. In April 1 SC 1, when the first troops left here for the seat of war, he and Enos Ja coby fired a salute with an improvised cannon. The gun burst, and Mr. Vannatta lost one of his eyes. In the fall of 1861 he joined the army as. a teamster, and . subsequently was a member of Capt. R. F. Clark's emer gency men. In all the relations of life he was an honest and true man. Y. M. 0. A. SERVICES. The Y. M. C. A. services in the tent last Sunday afternoon were un usually interesting and largely attend ed. The address was delivered by Yeatary O'Kano, a native of Japan and a graduate of the Law Depart ment of Cumberland University, Tenn. It was interesting and he gave some 'acts in relation to his native country hitherto unknown. In the morning he spoke in the Presbyterian church, and in the Methodist tabernacle in the evening. Since his coming to this country he has embraced the Christian religion, and it is his intention to return to his country and do Evangelistic work. That our curb market is growing in popularity is evidenced by the num ber of wagons in attendance. The supply of vegetables, fruits, ifcc. is fresh, and our people instead of wait ing for a wagon to come around to their doors should pr.trotiic it. This i.; the o.ily way to make it a success. NO. 27 ONE. ESSE CRUSHED BSNEATilSCARS. Owen McDonough, a young man of Centralia, aged twenty-two years, was killed at 4:15 o'clock last Friday morning. He was in search of work and went as far as Shenandoah, but was unable to secure employment, and decided to return home, and for this purpose boarded an empty engine and secured a seat on the pilot cf the engine, Everything went well until the engine reached Raven Run at which place a Coal and Iron officer was waiting for a train he saw Mc Donough, and flagged the train for the purpose of arresting him. The en gineer applied the brakes, and when its speed was somewhat reduced, the officer boarded the engine. In his frantic efforts to escape from the offi cer and avoid arrest McDonough be came so excited that he actually did not know what he was doing. He made a wild jump from the pilot of the engine and landed almost in the center of the track in front of the engine. It passed over him mangling him in a most horrible manner and severing his body at the waist. The engine was stopped and the mangled remains placed in the tender and tak en to Centralia where they were identified. THAT RATIFICATION MEETING. In accordance with an announce-, ment a large number of Republicans congregated in the Opera House last Thursday evening to ratify the nomi nations made by the St. Louis con vention. The meeting was called to order by II. A. M'Killip, Esq., and after a spirited address nominated J. C. Brown as permanent chairman, which motion was unanimously car ried. The address of the evening was delivered by him and as a result a club numbering about two hundred was formed. The list of vice presi dents numbered twenty-five, and the secretaries were A. W. Duy, John Scott ami Samuel Pursel. The following letters are advertised June 30, 1S96: Susan Crawford Miss Lillian Cleaver, Mi j. Ficd Heller Miss Jennie Miner, Mr. Thomas Mc Hale, Mrs. Lavina Melick, F. A. Pilliman. Will be sent to the dead letter cfllce July 14 tSqo. Ja.mf.s H. M-nci H, P. M. 1 ... i J I
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers