Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1892 — THE NEXT PRESIDENT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE NEXT PRESIDENT.

HE WILL BE NOMINATED IN CHICAGO JUNE 21. Complete Arrangement! Made for the Greatest Gathering: In the Party's Entire History and In the Grandest Amphitheater Ever Constructed lor the Purpose. All Is Now Ready. Chicago correspondence: Where the elephant and the kangaroo of Bamum’s own and only are wont to caper for a week each year during Chicago’s most torrid weather the Democratic lion and the striped tiger will sportively engage during the merry month of June, this year of grace. In a wigwam 250x456 feet, built on the plan of the Roman amphitheater, located on Michigan avenue, between Madison and Washington streets, will the grand carnival of politicians be held, and here will be named the next quadriennial tenant of the White House at Washington. Just how Chicago came to be chosen as the place of holding the National Democratic Convention of 1892 is matter of dispute. Some say It was Chicago's great railway and hotel facilities, and the fact that she knew by long and varied experience how to.care for gigantic enterprises of this sort that turned the scale. Some cities, like men, are born great, and others have greatness thrust upon them. Chicago enjoys both conditions, the capture of the Demo- j cratic convention being a striking in- j stance of the latter.

But the local Democracy, after It had won its prize, did not know what to do with it. The old Exposition building, famous for its national conventions and especially notable as the place in which was named the successful standardbearer in 1884, as well u#s the defeated knight from Bar Harbor in that same eventful year, had been ordered razed to the ground, and its destruction would be complete before convention time. But the convention was coming and had to be arranged for. A number of prominent Democrats got together, and the result was the appointment of a committee of arrangements, with Judge John P. Altgeld ns Chairman; James C. Strain, Secretary; and A. E. Seeberger, Treasurer.

The committee was nonplused at the outset to know what to do for a hall. The Auditorium was considered, but that would not do. A Chicago convention means that not less than 20,000 people demand accommodation. An estic.

mated expenditure in remodeling the Auditorium would result in providing only 8,000 seats. All the other cities had agreed to furnish sittings for not less than 15,000. The Auditorium was declared out of the question. So the Committee of Arrangements determined to build a hall for the especial accommodation of the convention which should seat not less than 20,000 people. The Finance Committee at once set about devising ways and means for meeting the expenses of the convention. How well the committee has succeeded is indicated by the fact that of the $50,000 necessary to cover the expenses over $45,275 is secured and the sale of seats will socuie every dollar needed. How the Convention Will Be Hrld.

The wigwam, which promises to be historic for its connection with the success and growth of the Democratic party, has a frontage on Michigan aveof 451 i feet. Its depth is 250 feet, or a total ground size of 114,000 square feet. The building will be sixty feet high,well lighted and ventiiftU’d- The interior is one yagL amphithealeT. The firmia or pit will l.e sßated with 840 armchairs, yt. Ttjey jr.iUJaCe the west or Michigan avenue side. Directly ih front of them is the platform whorg will sit the Chairman and officers of the convention. Directly In front of the Chair will sit the official Stenographers, and flanking the Chair ! on either side will be the press repre- j eentatives, 175 on each side—3so in all. ! Directly back of the Chair will be seats I for 300 special guests, and rising above 1 these will be private boxes two tiers high. Surrounding the pit or arena i seats will gradually rise in amphitheatrical form to the walls. There will be 12,000 seats, divided into four sections, j and divided by broad, commodious aisles. Encircling the entire interior, | the upper tiers of private boxes on the west forming a portion of it, will be an : Immense gallery, with a seating capacity | of 5,00 n. The gallery is,fourteen feet high at the front, and rises to a height of eighteen feet in the rear. A large room directly under the platform in the rear of the Chairman’s will be fitted up for use of the Western Union and Postal Telegraph compa- j nies, and at both ends will be eommodi- I ous rooms, one for the use of the West- j era Associated Press, the other for the | United Press. Altogether there will be j 19,400 chair 6 in the great wigwam and fifty boxes. The cost of the building, ; exclusive of decorating and lighting, will be $23,500. Some Prominent Figure*. The personnel of the convention will i be such as to inspire the utmost eonfi- j dence of the National Democracy. The j Thurman bandana will be missing and , the clean-cut features of Hendricks will not grace the wigwam, but historic figures will not be lacking. Instead of ,T. Sterling Morton, Nebraska will have its Democracy vouched for by Gov. Boyd; j lowa will proudly and eloquently offer j

Horace Boies to the nation; Wisconsin with her splendid achievements will pledge htrself anew in the faith of Cleveland; and Illinois, anxious to do better, will agree to reform if Palmer is placed at the head of the ticket. With such a showing the Northwest can truthfully lay claim to having sown the seeds of tariff reform upon fruitful soil, and the South may concede the presidency to this section. While the East has been quarreling over the flesh pots the Mississippi valley has made rapid strides in the cause of democracy, and if the Car-lisle-Mills-Watterson people divide the South, thereby crippling Mr. Cleveland, the-chances are that Gov. Boies or Senator Paliwer will be the presidential nominee. Clayton E. Crafts, who is one of the Illinois delegates at large, ■a}' be permanent chairman of the na-

tional convention. His selection would be a graceful compliment to the West, and his only competitors so far ae known are Patrick Collins and Senator Voorhees. Mr. Crafts, though, Is removed somewhat from entangling alliances because, in his advocacy of Gen. Palmer, he has refrained from antagonizing Senator Gorman, Mr. Cleveland, or Gov. Boies. He Is satisfied that Gen. Palmer can only be nominated as a compromise candidate, and should he be chairman of the convention Gen. Adlai E. Stevenson will act in a like capacity for the Illinois delegation. Having been Assistant Postmaster General under Mr. Cleveland, and cherishing profound admiration for the ex-President, Gen. Stevenson will |

not put any obstacles in the way of that gentleman’s nomination, yet he is under obligations to support Gen. Palmer should it bo deemed advisable to take a Western candidate. In any Democratic convention Gen. Stevenson will have weight, and he will certainly be in the confidence of the Cleveland managers, among whom will be ex-Secre-tary William F. Vilas, ex-Postmaster General Don M. Diokinson, ex-Secre-tary of State, Thomas F. Bayard, Gen. Edward S. Bragg, and Attorney General William U. Hensel of Pennsylvania. These men doubtless lack the cunning of Senator Hill, Richard Croker, William Sheehan and Ed Murphy of New York, and the political foresight of Arthur P. Gorman, but they wield sufficient influence in the nation to make Mr. Cleveland the formidable candidate he is. They were associated with Mr. Cleveland, and if they cannot have their way ftbqqt it they will be around when the prizes are being drawn in convention. They would nominate Mr. Cleveland regardless of New York, and they may do It, unless the Hill people offer a substitute. Mr. Hill will hardly make peace on any such terms, and although his fighting force is numerically weak a dozen delegates like Gov. Flower, Ed Murphy, Gen. Sickles, Gen. Slocum, and exCongressman John R. Fellows, Mr. Croker, tho Tammany leader, Congressman Bourke Cochran, Mayor Hugh Grant, Perry Belmont, Delancey Niehol, Lieut. Gov. Sheehan, George Raines and Brewer Ehret can play havoc as bulls in the china shop. They will really determine the action of the convention, provided Mr. Cleveland does not have two-thirds of the delegates to begin with. Practical politicians as they all are, Senator Hill made no mistake when he designated them and saw to it that Mr. Cleveland’s confidants were Included in the list of alternates solely. Among these alternates are Manton Marble and Mayor Alfred C. Chapin of Brooklyn. To Mr. Cleveland they would gladly give their votes, but they have none to give. On the other hand, ex-Senator Thomas F. Grady, who bolted Mr. Cleveland’s nomination in 1884 and took the stump for Gen. Butler, is a Hill alternate, together with Congressman Amos J. Cumming3. The anti-Cleveland New-Yorkers will be offset somewhat by Pennsylvania,

the delegation from which State will be led by State Senator George Ross, W. U. Hensel, for many years Chairman of the State Committee and now Attorney General of the Commonwealth; William M. Singerly, the owner and editor of the Philadelphia Record, and Senator Henry Alvin Hall. Should the opportunity arise these gentlemen, who will be in touch with ex-Postmaster Harrity of Philadelphia, a thick-and-thin Cleveland adherent, might present the name of Gov. Pattison. That will be only in the event, though, that there is aq outside demand for Gov. Pattison. Otherwise, they will remain true to Mr. Cleveland. Wisconsin occupies the same position in regard to Senator Vilas, who, with his partner, J. H. Knight, Gen. E. S. Bragg and E. C. Wall, Chairman of the Democratic State Committee, make up the delegates at large from that State. Col. Vilas considers Mr. Cleveland the strongest candidate before the people, and until the We§t is given a chance it looks as though Wisconsin would have the cooperation of Illinois. Add Michigan, with Don Dickinson, to this combination; Indiana, with Senator Voorhee6, Editor Morss, John Lamb and ex-Chair-man Jewell, of the State Committee; Minnesota, with Michael Doran and his colleagues; Missouri, with Col. Jones, of the St. Louis Republic, and M. L. Clardy, with Fred W. Lehman in the background, to the Cleveland column, and Tammany may conclude to consider the advisability of getting into the band wagon. To the galaxy of noted characters, New England will contribute Gen. Patrick Collins, Gov. Wm. E. Russell, and E. C. Benedict, one of the heaviest gas trust stockholders. Oregon has instructed for Gov. Pennoyer for President, and among the Cleveland men from Kansas will be ex-Governor Glick, W. C. Jones, Chairman of the Democratic State Committee, and Tully Scott, who was a Land Commissioner under Cleveland. Lewis Baker and P. B. Winston will co-operate with National Commit-

teeman Doran, of Minnesota, and Gov. Beynolds and Congressman Casey will second the efforts of ex-Secretary Bayard for Delaware. lowa intrusts the Boies candidacy to Senator Shields of Dubuque, Editor J. F. Duncombe of Fort Dodge, and ex-United States Marshal Campbell of Fairfield, who will be assisted by Messrs. Fullen and Hunter, of the State Committee. Congressman Hayes, and others. Senator Daniel and ex-Congressman Goode, of Virginia, will help out the Hill boqmers, and Henry Watterson et al. the candidacy of Senator Carlisle. Arrangement* at the Hotel*. In accordance with time-honored custom the headquarters of the national committee will be at the Palmer House.

It is stated by Manager Bourne that more than twenty State headquarters will also be located there. The New York delegation will establish its headquarters at the Auditorium, where it has engaged the parlor floor entire. The .Hill men will also have headquarters at the Auditorium. The delegates chosen at the Syracuse convention to the number of sdo have secured quarters at the Grand Pacific; the Minnesota delegation and friends to the number of fifty; Missouri, forty; Mississippi, thirty; Nebraska, twenty-five; Arkansas, twenty-five; Montana, twelve; Wyoming, twelve; District of Columbia, fifteen. The Great Northern, with a capacity

for 1,500 guests, has secured the Cleveland Club of Buffalo, numbering 300. McCoy’6 Hotel will take care of the Hawkeye Club of Des Moines, numbering 250, the Boies Club of lowa, 30 strong, 50 Cleveland men from Syracuse, the Pittsburg Kandall Club, numbering 100, the Milwaukee Jefferson Club, numbering 50, John Solan’s party from Bochester, N. Y., of 30, and fully 200 members of Tammany. The Thurman Club of Columbus, 100, the Erie County Democracy, 250, and 100 members of the Bandall Club of Pittsburg will be entertained at Gore’s Hotel. The Sherman has already arranged for 300 Ohio men and 80 from Pennsylvania, and the Kings County delegation will stop there. The German-American Club of Indianapolis, numbering J 25, will put up at Burke’s Hotel. The Victoria will entertain the Hendricks Clubs of Indi-

- < ana, and the Indiana delegation will have its headquarters there. At the Tremont the Calumet Club of Baltimore, numbering 200; the Sam Randall Club of Philadelphia, 300; and the Joel Parker Association of Newark, X. J., 200, will take up their headquarters. From the present outlook Mr. Cleveland will enter the National Democratic Convention with considerably more than the two-thirds vote necessary to a choice ali-eady committed to him.

JONH P. ALTGELD.

DEMOCRATIC WIGWAM FOR 1892.

INTERIOR OF THE 1892 WIGWAM FROM BACK OF THE SPEAKERS’ STAND.

EXPOSITION BUILDING, CONVENTION HALL OF ’84.

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION WIGWAM AT CHICAGO, 1864.