Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1900 — CONVENTION MEETS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONVENTION MEETS

National Republican Gathering Called to Order. BIG CROWD PRESENT. Senator Wolcott of Colorado Made Temporary Chairman. Senator Hanna Wields the Gavel at the Opening of the First SessionBrilliant Scenes in the Great HallTemporary Chairman Wolcott Makes an Eloquent Speech—Convention Call Is Bead and Committees Are Named. Philadelphia Correspondence : Shortly after noon Tuesday the twelfth national nominating convention of the Republican party was called to order in Philadelphia, the same city in which the first one met forty-four years ago. Of these twelve conventions Philadelphia has had three, Chicago five and Baltimore, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and St. Louis one each. Tuesday’s proceedings were of a purely perfunctory character. Senator Hanna, chairman of the national committee, called the convention to order. A surpliced clergyman read a lengthy prayer in a silence which was truly remarkable in so vast an audience. Then Secretary Dick read the call. The delegates answered to their names and Senator Wolcott was installed as temporary chairman and made a sjieech, after which the committees on credentials, organization, resolutions, and rules were selected and retired for deliberation.

Senator Wolcott in his eloquent speech touched upon all the leading events of the past four years, and made them appear as arguments for the continuation in power of the present administration. All allusions to the Spanish war, of tlie Philippine questions and other leading characteristics of the administration were received with prolonged applause. The scene in the spacious hall during the progress of Senator Wolcott’s speech was impressive in the extreme. The orator had evidently completely caught andswayed his audience, and the vast multitude answered to his glowing periods with the greatest enthusiasm. The forenoon had produced nothing new in the Vice Presidential situation, and when the convention had settled down to business the question was still in a condition of as much uncertainty as ft was forty-eight hours before, It was evident, though, to even a casual observer, that Gov. Roosevelt, of New York, was still the hero of the hour, and that it would be as easy to stampede the convention for him ns to start a conflagration by the commingling of fire and tow. A significant thing in this connection was the fact that when reference was being made to the Spanish war and the bravery of American arms was being extolled by Senator Wolcott, there were freqiftnt cries of San Juan intermingled with great outbursts of cheering for Roosevelt. Ten thousand people attended the formal opening of the convention. The splendid hall was well filled and the scene was one to remember. Facing the speakers' platform were nearly one thousand delegates and as many alternates, representing the Republicans of every State and territory in the Union, including Hawaii and Alaska. Seated in tiers surrounding the inner circle was the crowd of sightseers. The arrangements were perfect. On all sid<*s was beard unstinted praise for the Quaker City managing committee. The feature of the first session wa* the speech made by Wolcott

At Dolliver headquarters the feeling was strong that if Roosevelt'should put himself out of the race the lowan would receive the nomination. With an open field and the San Juan hero not a starter, the lowa people believed that Dolliver would win.. > • The day opened auspiciously for the event. The sky was slightly overcast and there was none of the sweltering of many former national gathering*. "The air was cool, the temperature being below 70. After being up half the night with the demonstration of 30,000 marching men, fireworks, bands, final caucus and earnest conferences, the army of delegates and the conspicuous figures of the convention were slow to make their appearance. But the staid old Quaker city was early astir with preparation and by 8 o’clock the

streets took on an air of animation aud anticipation as the crowds began to con-' verge toward the convention grounds. The arrangements for transporting the great multitude from downtown to the hall were admirable, many lines of electric cars giving ready conveyance. That splendid avenue, Bread street, leads to the most direct route, that on South street, and all of the early cars along this line were crowded with those wishing to secure points of vantage in or around the

building. The throngs weer good-natured and intensely earnest. The women showed their interest in the event by making' up a considerable percentage of the moving hosts, aud the fair weather* permitted all the color of bright parasols and midsummer dress to be blended with the blaze of bunting. Out nt the convention grounds the officials were early on hand with their corps of doorkeepers, sergeant-at-arms, ushers and pages, putting them through final drills in anticipation of the crush soon to come. The first squad to put in an appearance was thnt of under Organizer Owen, 300 strong, having charge of seating the delegates and spectators. After them came the 400 assistants under Ser-geunt-at-arms Wiswell, more particularly to care for the interests of the delegates. Chief Doorkeeper Kercheval had an early drill, both at the outer gates and at the entisince doors, which gave promise of an avoidance of the confusion and delay which often attend admission to conventions. During the early hours the inside of the convention hall presented the appearance of a vast sea of pine, overhung with a wealth of festoon, bunting and historic portraiture. It was very light, very airy, and so arranged in the gradual rise of scats from a common center to give full opportunity for the demonstrations of enthusiasm which were soon to come. Outside of the hall the approaches began to congest with the crowds during the early hours. The cars added hundreds every minute, and as the outer gates wcre not opened until 10 o’clock, the early arrivals wcre massed on the walks nhd streets awaiting the signal to get in. The street venders did a thriving business in buttons and badges and a lively trade was carried on in scats for the convention at rates varying from $5 for a single session up to S6O for the three sessions. Chicago police have stopped the rabbit chases conducted by the Coursing Club.

SENATOR HANNA. Chairman of the National Committee.

MAIN ENTRANCE NORTH Seating Plan of the Auditorium of the Republican National Convention Hall, Showing the Location of All the State and Territorial Delegations.