Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1920 — DEMOCRATS WILDLY CHEER DISPLAY OF WILSON PICTURE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEMOCRATS WILDLY CHEER DISPLAY OF WILSON PICTURE

Half Hour's Applause Follows Unfurling of Immense Flag and Banner.

CUMMINGS' KEYNOTE SPEECH Arraigns the Party of Plutocracy and Brings Out Waves of Applause — Convention Settling Down to Work. San Francisco, June 29.—From the shadow of the Golden gate the hosts of Democracy sent a roaring tribute across the country yesterday to President Wilson. The national convention flung aside for the moment the business before it, while delegates carried on a demonstration that swept the great gathering off Its feet. It was a half hour before the outburst evoked by a sudden display of the president’s portrait could be stilled. Again and again as hls name was mentioned the cheers broke out anew to culminate in the shout o» approval that adopted and sent to the White House tonight a striking testimonial of hls party’s faith and pride in the man who has led it through troublous years. Arrangements for the first na-

tlonal political convention to be held In the far west had been well made. The great hall, its clean architectural lines almost unmarred by added decorations, was ready and through a dozen wide entries thousands poured in with little delay or congestion. They found a wide octagonal space awaiting them, with a massive organ rearing its stockade of pipes above the platform and the other sides rising to a far line of seats under high windows framing squares of California’s bluest skies. In the center of the hall where delegates sat railed within a wide square of seats, an inner celling was suspended, colored in soft, old blue, that rested the eye and lent something of quiet dignity to the scene. Below, a forest of standards bearing the names of states and territories was the only reminder of national conventions of the past. Perched high beside the organ in a special gallery, a military , band whiled away the time. As the noon hour and the open* Ing time approached, a color guard of marines appeared on the platform. A six-foot sergeant, with the gleaming folds of a regimental flag in his hands made a vivid spot of color on the platform. At his side stood the armed non-commissioned officers of the color guard and with them two marine buglers. When Vice Chairman Kremer of. the national committee gave the signal, a bugler sounded “attention," the sharp, staccato call rang out over the uproar of conversation. The first notes of the Star-Spangled Banner rang out from the band and the organ together, and as delegates, alternates, spectators and attendants stood In tribute a monster flag dropped from the celling to form a wall of color behind the platform. It obscured the view of the band gallery and organ loft, but as It fell, the booming tones of the organ rose from behind It, joining with the majestic thunder In the national anthem. From floors and galleries,

delegates and spectators joined In the mighty tones. Then came the touch that set the convention off with a wild shout ol exultation. The great flag was gathered slowly upward in the slings and as it rose it uncovered a flag-, draped and illuminated portrait of President Wilson, placed against the high pipes of the organ. For a moment there was a brief pause. Then came the tumult. A wild shout rang from the floor* It was caught up and echoed from side to side. Rising with hysterical force, the sound grew and grew a formless thing that had In It something that stirred the blood and pulled at the emotions. The delegates leaped on their chairs, waving and shouting. They stampeded Into the aisles. Jostling and cheering In a packed mass before the platform. Over In the Virginia section, a delegate ripped the standard from the loop and charged toward the speaker’s stand, waving It high In the air. Other states followed. Some of them were slower to get In motion but the shouting and tumult

continued, standard after standard came up and the march around the hall began. In the New York section, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt seized the standard and rushed into the crowded aisle battling 'with others who sought with eager hands to uphold the sigu A shout of added intensity marked the delegates’ recognition of the Incident and a cheer for Roosevelt was all but lost in the general tumul». It was long before order could be restored. Even when Vice Chairman Kremer had launched upon his speech echoes of the storm still lurked in the air. He was repeatedly Interrupted by the clamor of approval that greeted every thrust at the Republican party or at any reference to President Wilson. When Chairman Homer S. Cummings of the national committee had been elected temporary* chairman and escorted to the platform they finally hushed and listened with close attention to his keynote address. Delegates expected something to cheer at. They were in the mood for it and they were not disappointed. Mr. Cummings began in a quiet voice. A few shouts of “louder” came from far back In the hall but he had not proceeded far before the great throng was so still that every syllable was carried to the highest galleries. It was a long speech. Mr. Cummings suggested that to his hearers, but cries of "go on” and “take your time” met him. He drove his points home hard. When Mr. Cummings characterized the Chicago platform as a “masterpiece of evasion,” a shout greeted the attack and a moment later when he declared that the “old guard” had sold the honor of the national convention at Chicago to name a “reactionary candidate” grew Into a roar punctuated with cries of “gp to It,” “hit ’em again.” The chairman went through the history of the league from the first

mention of it in diplomatic correspondence before the United States entered the war to the second refusal of the senate to ratify the treaty that contains it. He quoted utterances of Senator Lodge and the late* President Roosevelt as saying that some concert of power must be formed. He said the last of the 14 points enunciated by President j Wilson had contained practically the language of article 10 of the covenant and that no word had been raised against them. “The real trouble with the treaty,” Mr. Cummings said, “is that it was negotiated by a Democrat.” Uproarious applause welcomed the jibe. When the chairman called the roll of nations already in the league and asked the delegates if they wanted to hear also of neutral states that had or were about to -join, shouts of “tell us,” answered him. Natioh by nation he named them and then asked if- the delegates wished to know what nations had not joined the league. Cries of

“yes, yes, tell us,” came from all parts of the floor. “Revolutionary Mexico, Bolshevist Russia, unspeakable Turkey and — the United States of America,” ne answered. A roar swept the hall that look minute to quiet When Mr. Cummings concluded there remained but routine business to be done and it was rushed through without incident and adjournment was taken until this afternoon.

PRESIDENT WILSON

VICE-PRESIDENT MARSHALL