The Portland daily press., 1880-06-04

Inc immense amphltheatre IN which the
convention is held is 400 feet long, $50 feet
wide, spanned by roof resting ou arches 100
feet high, and capable of seating up
wards of 10000 persons The hall is
the south half of the Exposition
building on Michigan avenue, at the foot of
Adams street, and really consists of one great
hall built inside of still larger hall. The form
is that of an elipse, with the rounded south
end of the Exposition building for one extreme
and an immense partition stretched across the
middle of the building for the 'other. The
seats begin at the bottom of the
large windows which run around the roof
of 1.-THE building near the arched portion
and slope down like amphitheatre on each
side to the floor. The speakers stand is near
the south end of the elipse, about ten feet
above the auditorium floor; it is about so by %
feet, and is carpeted with q rich green mate
rial. Immediately behind it, on a level with
it, are seats for distinguished men. Just back
of these are seats for invited guests. In front
OF the speakers stand, and a little below, is
broad platform on which are arranged eight
long tables for the reporters. In front of these
on the ground floor, are the seats for the dele
extending back about one-TOurJn the length
of the auditorium to where the main floor mar
rows to the sections, and here the alternates
are seated. These two classes of seats occupy
about two-thirds of the main floor ON either side
of the platform and running entirely around
the building are commodious galleries, capable
of seating 5000 persons. Immediately over the
chairman's stand, among the iron trusses hangs
an immense portrait of the late Zach Chandler,
draped with the national colors, and festoons
of flags cover the ceiling above. In front of
the chairmans desk stands palm wreathed
at its base with the Stars and Stripes, and just
below it is the insignia of Chicago upon
shield. In great folds from the roof depend
large festoons of flags, while upon the iron
girders are sheaves and clusters of the flags of
all nations. Hanging from the centre OF the
roof is portrait Of Washington, and on the
north wall is placed portraitof Abraham Lin
colu, around which is incribed his immortal
words, spoken at Gettysburg, that "a govern
ment of the people, by the people and for the
people shall not perish from the EARTH" An
enormous flag stretches from the wall, above
the chairman's head, the entire length of the
hall All round the hall and in the roof, glo-
ries of flags are hung, the whole presenting an
extremely attractive appearance. Nearest the
platform ON the east side of the building hangs
the portrait of Gen. John A Dix, and then in
order around the hall portraits of Owen Love-
joy, Joshua r. Gddings, Salmon P. Chase,
Richard Yates and Charles Sumner. On the
west side are portraits of Oliver p Morton,
Ben Wade, John A. Andrew, William Pitt
Fessenden and William H. Seward. The plat
form arrangements are complete and well ar
ranged The chairman is supplied with an
elegant black walnut desk and easy chair; the
gavel is made OF wood taken from house in
which Abraham Lincoln once lived. At the
right of the chairman is table occupied by
the official reporters of the convention. On
the left are tables occupied by w. III. Smith
and his assistants of the Associated Press. In
the centre of the stage in front of the railing,
is marble statue of Liberty. The arrange
ments for pages, messengers etc 3are6 6well-nigh
perfect A local firm furnishes handsome tai
ly sheets for the benefit of the reporters and
delegates, and the Chicago, Burlington
Quincy Railroad Company has distributed over
10000 fans with pencils and writing pads at
tached. To these fans We're also attached lit
tie books giving the Presidential vote from the
year 1924 down to the present time, with the
number of ballots received by all the candi-
dates. The delegates are seated by States in
alphabetical order, Alabama being the first
State at the right of the chair The respec-
tive delegations are designated by shields
bearing the name of the State. Massachusetts,
occupies a good position between Michigan
and Maryland in the centre of the convention,
while New York is directly across the
aisle. Illinoiss is away off in the right
hand corner; Maine is just in the rear :of
pNsTmonS Hearty Is Ee mgGn the left
cation, and occupies commanding position
when he wishes to address the chair. Away
off to the right sits General Logan with his
delegation. The great state of Pennsylvania
| is away off to the left of the chair
HOW THE CONVENTION LOOKED.
When the delegates and the persons who
| may be classed as distinguished guests were
| all in their Seats there vas sight which it is
worth going a thousand miles to see. The
| assemblage of journalists, 100 on the platform
! between the presiding officer and the delegates,
| and as many more in the front rows of the
| gallery, on either side, was, by itself, re-
markable one, embracing as it did much of
the best talent in the profession throughout
the whole United States. A Republican ma
| tional convention is always a fine spectacle
| for where and when can there be seen 1000
| men together who count for so much in the
| energy and life of a great nation? The whole
| world does not show such another quadrennial
| gathering of brains, wealth and character as
| one sees when he looks into these typical
| American faces. They are the faces Of men
who have not only done their share of the
| work of governing in the past, but who are
tremendously intent on the government of the
| future and who have great contest before
| them. Even the colored faces, of which there
were at least two score scattered through the
convention, were marked by intelligence and
| power, and, in spite of every rumor of venality
or weakness among the colored men, one felt
that their black faces indicated the work of
the Republican party through 20 years of
struggle, supremacy and constitutional change,
and typfed the triumph of freedom and civil
| iZing2inhuenceS in the United States. 1t is
the presence OF these black faces which makes
the Republican party still a great national
party, championing, as Mr.. Hoar said, the
right OF the individual citizen to vote and be
educated.
THE UTAH QUESTION.
| AS the business of calling the roll was con-