Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-06
GETTING UNDER WAY
Scenes and Incidents at a National
Political Convention.
THE CROWDS AND TIE NOISE
How the Preliminary Work is
Done by Leaders and Managers.
ECIAL CORRESPONDENTS

The national convention is the epitome of
American politics. 1t is the politics, the
methods and the personal charact eristics
of every state, of every county in the
country, assembled. 1t is the aggregation
of all the county. town, ward and pre-
cinct politics. 1t is the national election
day gathered in one room.
The ST. Louis convention is expected to
be novel, in the circumstance that every
thing to be done there will be fixed UP
In advance, and that the convention will
have nothing to do but to go through the
formality Of carrying out the program.
AS matter Of fact, the work of the con-
vention is now being done. Differences are
being adjusted and the platforms made.
Under the assumption that Major Mckin-
ley is to be nominated for President, eff
forts are being made to select the can
didate for Vice President in advance. Thus
all is expected to be mapped out before
the delegates gather in St Louis.
Yet. the convention may not be entire
ly without incident. Certainly it will not
be without picturesqueness.
The Work Of the Takers.
1t is usual for the work of national
convention to begin about four days before
that named for the meeting. AS soon as
the delegates begin to arrive the work of
the takers begins. The takers are the men
whom the delegates always find in the
corridors of the headquarters hotel, who
have made a thorough investigation and
measure of the situation and know just
what is going to happen. For about two
days these takers have full swing. This
is to create an atmosphere of public Senti-
ment. When this atmosphere is made sutfi-
GENTLY dense the so-called leaders begin
to deal and trade. If the takers We're
all agreed the atmosphere would become
have nothing to do but come along and
gather the delegates up when the takers
got through with them. But it happens
that each candidate and each rival inter-
est has It's takers and it becomes a
test of shouting and FEASIBILITY.
1t is at this stage, like a country fair
or the entrance to railroad depot, each
employe shouting the praise of his mas
ter. This talking or shouting never ends
until the convention has acted, but AS the
time for action approaches it becomes less
important. The corner argument and the
secret conference take its place. The talk
ers continue to talk, entertaining each other
and the crowd outside, and keep the at
mosphere in condition, while the proper
parties work on individual delegates and
the managers make secret deals with the
local bosses.
Managers and Principals.
Then the managers try to work upon
each other and the principals deal with
the managers, and in the end few men
only have to come to an agreement to set
tie the whole thing. Meanwhile the bands
play on and the din is kept up. While A
and B. IRE each trying to convince the
other in private conference that the
thing is settled and the other had better
get on to the band wagon, throng Of
AS men will be shouting near by to i'm
press E., and procession CT BIS men will
be marching around the corridors with din
of music and shouts intended to impress
A. Both A. and B. understand each other
and are not impressed. So the game goes
on.
The Moving Crowds.
From the day before the convention until
the last nomination has been made, and
all the tin horns have been turned over to
the victors, sleep is, Of all things, the
least INDUCED In. Each candidate has his
headquarters. Each state delegation have
their headquarters. The headquarters
rooms are the first to be crowded. Then
as the crowd grows 1T overfows through
the corridors, fills all the rooms, blocks
the sidewalks and surges through the
streets from enc hotel which is a political
center to another hotel which is another
political center. 1t is a constantly moving
mass. Dive into 1t and 1t will carry you
the rounds. You can't go any faster than
the current Of the crowd, and you cant
help but go. The only way to stop is to
work out to the edge of the current, climb
ashore at some angle, and then you can
watch the tide sweep by, with big swerves
whirlpools and eddies, as it sweeps into
one headquarters, Whrls out again and
into another. All along the outskirts
hangs the driftwood; obstruc tons occur in
midstream caused by q fist fight or pecu-
iarly heated argument by people of suffi-
cient prominence to attract attention, and
occasionally the stream will be turned out
of it's course or damned entirely by q
big band OF music, finding Judgment in
the middle Of the way. Smaller streams
everywhere are running into or breaking
from mighty current 1nu-or
level of a bar room door will draw Off
stream from the main current until the
tide is damned up and congested about the
bar and flows out again. The roaring of
Niagara Is not more deafenng than is
the aggregation of noises from the crowd
Half dozen bands of music arc in hear
ing at one time; every man. each shouting
something different, Is trying 70 raise his
voice above the music and the senses are
bewildered aid the ear deadened by the
din.
The marching delegations, with music
and banners, cross and recross the stream
or drift along with it, and an infinite va
Iiety of badges and banners give color to
the scene.
Speeches and Debates.
The delegations send their orators to talk
to other delegations. There is nearly al
ways speech being made at each Of the
various state headquarters in favor of one
candidate or another, and perhaps In some
rooms JOINT debates Will be in progress,
the adherents of each side being congested
about the entrance and greeting each point
in their favor with tu1nultuous cheering
Frequently the whole delegation of a state
having candidate will go in body to visit
the headquarters Of the other delegation
Meanwhile the big conspicuous leaders are
working their way in and out holding Sc
cret conferences. starting reports, looking
mysterious, and trying to give to that
mystery an air of secret confidence Dis
cussions, conference and committee meet
ings are being held on every hand, and
there is constant lodging through doors
with an air Of haste and immense import
ance.
The Big Chiefs.
The door to the private room of some
particular big chief may be guarded by
two or three attendants with an air of
grave consequence, while a crowd waits
for some word to leak out from the i'm
portant'' conference, and behind the door
the particular big chief will be alone smok-
ing cigar with his feet on the table or
lying in his trousers and shirt sound
asleep. Here and there runner goes Iodo-
ing, pressing and hustling his way through
the crowd, making haste slowly and breath
lessly. and very important rumors Will run
along with him.
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