The morning times., 1896-06-14

as provided. A great deal of space for
spectators. in addition to that reserved
for the delegates, is always provided at u
national convention. but the demand Il
ways outrnnS the supply, and the sergeant
alarms is dead sure to make enemies as
well as friends in the dispensing OF his fl
yors. There is trouble also in the appoint
ing OF his assistants. These men get no
pay. and are obliged to work hard in seat
ing and otherwise providing for the COM
fort OF the delegates and spectators at each
session of the convention. But by reason
Of such free service they are enabled To be
present at the convention as insiders
where they can become known to Il large
number Of men of their own party. Con
sequently. although the number of assist
ants is large. there are always many more
applicants than there are places, and a
large proportion of those who apply and
fail are ever afterward at swords points
with the man who could not find places
for all. Still, most sergeant-at-arms get
through their service without suffering
anything worse than worry of mind and
WEAKNESS OF the flesh.
1t Is recorded that one OF them. however,
who was suspected OF issuing admission
tickets to men who agreed to yell for his
favorite candidate. was hardly used by Il
national committeeman who had favor
lite candidate of his own The sergeant-at-
al iiS was Hol oHIt CudTEe0 WIN lettlng n
too many OF his own faith. but also of dis
honoring tickets issued by he national COM
nntteeinan in question. At meeting of
one or the subcommittee of the convention
the matter was talked out. and the sergeant
alarms, who was present, said that the
accusations made against him were lies.
At this the committeeman who had made
the charges. fathered them. More than that,
he defended them with his umbrella which
he wrecked. at the same time spelling the
hat and niarring the face of the offending
officer. The committeeman was arrested
next day, but be w;ls never fined or i'm.
prisoned. Mr.. T. E. Byrnes OF Minneapolis,
the current incumbent of the place, has no
fear of similar experience.
a CONVENTION REMIMsCENCE.
So many stories of impressive scenes in
national conventions have recently been
printed that the "reminiscences of most old
timers would hardly be in place here. Yet
some of the stories related here within the
last day or two have not lately been heard
One of the most interesting. perhaps, was
told this morning by the Hon. Thomas l..
James. eX-Postmaster General. 1t was the
story of the Democratic convention that
nominated Martin Van Buren, in 1913. He
had already served as President, but was
defeated that year. 1t was not national
convention. but convention of New York
State "free soil'' Democrats who had bolt
ed from the Baltimore convention that
nominated Lewis Cass. only to be defeated
at the polls. Samuel Young presided. and
the convention was held in a Methodist
church in Utica. Among those present
were James W. Nye, afterward United
States Senator from Nevada; James R Doc
little. later United States Senator from
Wisconsin,; Samuel j. Tilden, John Van
Buren-"PrInce johnson OF Martin Van
Buren,; j NJ. Francis, afterward a foreign
minister; Preston W. King. B. F. Butler
not the general. but Attorney General under
Jackson and Van Buren-and others who
afterward rose to great prominence.
at was my first convention" said Gen.
James In telling the story, land was
greatly impressed by it. We did not ex-
pect that the nominee would win, nor did
he-indeed, he did not carry single State.
He was renominated at the national conyen-
ton held In Buffalo later the same year,
and the detection caused by his running
defeated Cass and elected Zachary Taylor,
the Wing candidate, When We had riom-
mated Van Buren,, Mr.. Tilden proposed three
cheers, which were given with a will, They
awoke drunken man who had been sleep.
ing in the gallery and he got up and shouted,