The age-herald., 1900-04-29
GRIDIRON CLUB
 IN CONVENTION Everything Was Arranged in True Convention Style. CORRESPONDENTS HAVE FUN Same Rich Jokes on Prominent Men Were erpetrated-Prinoial Vic-
 tim Was Admiral Dewey
 Platform Was Adopted
CORRESPONDENTS HAVE FUN

Washington, April 2S.-The Gridiron club held national convention tonight, and the Washington correspondents composing that organization scored beat on the parties which will nominate a candidate for the presidency. Over the doors of the banquet hall were the words "Gridiron convention" and everything that followed was on the national convention order in Gridiron style.
 The resemblance to a convention hall was complete. The floral display was also very fine.
 Amid much bunting and floral effect few plainly printed placards, bearing more or less fippant, but applicable lines were numerous.
 Admiral Dewey's headquarters, parlor 1331."
 Hanna, Quay and reform,'' etc. The menu souvenirs were fac-similes of con vention tickets, being handsome and unique and were brought in by two southern delegates" who were alleged to have been trying to sell them on the outside
 There was gentle satire statement by President West that all details, such as the selection of temporary and permanent of1cers, appointment of committees, etc., had all been arranged before hand. Then, what kind of a convention is this?" asked a member of the club.
 "A convention on the Philadelphia plan,'' was the reply. "The delegates have noth- Ing to do but to furnish the enthusiasm"
 Marching Club Appeared
 This seemed, however, to be perfectly satisfactory, for then there appeared the Gridiron Marching club, carrying red white and blue campaign umbrellas and wearing linen dusters. After repeating like college yell, the fact that they were friends of Mckinley, the club marched out and immediately appeared, shouting with equal enthusiasm for Bryan The latest member of the club, Henry G. Kemp, of the Baltimore Sun, was intro- duced as the clubs hero, and entered wearing an admirals uniform. After he had been presented with wreath, a sword and other trifles, he mounted a platform returned his thanks, accepted the nomina- ton and declared himself the peoples candidate At that moment his platform collapsed, and the choir sang with lugu- br1ous effect, There's a Hole in the Bot tom of the Sea-
 There was platform, of course. It was a tumble of nonsensical phrases, patterned after the usual declarations of political conventions, but it was not adopted, a sub stitute being adopted in its place in the shape of a Gridiron platform, made of lit- tie blanks. Governor Roosevelt was im- personated as Rough Rider, with ludri- crous success
 The speeches were excellent, one of the novelties about them being the nomination by some of tn principal speakers of tehm- selves Among the guests who spoke were ex-Senator German, Senators Allison, De- pew, Carter, Hanna, Representatives Allen Dalzell and others.
 Speeches Were Excellent
 The guests included Secretary of state Hay, Secretary Long of the navy Secre- tary of the Interior Hitchcock, Postmast- CT General Emory Smith, MT. A. D. Prov and, member British parliament; Repre- sentatives Allen, Cannon, Dalzell, DeAr- mond, Littlefield Mcclellan, Richardson and Campbell; Lieutenant Governor Woodruff of New York, ex-Governor Fran cis of Missouri, D. M Houser of St. Louis Edward D. Orr of the Dunderwood, J. D. Maddy, William R. Merriam Director of the Census Charles J. Dawes Henry Clay Evans, w. A. Turk H. w. Fuller, Her bert Putnam, librarian of congress-; Gen. eral John M. Brooke, General H. c. Cor bin, Rear Admiral Bradford, Rear Admiral Hichborn, Commander Baird MT. W. H. Thompson, St. Louis.