West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-07-12
THE NATIONAL
DEMOCRACY.
Scenes and Incidents Of the Great
Gathering in the West.
The Nomination OF Bryan by Aeclama,
tion-The Convention Goes Wild
For Over an Hour.
The Eloquent Speech OF Webster Davis,
Who RenOunces Republication.
ecial correspondence Of Tmx ARGUS.

| io-uay mas been a cool one in
Kansas City, SO far as the weather
has been concerned and the roasting
every one was expecting when they
came here, has not been realized.
There has been strong wind blow
ing nearly all the time since | have
been here, and it is quite amusing
to watch the eastern and southern
visitors chasing their light straw
and crash hats about the streets.
All the talk about Kansas CITY
hotel and restaurant keepers putting
up exorbitant prices is all bosh, and
does them great injustice, for so
far as i have been able to investi-
gate, the prices for board and lodg-
ing are no higher than they are in
any other city. Every one have
talked with from the east, is loud in
their praise of Kansas City hospi-
tally and the uniformly courteous
manner she has treated the strangers
within her gates during the Con-
vention.
The Convention Hall itself, at
hrst glance, looks crude and imper-
feet, but this is only in its external
ornamentation of cornice and col
umn. The substantial elements are
complete and ready to house the
delegates and legion of on lockers
IN one of the most perfect Conven-
ton halls ever offered to the gather
ing OF great party. The stars and
stripes snap proudly from hundred
STATS along the gable and at inter
walls surrounding the entire build.
ing. There are hundreds of these
flags topping the structure, giving
an idea of its vaslness, $40 feet long
and 1913 feet wide.
Squads of policemen were early
on the ground, keeping back the
crowds and maintaining quiet.
There was little disorder, however,
for the crowds were good natured,
and their patriotism was tempered
with discretion.
The interior of the building pre-
sented gorgeous spectacle of color
alike, tribute to the patriotic SEN
tlment of the day and to the party
about to assemble in convention.
The disposal of flags, bunting and
shields is quite effective, but here
there is too great a spread and tan
gle of steel to be subdued by pa
trotic devices. The great steel
roof, supported by massive Orders,
is partly obscured by flags looped
into rosettes.
The same scheme of flag rosettes,
makes rim of color for the gallery
forty feet above, sweeping entirely
around the hall. Lower down, the
front of another gallery is flaming
with the coats of arms of forty-six
States and Territories, with here and
there long streamers caught up into
bows and rosettes.
There are ten magnificent Ameri.
can flags, each 81 feet long, which
are canopied from the top of the
building to the sides, two of these
aanking the Chairman's platform
like the wings of stage.
The auditorium is shaped like a
graceful bowl, with the presiding
officers almost in the center, while
the seats rise tier on tier on every
side back to the remotest corner of
the building.
The sensation of the afternoon
session Thursday was the speech of
Hon. Webster Davis, formerly AS
sistant Secretary of the Interior.
He was introduced Immediately af-
ter the adoption of the platform, and
made the best speech that has been
made in the Convention up to this
time. He renounced the Republi-
can party and came out squarely for
Bryan and the whole Democratic
platform, and was gwen one of the
greatest ovations that any man has
received here, not excepting Hill.
who has been a favorite all along.
Davis lives here, and the people
are proud of him, this being
strongly Democratic county, but the
Republicans say he left their party
in order to get chance to 20 to
Congress, as he would never have
a chance Of being elected on their
ticket. On this point / will not ex
press an opinion, but from what
could see Of him, and was quite
near him while speaking, he seemed
to be sincere in his conversion to
Democracy.
Bryan is here and will address
the Convention to morrow, Friday.
He was nominated by reclamation
this evening amid the greatest en-
thusiasm The scene in the hall
when he was nominated was one