Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-14
FOR REPUBLICAN HOSTS
Philadelphia's Plans For the
Great National Convention.
A LARGE CROWD Is EXPECTED.

of Marching Clubs to Be Held.
Preparations for the Republican ma
tional convention, which will soon as
semblc at Philadelphia. are nearly conf
plete. 1t will be a great Republican
love feast, but it is now seen that. al
though its business could be transacted
in one day, if that were thought neces-
sary, or in two at the most, the mana
gers have agreed that it shall last three
days, says the New York Post. No
provisions are made for holding night
sessions, which will prevent hurrying
through the convention work, while at
the same time the town is alive with
plans for the political entertainment
of delegates and guests outside the con-
vention hall. On Monday evening,
June Is, there will be a great parade
of marching clubs from every part of
the country. Word has been received
in Philadelphia that the Cook County
Republican club of Chicago alone Will
bring 500 men, coming in its own spe-
cal train, with 4 band of 80 pieces.
Philadelphia seems likely to prove a
good convention city. The great build
ing erected for the National Export ex-
position on the west bank of the
Schuylkill has been made into a cOnven-
ton hall, and it is the testimony of
those who have attended conventions
for 20 years that better facilities were
never provided. although there have
been larger halls. The architect of the
interior seems to have been n politician
as we'll as n craftsman. He has brought
the platform surprisingly near the CEN
ter of the hall, SO as to give an enor-
nous range of stage seats" as the
chairs on the ascent TO the back of the
presiding officer are customarily called.
stage seats" are peculiar and much
coveted honor. These will differ from
others in the hall in the sharpness of
the ascent which the floor beneath
them makes from the pit where the
delegates and alternates sit, so that the
occupants of this part of the house will
get view of the spectacular features
of the gathering quite unsurpassed.
They will not be able to hear SO we'll;
they will be looking at the back of the
orators head, getting what may be
termed IAN unfamiliar view" of our
great statesmen.
1t is inevitable that this hall should
be hot. In spite of the openings for
ventilation over the greater part of the
space nothing but the roof lies between
the assemblage and the rays of the
sun. which, with $1,000 closely packed
human beings, each possessed of a tenn
perature of 9S.G degrees, ought to in
sure n startling elevation of the 'mer-
curry thereabout. The chairs are not
models of comfort either. They are the
simplest thing that could be made and,
fortunately, unvarnished. for it goes
without saying that in the cost of any
article of which so many had to be pur-
chased the difference of only few
cents would count greatly in the total.
AS it is, about $500 will have been
expended in putting the hall into read
mess for the convention. Whether this
sum will come out of the 100000 Of
fered by the city of Philadelphia or be
IN addition to it seems not yet to be de-
cided. The city has raised the round
sum and will do the best 1t can toward
paying the other expenses. but may not
be able to pass over the check without
some few bills for the national COM
mittee to settle.
While it seemed like an act of ex-
money for the privilege of holding n
political ratification meeting in Phiia
delphia. it now appears TO have been n
very shrewd piece OF business. Every
man who gave $25 gets n ticket for
hall no larger than this. in n great city
on the Atlantic seaboard which is in
the center of an enormous population,
i; al
apolis or st. Louis, the rivalry to get
into the convention will be intense,
and the price of seats, it is predicted,
may go up to nearly the SO mark. Ten
thousand people in Philadelphia alone,
it is estimated. have made up their
minds to attend the convention The
thousands upon thousands who will
come as marching clubs and other po-
litical organizations would be unwill-
| ing to go home without attending at
| least the sessions of one day. OF course
there viii be many tickets to give
away, for each national committeeman
| is entitled TO % and each delegate to
two, in addition to his own, but most
of these will be taken by persons who
come to Philadelphia on invitation to
accept and occupy them. The great
army of people who arrive in Philadel-
phia unprovided will have to look to
the curbstOne vendors, and their sup
plies will be drawn from somewhat
limited sources. Besides having tickets
at their disposal of a commercial value
not much below the 100000 which
Philadelphia offered, this city win reap
q rich harvest from the entertainment
Of so many people and the advertise
ment which the presence of strangers
from all parts OF the country always
gives to the institutions of. a town.
The convention hall in Philadelphia
is well supplied with cafes, so that
the crowds need not return to the heart
of the city for a midday meal. Bar
Der shops and newsstands have al
ready been established on the grounds,
which with an army Of rander-s of NJ