The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-15

manager must see carried through TO
successful finish.
The appointing of assistant sergeants-
alarms is by no means one of the least
of his troubles. There are generally 100 of
these a least, apportioned among the va
rious states, aud the demand for places
on the staff of the conventions manager
is extremely lively. Nominally he decides
who shall serve, but actually his decis-
ions are based upon the recommendation
of the delegates. Each of these is almost
sure to ask for more places than can be
given. and the sergeant some
times has a hard time to avoid making
enemies in turning down those for whom
PAGES can not be found.
At first blush you might wonder why
anyone would put up a fight to be an as
sistant serg eant-at-arms, since no pay,
not even expenses, accompanies appoint
ments of this sort, and seine of the APP
pontees, at least, have to work like beaV-
ers from the beginning of the end of the
convention, helping to keep things in or
der. But for the brief space of time dur
ing which the convention is in session the
assistant sergeant-at-arms is a person of
some consequence. He wears a badge
which admits him to all parts Of the con
vention hall; he is in great demand among
those in attendance as one who can 40
favors for his friends and his face is
reasonably sure to become more or less
familiar to some of the party magnates.
More than one holder of petty government
place has made his start on the remun-
rative' side of politics by serving as depu-
ty seargeant-at-arms at convention time.
After the deputy sergeant-at-arms
comes the doork eepers They are not
so numerous as the deputies and their
number varies according to the nature of
| the hall in which the gathering is held,
| the rule being to appoint two, one for
day service and the other for night ser
| vice, for each door. They are drawn from
| the ranks of those generally known as
'henchmen, though the term is not used
| here in any behttleing sense. The door
| keepers, like the deputies, serve without
pay and for similar CONSIDERATIONS; their
| facilities for making themselves known to
| the real powers in the party are not much
| less than those afforded the deputy SER
| geants-at-arms but they have less chance
| to see the fun on the floor of the hall be-
| cause their duties keep them outside at
| the doors much of the time. 1t Is possible
| however for the clever doorkeeper to slip
| inside some of the time, and. Of course,
| the day man can see the proceedings of
| the night sessions, and vice versa.
| He Serves for the Glory of 1t.
| As might be conjectured, the sergeant
| alarms has to have many other assist
| ants besides those who help while the con-
| vention is actually in session. In the
| weeks of his preliminary labors he has TO
| transact as much business as the manager
| of one of our greater commercial enter
| prises, and this requires typewriters
| bookkeepers, messengers, clerks and all
| round assistants of several grades. 1t al
| so requires rather extensive office facili-
| ties and D. c. Wiswell of Wisconsin,
| who will be sergeant-at-arms of the Re-
| publican convention this year has already
| chosen his headquarters at one of the
| Philadelphia hotels.
When the convention is al hand he has
| likewise to engage a corps of watchmen
| and scrubwomen to keep the big building
| in apple-pie order
| Though he is kept constantly busy all
| through the weeks of preparation his real
| rush doesn't come till the first day of the
| convention. From then till the adjourn
| ment he is the most harassed and put
upon man in the whole country, and If
| he isn't a physical wreck by the time the
| gathering disperses it's because he is
| blessed with an iron constitution.
| Unlike the deputy sergeants- t-arms
| and the dOorkeepers, the office help, mes
| sengers, watchmcn and scrubwomen are
| paid for their services, but the sergeant
| alarms himself receives no direct pay
| His expenses are borne by the committee
but he goes through all the work and
| worry of getting the convention prelin!
| naries into shape and keeping the crowds
| in good order during its sessions for the
| honor there is in it, and the wide ac-
quaintance 1t will give him among the
| prominent men of his own party. Be
cause OF. these things the place is in great
| demand every four years, and some of
the hvelest fights in the history of the
two national committees have been waged
| over the conflicting claims of various cam
| didates.
| The sergeant-at-Nrms Of the Democratic
| Convention will not begin his preliminary
| work this year, until sometime in May
| the Democratic Convention being held
| more than two weeks later than the Re
publican gathering, and the work TO be
| done on the Kansas City Hall being of
| less magnitude than on the one in Phil
| adelphia. The convention sergeant-at-
arms always has the friendly assistance
| of the sergeant-at-arms CT the National
| Committee. Col. II. l. Swords now dep
| uty, collector of customs in New York,
has held that post with the Republican
| Committee for a number of campaigns,
| while James Oliver OF Paradise Park"
in the city of New York has held the
same place with the Democratic Commit
| tee Each OF these men knows every
| important leader in the party we'll, and
| is therefore able TO give invaluable point
ers to the convention sergeant-at-arms
| Mr.. Oliver will not assist the sergeant
alarms this year, however, having de-
termined to spend the summer In Alaska.
| This years National Democratic Conven-
ton will be the first he has missed for
| many years.
The local expenses of a National Con-
vention. which are directly controlled by
| the sergeant-at-arms, make up only
| fraction of the total sums such gather
! ing puts into circulation. There are nearly
| 1000 delegates and many alternates,
making 1000, while the assistant sergeants-
alarms doorkeepers, messengers and
correspondents will swell the essential at
| tendance to 1900. Besides, there are
probably 1000 visitors daily. and If each
| Of the resulting 1900 spends 500 for hotel
| bills and the like while the convention
is in session the total Is $500, 900, Add rail-
road fare. news telegrems and other in
| cdentals and the grand total can't well
| be less than a million. Some estimates
| by men who have attended many National
| Conventions, place II at a much higher
| figure.