Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-14

tons are furnished is fixed, as a rule, ac-
corCiing to precedent, but nearly every
important daily asks for more than it can
have. apparently on principle, and there
are hundreds of papers all told that de-
mand special concessions which must be
granted. Besides the legitimate requests
for press facilities, applications for privi-
leges as reporters and correspondents are
always made by large numbers of indi-
viduals who have no right whatever to ex-
pect them. and these make life nothing less
than a burden to the overworked SER
geant -at-arms from the moment he takes
official charge Of the preliminary conven-
ton details.
The intention on his part always is to
afford every possible facility to news
paper men actually employed to report
the proceedings, but there are physical
can be given to the newspapers, and this
makes the bogus journalists" friends of
the editors of small weeklies and the like
who wish to have seats among the real
correspondents for the fun of it and moth
ing more nuisance pure and simple Lit
orally thousands of this class, some of
them introduced by editors who should
know better, besiege the convention SER
PerfOrce turned down: even We're he in
clined to afford the requested facilities. he
could not do so without Withholding them
from men who are justly entitled to them,
and that would never do.
An Army of Assistants.
alarms We're fully indicated by the fore
going paragraphs he would have a compar-
atively easy time. but his work would be
only partially done were he to stop with
getting the hall in good order and making
the arrangements for the press. Providing
for the comfort and convenience of the DEL
egates is really the most important of all
his tasks This involves arranging the seats
in the body of the hall and the galleries so
that all shall be satisfied. furnishing the
various subcommittee rooms and the like.
There are tickets and badges to be printed
and, though you mightn't think 1t, this Is
a job of no small magnitude. Giving out
the contract for printing the tickets is one
of the first things attended to, it has al
ready been looked after by the republican
sergeant-at-arms of this years convention,
and probably by the corresponding demo-
cratic functionary also. Arrangements have
also to be made by the sergeant-at-arms
with the hotels as to HEADQUARTERS for the
various delegations. dickers have to be en-
tered into with the railroads concerning
rates of fare and the running of special
trains Cordial relations must be cultivated
with the local police and fire departments
and there are almost numberleSs other mat
tiers of detail that the conventions business
manager must see carried through to d sue
cessful finish.
The appointing of assistant sergeants-at-
arms Is by no means one of the least of his
troubles. There generally $50 of these
at least, aDportiOned among the various
saiAh tiie He!iidiiH iOF places on the
staff of the conventions manager is ex-
tremely lively. Nominally he decides who
snail serve, but actually his decisions are
based upon the recommendations of the
delegates. Each of these is almost sure TO
ask for more places than can be given and
the Sergeant-at-arus sometimes has a ha rd
time to avoid making enemies in turning
down those for whom places cannot he
found.
Deputies and DOOrkeepers.
AT first blush you might wonder why anv
one would put up fight to be an assistant
sergeant-at-arms, since no pay not even
expenses. accompanies appointments of this
sort, and some of the appointees at laac.
have to work ike beavers from the begin
ming to the end of the convention helping
to keep things in order. But for the brief
space of time during which the convention
Is in session the assistant sergeant-a ARMS
Is person of some consequence He wears
badge which admits him to all parts of
the convention hall; he is IN great demand
among those In attendance AS one who can
do faVors for his friends and his face is
reasonably sure to become more or lass
familiar to some Of the party magnates
More than one holder of Il petty govern
ment place has made his start on the re-
munerative side of politics by serving as
deputy sergeant-at-arTns at convention
time
After the deputy sergeants-at-arms come
the doOrkeepers- THY Ire not so numer-
Gus as the deputies and their number varies
according to the nature of the hall in which
the gathering Is held. the rule being to ap-
point TWO, one for day service and the