Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-04
SCENES IN CONVENTION HALL.
Weather Very Warm. hut No Lack of
Enthusiasm.

Enthustasm.
Special From n STAFF Correspondent.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July 4.-Confusion is
the feature of the situation in Kansas City
today. 1t Is difficult to draw picture of
the situation. 1t would be mere tumble
of colors in harmonies and contrasts. This
is true of political as well as all other con-
ditions. Friction. irritation, uncertainty
reign in politics. Heat, crowding and con-
fusion are the physical characteristics of
the day. Under a cloudless sky, BLAIR
ing sun, famed by the hot winds of the
southwestern plains, scorches the thousands
of people that crowd the streets, moving
aimlessly along amid babel of noise. The
faithful populist democracy of Kansas, Ne
braska and Missouri have descended upon
the town like a swarm Of locusts. Coatless,
coIarless. hats in hand, thew perspire their
way along. hot and tired. but with enthusi-
asm unquenched. Never hesitating to raise
cheer when Bryan's name is mentioned,
they keep the welkin ringing with tumultu-
GUS uproar The Fourth of July accompani-
ment Of giant crackers and other explosives
adds to the hilarity of the occasion. The
masses OF humanity assembled move in
great currents through the hotel Hobbies
and halls. Here and there in little eddies
to one side the leaders of the delegations
pause and discuss the prospect for the day.
None of them can tell at this hour much
about 1t. When the day began the vice pres
fdency was still open and the question of
platform declaration was undecided. No one
could tell whether the leaders could get
together and shape the financial plank in
committee. or whether the fight would be
taken into the convention. Mutterings of
discomfort over the unhorsing of David B.
lists and silver republicans hummed
through the delegations in an ominous mon
otone.
Warm I'm the Hall.
1t pretty warm in the hall, and the
male portion of the audience in the general
galleries promptly shucked their coats,
while the waving of countless fans be-
tokened the presence Of the ladies.
The first delegation to enter was Califor-
mia, followed by Hawaii whose delegates
carried a banner inscribed in Hawaiian
language. The Californians each had a
small American flag and made a bright
spot in the center of the delegates section.
The entire interior was bright with bunting
and the national colors draped every cor
nice and gallery.
1t was nearly IL o'clock before the people
were admitted to the Convention Hall. and
then for an hour or more they thronged In
and packed the great structure to the
limit. The hall is a substantial structure
with generous arrangements for seating the
multitudes. There are three galleries, the
first containing twenty-five tiers of seats
running up high a barn Above
the other galleries with lessenng numbers
of tiers.
The principal trouble is that one-half of
the audience, including the newspaper cor
respondents. are back OF the chairman's
platform.
BY the time the building was two-thirds
full the band began to warm up the crowd.
After Dixie had been played couple of
times. the audience were sufficiently en-
Unused to give up shout on slight provoca-
ton. Exactly at IL o'clock Chairman
Jones called the convention to order. A
good old-fashioned Methodist prayer was in
progress from the chaplain, when a stray
band wandered into the building playing
''On the Banks of the Wabash" The band
went ahead with its tune. marching around
the hall, and the business of the convention
was suspended until the band was salts
fed.
While the mayor of Kansas City well
coined the convention in speech on hui
man liberty, the house continued to fill and
there was not a seat nor foot of stand
Ing room which was not occupied by hui
man beings when the temporary chair
mans gavel fell There are 1900 seats in
the hall. all told. but very large portion
OF them are beyond earshot of the rostrum.
The first demonstration of the day was
given in honor Of d. b. Hill of New York.
When he entered the hall he was recog-
niZed, and shouts Of Hill. HILL" went up
from all over the hall. swelling into a roar
which filled the place for several minutes.
Audience Famed and Gossiped.
For nearly three-quarters of an hour the
audience famed and gossiped and looked
over the scene, while Governor Thomas of
Colorado, temporary chairman, read a
speech in a tone inaudible 100 feet away.
The spectacle however, presented by the
presence of 1900 people in the magnificent
auditorium. rising tier upon tier from floor
to ceiling, was sufficient to attract the at
tention Of the assemblage.