Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-06-21

Philadelphia, June 20 Chairman
! Hanna, with a rabbits foot suspended
from a miniature of Mckinley in the
! lapel OF his coat, surveyed an imposing
| spectacle when he called the twelfth
republican national convention to order
! in the spacious exposition building in
| West Philadelphia at $3.50 yesterday.
| In the valley below him were crowded
| l,S00 delegates and alteruateS, and
! stretching away to the four corners OF
the immense hall were endless ViStaS Of
people rising in terraced seats to IL,
walls. tie looked into the faces of fully
! $4,000 men and women. and about him
were the working members Of his par
! ~, while behind, among the dignttarieS
| and hOnOred guests of the convention
were the white haired men who had
been present at the party birth in this
! city almost half a century ago 1t was
not riotOuS convention. rhere were
10 wild outbursts of enthusiasm from
! trenzied partisans of rival candidates,
no entrance of delegations with ban
nerS to set the multitudes cheering. no
fierce skirmiShing and clashing of can
! didate managers over the rules of pro-
cedure. The chteftain in the
coming battle had already been
! selected by the unanimous
voice of the republicans of the coun-
! try. He who had stood at the helm of
the ship of state for four years was
! their unbroken choice The platform
was the record of his administration.
| The only question that remained for
the convention to decide was the vice
! presidency and it was not a sufficient
bone of contention to produce the tu-
! multuius scenes which usually attend
the assembling OF national conven-
tons rhe convention was a dignified
| gathering of the representatives of the
republican party to ratify the wishes
if the millions whose authority they
! held. 1t was very undemonstrative at
first. Scattering applause met Hanna
as he made his way to the stage. Gen
eral GrosVenor Senator Lodge, Senator
Foraker, ex-senator Quay and n few
others aroused a lutterng of hand
kerChiets and a sound of handClapping,
but the men Of national reputation en-
tered without producing a ripple. Per
haps most of them were not recog
nized. Just before Chairman Hanna
was ready to drop his gavel, Gov
Roosevelt entered and the vast audi
ence was electrified He Stalked in at
the main door. His rough rider" hat
signalled him out to the craning
multitude. Seemingly the audi
ence had been waiting for him,
and the applause that announced his
appearance swept over the vast amphi-
theater and swelIed into a great roar
as he made his way towards the seats
OF the New York delegation But he
made no acknowledgment Of the Ova-
ton his appearance elected, With hi!
jaw firmly set, he came on trough the
press like a soldier performing duty.
| Fully two minutes it took him to ira
verse the length OF the hall to his place
near the stage. All that time the roar
| followed him, handkerchefs rose and
fell like the wings of gulls over sum
mer sea. But he made no sign that he
realized it was all for him when he
took his seat with his SLOUGH hat still
on, without having glanced to either
side, the people gave 1t up, and the
cheering gradually subsidized But it
| broke afresh moment afterward as a
band started up The Star Spangled
Banner. Roosevelt of all the thou
sands was the first upon his feet, stand
ing erect, like a Norway pine. with I'M
! covered head to the music Of the an
| them. Instantly the whole convention
rose enmasse. as if apologizing for its
| tardiness
This entrance of Roosevelt into the
convention was distinctly the dramatic
| feature Of the session. Then the
wheels began to move, but the con
yentiOn under the spell of his pres
| enCe, could not take its eyes off him.
| During every pause in the proceedings
he was surrounded by delegates and
newspaper men anxious for a word. To
all he gave the same answer. He was
not a candidate and did not want the
nomination. Chairman Hanna's re
ceptiOn when he called the convention
TO order and later when he made a
speech, was fiattering in the extreme,
| and the smile on his face expressed
the pleasure it gave him. But the
JOY he experienced over his own re-
ception seemed nothing as compared
with the delight be manifested which
for the first time he mentioned the
presidents name. The convention
went off like rocket. The applause
was deafening. Hannas face was a
picture 1t was wreathed in smiles
He showed the ecstacy Of joy he felt
over the storm OF approval he had
raised
The address Of Senator Wolcott. tenn
pOrary chairman, followed. Time and
again his hearers broke into cheers
as he spoke Of the present prosperity
Of the country, and predicted McKin-
ley's triumphant reelection. And
when he declared the democratic party |
mad been driven by the events OF 1