The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-29

Washington. April 2S.-The Gridiron
club held a national convention tonight,
and the Washington correspondents
composing that organization scored a
beat on the parties which will nomi-
nate candidates for the presidency.
There was general satire in the state
ment Of President West that all details,
such as the selection of temporary and
permanent officers, appointment of
committees. etc, had all been arranged
beforehand.
Then what kind of a convention is
this?'' asked a member of the club.
"A convention on the Philadelphia
plan" was the reply. The delegates
having nothing to do but to furnish the
enthusiasm
This seemed, however, to be perfectly
satisfactory, for then there appeared
the GridirOn marching club, carving
red, white and blue campaign um-
brellas, and wearing linen busters
After repeating. like a college yell, the
fact that they were friends of McKin-
ley. ire club marched out and imme-
0iately appeared, shouting with equal
enthusiasm for Bryan. The Marching
club was preceded by two musicians
playing fife and drum in true cam
paign style.
Dewey's Platform Collapsed.
The latest member of the club, Henry
C. Kemp Of the Baltimore Sun, was in
roduced as the clubs hero, and entered
wearing an admiral's uniform. After
he had been presented with a wreath,
a sword and other trifies, he mounted
platform, returned his thanks, accept
ed the nomination and declared himself
the peoples candidate At that mo-
ment his platform collapsed, and the
choir sang, with lugubrious effect,
There's a Hole In the Bottom of the
Sea -
The April dinner of the club was
based on the convention idea Over the
doors TO the banquet hall were the
words, "GridirOn convention" and
everything that followed was on the
national convention order in Gridiron
style.
The idea of a convention was carried
out in the elaborate decorations The
paneled oak ceiling and the mirrored
walls Of the banquet room were swath-
ed in flags and bunting, while at in
tervals along the tables were stats and
banners. bearing the names and coats
Of dIIIe of the states. The resemblance
to a convention hall was complete.
Fine Floral Display.
The floral display was also very fine.
There was a delicious fragrance of
strong blossoms in the room as well as
a glory of color to delight the eye.
Amid so much bunting and floral effects
few plainly printed placards, bearing
more or less flippant but appropriate
legends were conspicuous.
Admiral Dewey's Headquarters
Parlor 151; Hanna, Quay and Reform, %
etc.
The menu souvenirs were fac SMILES
Of convention tickets, being handsome
and unique, and We're brought in by
two southern delegates who were
alleged TO have been trying to sell them
on the outside
There was a platform, Of course. II
was tumble of nonsensical phrases
patterned after the usual extravaganza
declarations of political conventions
but it was not adopted, a substitute
being adopted in the shape OF a gridiror
platform. made Of little planks. Gov
ernor Roosevelt was impeTSOnated as q
rough rider, with great success.
Excellent Speeches Made.
The speeches were excellent, one o1
the novelties about them being the
nomination by some of the principal
speakers of themselves
Among the guests who spoke were ex-
Senator German, Senators Allison, De-
pew, Carter, Hanna, and Representa-
tives Allen and Dalzell
The guests included Secretary OF
State Hay, Secretary Long of the navy
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock
Postmaster General Smith, Mr.. A. D
Provand, NJ. P: Colonel Jay L. Torrey
of Wyoming, Mr.. Thomas F. Walsh OF
Colorado. Mr.. Hugh c. Wallace, Ia
coma, Wash, and many senators and
representatives and others prominent
in official life.