The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-22

Chicago, June 22.-The Republican
national convention met again at noon.
Yesterday was Elihu Roots day. This
was Speaker Cannon's.
The day was fawless, clear sunshine,
q fresh breeze from the lake, and tenn
perature was IS. The delegates spent
most of the morning out of doors be-
fore the hotels on the lake front, where
many of the state headquarters are.
Senators and governors lined up along
the curb with ordinary folk or walked
up and down watching equipages on
the drive or looking at the sails out
side the breakwater.
What a holiday this convention is. =
remarked Senator Depew to his near
neighbors, who happened to he Cover
nor Durbin. of Indiana, and Represen-
tatfve Hull, of Iowa. I feel quite as
though as I were at the sea shore with
nothing to do except be idle and look
at the water"
1T is not strenuous" said Mr.. Hull
''but always interesting. A national
convention seems to me more express
sive of the peculiar genius of our peo-
pie than any other institution. A con-
vention is always unique. For one to
be dull is an impossibility"
This scrap of dialogue represents the
way most delegates and spectators look
upon the convention. It might give the
observer a leeener sensation if it were
a combat and yet have no suggestive
character.
1T is the kind of gathering I would
be willing to exhibit to the diplomatic
corps" said Representative Watson, of
Indiana, in the curbstone parliament,
land I am sorry Sir Mortimer Durand
III a
ing the convention. He would have
seen a thoughtful. cheerful, orderly
coming together of every American and
colonial type, and in some of the dele
gates, the ambassador would have seen
also how we assimilate men of foreign
birth so that you can not distinguish
between citizens of home and foreign
origin
A band engaged by the Pennsylvania
delegation gave a concert during the
morning. Ladies visited the headauar-
ters in the hotels with flowers, OK called
to get autographs of statesmen or just
to see them from a distance. The turn
out of carriages and automobiles was
extraordinarily large. One session a
day of the convention gives plenty OF
time for other engagements, and there
were several late breakfasting parties
visitors list half as large as the mem
bership.
No one is in quite as much of a
hurry to go to the coliseum as or
Tuesday. The ease with which every
cardholder got his seat yesterday and
the care the assistant sergeants-at t
arms took to secure to every one its
privileges caused a more leisurely prog
ress toward the hall today. Besides
that, the doors We're opened half ar
hour later, at II o'clock instead of 10. 80
Many delegates walked the mile separ-
ating the coliseum from the hotel dis
trict. They found the hall brilliant
Fresh flowers were on the rostrum
Eparrows were twittering among. the
girders overhead. The band in the
stand up near the birds played nationa
airs.
Called to Order.
At 1927 o'clock Temporary Chair
man Root raped for order directing
the delegates to take their seats anC
ordering the aisles cleared. Thi.
latter order was not obeyed witt
sufficient celerity to please the chair.
man and he directed the assistant ser
geants-at-arms to see that the aisle!
wer0 cleared. second specific di
rection from the chairman directed
toward the delegates. IN the centei
afsles, brought the convention to or
der Chairman Root then introduced
Rev. Thomas f. Cox of the Holy Nam,
cathedral of Chicago, who delivered
the following invocation:
Prayer of Rev. L. z. Cox.
eOur father who art in heaven W,
thank thee for the opportunities of thi
day In all humility we adore tn.
sovereign majesty. To thee we look 70
grace and guidance. In thy hands ar
the destinies of nations, thy providenc
enters into the careers of man. Their
IS no just power but from thee. TIL.
viii is the sole source of law and goo
government.