Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-08-12
Pen Picture of Convention
John Temple Graves in Atlanta Constitution

No one who sat through the eleven
hour all night session of the Democrat
lie convention of 1904 is ever likely to
forget.
1t was without a precedent in Incl
dent in dramatic intensity and will be
historic in results.
L. is doubtful if such a succession
of vivid scenes and powerful incidents
have ever occurred in n political assem-
bly, in America
Let us understand the scene. The
Coliseum is an immense oblong build
ing, capable of seating 10 600 people,
and, with the floor space filled, perhaps
Il 900. just in front of the speakers
stand sat the regular delegates to the
convention, a thousand strong. This
body numbered about one twelfth or at
b. st one tenth, of the great aSsemblage.
This vast audience was not made up
of the rabble nor void Of purely local
organ. They were well dressed men
ard women of the highest order of wit
and intelligence, rs was evidenced by
the many brilliant comments and qaes-
tiOns hurled from time to time at the
speakers and the officers of the con-
vention There were 200 Georgians
there, 500 Texans. about 700 Nebrask
ans, while Illinois and Indiana and
Kansas had several thousand each.
Scarcely more than half the audience
was from Missouri, aud in its caliber,
its interest. its zeal, its patient wait
Ing and its genial wit, it was as repre-
sentative an American audience as has
been assembled anywhere.
From first to last it was a battle
royal of delegates against audience.
Solid, compact, level, and with minds
fixed, the phalanX of thousand dele
gates occupied the center of the Coli
scum. In this rank the reOrganlZers
were in full control. They stormed lit
tie and applauded seldom, and when
they moved they moved with unbrOken
ranks and unchanged expression of
loyalty for that which they had come
to do. But the vast audience. mighty
multitude, rising tier ON tier TO the last
gallery and stretching far out into the
wide wings, packed and damned with
representative men and women of the
American demacracy-this mighty
crowd was heart and soul with the
minority of the regulars on the floor.
Bryan and Hearst were it's idols, and
for every defeat administered to their
leaders on the floor by the majority the
IA 900 auditors consoled them with
thunders OF applause and tempests OF
cheers. There delegates were for Par
ker, but the audience was ready to fol
low Bryan or Hearst or Cockrell to any
charge or assault. Parker's men had
the votes, but the sea of popular senti
ment surged and Numbered about the
idols of the old democracy.
Etouon h0nro Of onnSaonf We sOaa mo
from 7:30 p. m. to $50 a. m.-lasting
from twilight to snnrise--with scarcely
a seat deserted or a moment without
it's passion of enthusiasm.
Parker's forces were handled with
consummate skill and firmness. They
never lost point nor missed an OPP
portunity.
The briIliancy and resourcefulneSs
of the opposition was simply superb,
but it's indefinite legi0ns always recoil
ed from the stone wall Of perfect Or
ganization before it.
COckrell of Missouri, had in volume
of scenic effect the ovation of the con
vention. Nothing in the history OF
conventions ever equaled the thrilling
and suggestive beauty OF that sea of
ten thousand flags waving in the wildly
enthusiastic hands of men and women
of Missouri. 1t filled the amphitheater
with the glory of the flag and the good
name of the brave old senator.
CuriOusly enough, these spangled
weapons of enthusiasm were captured
by accident from the Parker equip
ment, and their premature use spoil.
ed the closing scene of the Parker tri-
umph. The flags, about 10000 in
number, had been procured by the
Parker men, and had just been distrib.
uted with instructions TO wave them
when Parker was nominated.
Champ Clark, in nominating Cock
rell, shot this electric sentence into the
air.
"Talk about the courage of the re-
publican president! Old Cockrell is
Drawer than ROOSEVELT"
And then pandemonium broke loose.
The audience which seemed to be for
anybody except Parker, joined the
Z 600 Missouri enthusiasts in frenzy
of rapturous demonstration. Forget
ting instructions, every Parker flag was
nnfurled, and such sea of color and
glory and enthusiasm as no American
audience ever saw before surged and
resurged and rolled and rolled again
over the floor and through the galleries
of the famous coliseum.
The gallant old Missourian must be
credited with the finest and most spec.
tacular popular demon tration ever
made over an American citizen-even
if he did steal Parker's tllunder to get
it.
F The ovation to Parker, following mp |
On Littleton 3 nomination., lasted thlr- |
ty one minutes 1t had the large ma
j 1riLy of delegates massed in front of |
the Speaker. The scene WAS superb |
Tie blended flags, the joined emhlenls,
the marching ranks ui Delegates, the
thunder of cheers, were all there.
GeorgiH, ever at the fore, bore he ba..-
ner-the most beautiful Of illifar in
front of the procession, and finally,
with southern gs.iiantry, carried it to
the central box, where sat Mrs. Charles
Hall, of New York, and to whom
Chairman Gray gracefully presented it
to be moved by her own hands at the
of her fathers nomination.
Mrs. Hall was one to be loved with de
light.
The ovation to William Randolph
Hearst lasted thirty-six minutes-t five
longer than the demOnstra-
ton over Juege Parker, and equal in
every attribute of intensity and en-
thusiasm to that event.
1t was one of the wonders of the con-I
While not nearly so many of
the delegates participated. it's strength
Ind persistency, even upon the floor,
was remarkable, and the same march
ng and waving of flags and emblems
made it memorable. But anything
,he great editor may have lacked upon
he floor was more than compensated
Dy the magnificent demonstration up
IN the part of the vast audience about
him. Saving CockreIl's local strength,
he was easily and overwhelmingly the
'avorite of the 1000 representati We
for the presidency. And
hey gent back to his marching and
shouting friends upon the floor roll
ng volume OF Numbered enthusiasm
which eclipsed the Parker roar az the
,cean does the gulf. 1t was the mag
lificent tribute of American democrat
~ TO one who had been the proven
friend and champion OF the people, and
t was joy to his friends to see in this
splendid and spontaneous demonstra-
inn the vindica tiOn IF . rroat nd ue. |