Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-06-17
BIG MEETING BEGINS
Republican National Convention Con-
venes at Chicago.
DELEGATES SLOW IN GATHERING
Enormous Convention Hall Resplen-
dent with Color.
OHIO MEN GIVEN FROrT SEATS
Many Guests Of Note as Party
Deliberatioies .
MUCH ENTHUSIASM MA. 2. D
Temporary Chairman BurrowS
Address, Cheered ON by re-
sands---Gay Decorations
and vast Host.
Enormous Convention Hall Resplen'
dent with Color.
OHIO MEN GIVEN FRovT SEATS
MUCH ENTHUSIASM MA.

enormous convention nan were tntoWh
open at 1870 O'Clock and the first OF the
visitors. delegates and alternates began to
filter IN. High up In the girders OF the
great arching roof band struck up
America" and the first scene Of the 1903
gathering was under way. The decorating
scheme In the hall was purely patriotic
one. with gracefully draped flags predomi-
mating The decorations were not over
done. being confined practically entirely
to the balcony and stage.
The floor showed only the delegate seats
and the state standards-while bits of card
board at the top OF the slender iron posts
rising some eight feet from the floor.
Women were largely represented in tthe
tirst of the arriving throrgs and took a
lively interest In the incidents Of the
opening.
The band kept the air gay with patriotic
music. "DixieH calling out the first ripple
of applause. Then came the Red. White
and Blue" and In the excitement Of the
Occasion the crowd rose to its feet The
move was a little previous, however. for
the strains OF "The star-Spangled Banner
were soon waited from the balcony and
there was an outburst OF applause and
cheering.
First ON the Platform.
Senators Hepburn and Berah of Idaho
and Representative Boutelle of Illinois were
the first platform guests TO arrive. on
the platform also, prepared to take up his
responsible duties. was Asher Kinds, the
parliamentarian.
The visitors section filled more rapidly
than the floor. but the balcony crowds were
slow in recognizing the more important
men among the stream OF arrivals.
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew made his
way quietly to place in the New York
section to the right and front of the plat
form Senator Keap OF New Jersey was
recoe nized In the midst of throng of new.
comers
Fifteen minutes before the hour set for
calling the convention to order. the dele
gate sections were not half filled. but the
music of marching bands IN the street
poured into the hall and the parading
hosts We're at hand. Fairly overwhelm-
ing the large and efficient corps OF door
keepers and ushers the delegates from
a score of states crowded into their places
Notable CHESTS Attend.
The notable guests on the speakers
platform were slow in arriving The
first to appear were Ambassador and
Nine. Jussetand OF France. who soon were
followed by others of the diplomatic corps
to whom the president had allotted
twenty-five seats.
Among the other distinguished persons
on The platform were Mr. and Mrs. E. II
Gary OF New York. Hon. Daniel Ransdell
sctgeant-at-arms of the senate; Mrs. Franz
o. Lowdcn and Right Rev P. ]. Muldoon
bishop of Chicago; Mrs. Julius c. Bur
rows. Mrs. Medill Mccormick of Chicago
Rev. Or. John Wesley Hin and wife Chi
a n
OF the Treasury Leslie NJ. Shaw, Mr.. an'
Mrs Donald McLane Of New York, Ben
iamm Ide Wheeler of California.
Mrs. Nicholas Longworth and Mrs
Timothy l.. Woodruff also occupied con
spicuous places on the platform.
IL was nearly ~ o'clock when Ambas
saeor and Mrs Bryce OF Great Britain
reached the hall. Both ambassadors an'
their wives were the recipients OF mucl
attention. Conspicuous among the diplo
mats was Minister Wu Ting Fang OF China
ohto Mt Front of staEe.
In locating the delegations in the body o
the convention hall Ohio was given tn
front of the stage as compared to all 9th
ers which have candidates. The men fron
the home state of the secretary OF war wer
4. placed Immediately in front of the speaker
rostrum and on the right of that offics
as he faced the delegates. Directly acros
the aisle was Indiana. on the right of tn
Hoosiers was Illinois and just beyond wa
Wisconsin.
In the front row. on the opposite side @
the han to the left OF Ohio, was Pennsyl
vania. and then on the extreme left cam
New York. Directly behindS Ohio wer
Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado an
Maine, Nebraska and Michigan.
Crowded close upon the rear seats OF IN
Illinois men were Maryland. Arksnsai
Florida and Iowa. which is expected TO fun
nish much of the gunpowder for such e1
plosions as ticket place during the vic
presidential struggle.
Newspaper Men Crowded.
When the newspaper correspondent
reached their seats and surveyed the "f'
clntles provided fer their work they wei
indignant aud exasperated storm
eonsure and criticism was at once directe
at Chairman New OF the national commi
tee. who supervised an the press arrang
meuts. Elbow room was at premium
and for over-crowdfng downright discon
fort and general lack, OF adaptabili,y
the purposes for which they were SUI
posed TO be designed the press arrang
meuts OF the republican convention Of Is
surpassed anything seen at any s.mil'
gathering in many years.
A multitude OF sergeants-at-arms, u
friends OF officials on the COMMITTEES Z
arrangements. stood at the end of mo
every row OF newspaper seats, occupyir
space TO no useful purpose and obstruc
ing the newspaper quarters. alread
TANNED to the utmost with correspondent
who had work TO perform and m the di
charge OF which the chairman of the nj
tional committee had placed serious an
unnecessary distractions
those In the Crowd.
one woman delegate and two othe
holding delegate tickets occupied sea
Within The reservation for the states. Mr.
Lucy A. Clark OF Brigham City. Utah. S
under the banner Of that state, two sea
from senator Smoot