Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-07-10
CONVENTION AT DENVER CALLED
TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN
TAGGART.
ADJOURN FOR CLEVELAND.
Leader for Presidential Race Will Be
Named and Second Place Be
Filled on Friday.
WEATHER MAN IS BOUNTIFUL.


will nominate candidates for the offices
of President and vice president of the
United States in opposition to William
II. Taft of Ohio and James S. Sherman
of New York whom the Republicans
named four weeks ago at Chicago, was
called to order at u o'clock today by
Thomas Taggart of Indiana, chairman
of the retiring national committee.
Now the Democrats are at the point
of action and while it is conceded that
William Jennings Bryan of Lincoln.
Neb., will lead the party in the presi-
Dental race, nevertheless the interest Ill
the convention proceedings has not
waned. The keynote" address of Tenn
porary Chairman Theodore A. Bell of
California was awaited with no little
amount of interest, and then there is the
platform which is to be constructed be-
fore the convention adjourns.
After the convention was called to or
der the call was read by Secretary Urey
W0odSon. Archbishop John j. heane
of Wyoming delivered the opening pray
er and announcement was then made
of the temporary convention officers Sc
lected by the national committee and
they were confirmed by the other dele
gates.
Adjourn for Cleveland.
The unusual feature of the first days
programme was to adjourn at an early
hour. after the address of Temporary
Chairman Bell. as mark OF respect to
the memory of the late ex-President
Grover Cleveland, the last Democrat
who occupied the, exalted office of chief
magistrate of the nation.
Snow Banks Greet Visitors.
On two of it's streets fronting the audi,
forum great banks of snow gave cool
greeting to the visitors. From the noun
tain heights the snow has been brought
down to this mile high level on a special
train and hauled through the city in carts
of various descriptions. The day was by
no means hot, however, and the only eff
feet of the snow was the novelty OF an
icy street scene in July.
The doors of the hall were unbarred at
lilo o'clock, nearly one hour before the
gavel of the national chairman, Tom
Taggert, was scheduled to fall as the
signal for the beginning of the initial
session.
Filipinos in the Rear.
Far in the rear of all the states, with
it's little blue standard nailed on the
outside of the railing dividing the seats
mates, was the delegation from the Phil
ippines, the one body of men in the con-
vention with a designated abiding place
and no part in the proceedings.
At II 80 o'clock, when the hall was
less than one-third filed, the first music
of the convention crashed from the up
per balcony. A splendid band of some
sixty odd pieces, uniformed in costumes
of the western plains-blue flannel
shirts, peaked hats, and red bandanna
handkerchiefs flung around their necks-
played q series of patriotic selections to
the applause Of the incoming crowd.
Nebraska Has Good Seats.
Nebraska, as be6tted it's prominence
in the convention proceedings, was
placed directly in front of the speak
er's stand. On it's left was Alabama,
behind Nebraska was the state which
either negatively or positively was des-
tined to weigh heavily in the outcome
New York. Georgia, that nest of Bry-
ans opponents, who have from the first
longed for an opposition standard, was
close behind New York, and somewhat
to it's left.
Badgers Cannot Hear.
Down the center aisle behind Ne
braska came Oklahoma and Michigan
and across from them and in the rear of
Indiana was Kentucky and Pennsyl-
vania Colorado was properly placed
for convention host, being far off to
the left where the seeing was poor and
the hearing no better. With the golden
sippi. Wisconsin and Idaho.
Minnesota was less advantageousy
placed than Nebraska, the Johnson
boomers being located far in the rear of
the left center of the group of states.
The Gray men from Delaware were on
the left of New York with their friends
from New Jersey, who today announced
their intention to fight for Gray when
the presidential struggle is on, close by
them.
Taggart Sounds Gave1.
At IL O'Clock promptly Chairman
Thomas Taggart of the national commit
tee brought down his gavel with a re-
sounding whack and called the conven
ton to order. Cheers followed the blow
of the gavel and Chairman Taggart as
soon as they had subsidized, spoke as
follows.
LAS chairman of the Democratic ma
tional committee, it becomes my pleasing
duty to call this convention to order;
and in doing so, | cannot refrain from
the suggestion that in numbers, in the
personnel of the delegates, in enthusi-
asm and in the determination of victory.
it is the greatest political convention
ever assembled in the United States.
''It is certainly appropriate that such
n convention should meet in this great
western city, whose citizens have shown
their generous hospitality on every hand
and whose enterprise and energy is at
tested by the erection of this magnificent
auditorium.
In this connection I desire to express
the thanks of the members of the COM
mittee to the people of Denver and es-
pecially to the members of the Denver
convention league, whose unselfsh and
untiring work has contributed so much
to this successful and happy opening OF
the campaign of 1908