Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-01
CHAIRMAN
QUESTION is
ABSORBING
WHO WILL WELD GAVEL AT
CONVENTION
Politicians Large and Small In Race
for Temporary and Perma-
nent Leadership at
Denver

Special to The Herald.
DENVER, Colo, March 31.-Who will
be chairman of the Democratic ma
tional convention? The sound of the
gavel will not be heard until July Z,
but already the candidates for the
honor of welding the heavy hammer
that raps the convention to order are
appearing on the scene. The members
of the national committee live in daily
dread that more candidates will be
added to those already in the race. and
their lives may be made miserable ac-
cordingly.
1t is the duty of the members of the
national committee to choose the tenn
porary chairman and after the per-
inanent organization Is effected the per-
manent chairman is elected by the
delegates. For the temporary office
there is a host of candidates and for
the place of permanent chairman there
are still more numerous aspirants.
Several prominent Democrats have al
ready secured headquarters in Dem
yer and will make campaigns for the
office of temporary and permanent
chairman with as great zeal as Is man
ifested by the men who want to run
for president and vice president.
1t is not likely that there will be a
repetition of the scene at the Demo-
cratic national convention at Chicago
in 1906 when the will of the national
committee was upset by the delegates
who insisted upon choosing their own
temporary presiding officer. On that
occasion David B. Hill of New York
was chosen by the members of the ma
tional committee to be temporary
chairman, but the delegates over
turned the choice and placed Senator
]. w. Daniel of Virginia in the chair.
n m
Stephen M. White of California had
the place of permanent chairman, and
the single incident in Democratic his
tory when the delegates overturned
the decision of the national commit
tee was at an end.
While there has not been hint of
another occurrence such as this 1t is
generally agreed that the precedent
admits of anyone who has the hus-
Ting ability and inclination to use
1t going before the national commit
tee and claiming a hearing as to his
qualifications for the Office The bars
have been thrown down for active
politicians to go in and win by what
ever means they can muster
Honor Hard to See
Just what honor accrues to the man
who presides over the convention is
is physically able to occupy the chair
all through the sessions of the great
gathering. Generally he is worn out
by the constant attention he must
give to the convention and is relieved
occasionally by other prominent party
members who are experienced in the
rules that control nominating conven-
tions. The temporary chairman has a
task of less difficulty and generally
Iatc 7a,.tof
term of his activities, while the COM
mittees on credentials, platform and
permanent organization are being ap-
pointed.
The spice and variety that exists in
a campaign for chairman is given by
the actual presence Of the contestants
in the convention city. When a man
is a candidate for the Office of chair
man of the convention he has to be
ready to take up his burden as soon as
elected. In this he differs from the
candidate for president or vice presi-
dent. The men who are candidates for
these honors will probably not come
within a thousand miles of Denver
while the convention is in session. w.
J. Bryan will be at his home in Lin
coin, Neb.; Judge George Gray will
remain in Wilmington, Del; Lieu
tenant Governor Stuyvesant Chanler
VIII be In the l1euatnanI governor
room at the state house in Albany,
N. Y. and Governor John A. Johnson
of Minnesota will be in the executive
chambers in the capitol building in
st. Paul. Should David r. Francis of
Missouri decide to enter the lists, as
he may. he will sit in his ST. Louis
offices and wait for the tidings from
the scene of action.
The members of the Democratic ma
tional committee say that all the men
named have said they would stay away
from the convention, which indicates
that they are either active candidates
for the nomination or are assuming a
receptive attitude toward the distin- |
guished honor. None of the men men,
toned above will stoop to the small |
distinction of being temporary or per-
manent chairman of the convention,
but will leave that battle to be fought |
out among their followers.
There are said to be at present twen- |
ty prominent and wealthy Democrats |
active in the race for temporary chair
man. AS many more want the per-
place. Citizens of Denver who |
100000 to help pay the ex-
penses of the convention are pretty |
sure to have considerable return in |
excitement and diversion if the inter- |
est in the convention honors continues |
and 1t bids fair to continue.