Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-06-26
Slight Variation in the Procedure Between
Republicans and Democrats.
Great Power Welded Vigorously by the National Committee
Preliminary to the Gathering Handful of Leaders Control
Machinery, Nominations and Platform.

pensive affairs. Their cost to the party
holding them is estimated at not less
than $4,000, and perhaps more. In
each great party is body Of wise men
known as the National Committee"
This body Is the acme Of political as
cension. A man may be proud mem
Der Of a division committee, which is
the first step in the ladder. But when
he reaches the dizzy heights of ma
tio1al committeeman from his State
and appears at the convention with
badge as big as an ancient breast
plate, so that there can be no mistake
in his standing, the height Of ambi-
committeeman from each State. This
august body meets il December pre-
ceding national convention, examines
the claims Of the different cities that
desire the gathering. and critically
looks into the size Of the guarantee"
as it is called This latter form means
that the city paying the most money
usually gets the convention. The guar
antee Is accepted by the committee
men, and they then proceed to spend
1t lavish1y. Apartments at the most
expensive hotels are secured, host of
employees Is retained and business be-
gins in real form. The hotel bills Of
the National Committees are some
thing enormous.
Machinery of a Convention.
While the preliminaries are being
The delegate to the National Conven-
ton is generally a person Of import
ance at his home. The Democrats re-
quire a two-thirds vote Of all the dele
gates present and voting to make
nomination. The Republicans require
majority Of those present and voting.
AT q national convention each State
has its own headquarters, where the
delegates gather. They do a lot Of
comforting" with each other and with
delegates from other States. They hold
meetings and elect chairmen and hon
orary vice presidents. The honorary
vice president has a seat on the plat
form and an extra ticket, but little
else. The chairman does the dickering
in some cases in some cases the posi-
ton is a sinecure. Usually the "co1-
ferring" and the dickering begin days
before the convention is to be called
to order.
Prior to the calling Of the conven-
ton to order the National Committee
Is virtually in command of the situa-
ton. With it lies the arranging Of the
details, the framing up" of the pro-
cedure Of the first session, the selection
of the temporary chairman, and, in a
great many cases, though not always
the program making Of the whole con-
vention, temporary and permanent Or
CARNATIONS, nominating and platform
building.
Convention Is in Order.
Now for the convention, the great
meeting that the country has looked
forward to for so many weeks. The
chairman of the National Committee
calls the convention to order, usually
about noon upon the day set
The convention called to order, the
proceedings are opened with prayer.
The chairman requests the secretary
to read the call for the convention
which is done. Then the rollcall is
gone through, and this takes q lot of
time. The next step is the announce
ment by the chairman that the commit
tee offers to the convention q its tenn
porary chairman the name Of So-and-
So. There are loud and prolonged
cheers, and by a viva voce vote Mr.
So-andSo is unanimously elected. There
is usually little trouble over the eiec-
ton Of a temporary chairman. The
chairman then appoints a committee to
escort the temporary chairman to the
platform; the band plays, the delega-
ton from Mr.. So-and-So's State makes
a lot of noise. and all is merry.
1t is incumbent on the temporary
chairman to make a speech. He invari-
ably takes advantage of the opportu-
nifty. He sounds a keynote 1t is
sustained note. 1t is invariably a trib-
ute to the party of Abraham Lincoln"
at the Republican convention, and
glorification of the party of Thomas
Jefferson" at the Democratic 1t lasts
a very long time.
After the speech various resolutions
are offered. Usually these have been
arranged for in advance, and the tenn
porary chairman works according to a
printed schedule, calling on John Doe
and Richard Doe at the right time, 50
that there may be no hitch. Commit
tees are appointed; one on resolutions,
which will have the drafting of the
platform; one on credentials or con-
tested seats; one on permanent or
ganization. These are the important
ones. When they are all chosen, and
there has been a lot of hand-clapping
and cheering, as well-known men are