Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-08-14
Slight Variation in the Procedure Between
Republicans and Democrats.
ureat Power Welded Vigorously by the National Committee
Preliminary to the Gathering Handful of Leaders Control
Machinery, Nominations and Platform

penSlVe a1Talrs. Their cost to the party
holding them is estimated at not less
than $15O,0O0, 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 men,
ber of a division committee which is
the first step in the ladder. But when
he reaches the dizzy heights of ma
| tloJal committeeman from his State
and appears at the convention with
badge as big as an ancient breast
plate, so that there can he no mistake
! in his standing the height of ambi-
tion Is reached. There is one national
committeeman from each State. This
august body meets IN December pre-
ceding a 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 lavishly. Apartments at the most
expensive hotels are secured, a 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 n Convention.
While the preliminaries are being
arranged the delegates are arriving.
The delegate to the National Conven-
tion is generally a person of import
ance at his home. The Democrats re-
quire twO-thirds vote of all the dele
gates present and voting to make a
nomination. The Republicans require
q majority of those present and voting.
At national convention each State
has its own headquarters, where the
delegates gather. They do lot of
"conferring' 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 sinecure. Usually the "co2-
ferrlng" and the dckering begin days
before the convention Is to be called
20 order.
Prior to the calling of the conven-
tion to order the National Committee
Is virtually in command of the situa-
tion. 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
great many cases. though not always
the program making of the whole con.
vention temporary and permanent or.
ganizatioas, nominating and platform
building.
Convention Is In Order.
Now for the convention, the greal
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 lot of
time. The next step is the announce
ment by the chairman that the commit
tee offers to the convention as Its tenn
porary chairman the name of SO-and-
So There are loud and prolonged
cheers, and by viva voce vote Mr.
So-and-So is unanimously elected. There
Is usually little trouble over the cleo
ton OF a temporary chairman. The
chairman then appoints committee to
escort the temporary chairman to the
platform; the band plays, the delega-
tion from Mr.. So-and-Sos State makes
q 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-
nity He sounds a keynote 1t is a
sustained note. 1t Is invariably trib-
ute to the party of Abraham Lincoln"
at the Republican convention, and a
glorlficatlon of the party of Thomas
Jefferson at the Democratic. 1t lasts
q 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