Alaska sentinel., 1908-08-27

Pulling Wires in Committee.
 At last the machinery Is In motion and the district delegate begins to wonder what he Is on hand for. A big man at home, he Is lost in the hurly burly and roar of the conyen- ton. He may be assigned to commit tee, but he had nothing to do with that The State boss decided that so- and-so should be a member of the Fer maneat Organization Committee; that MT. Brown, who Is q political econo- mist, should be honored by a sea. in the Resolutions Committee, and that the Boss himself or one of his most trusted lieutenants should be a mem Der of the Credentials Committee. These bodies all meet separately. All the contests that were handled by the Na- tional Committee the week previous go to the Committee on Credentials unless pressure has been brought to have the contestants withdraw their fight. The Credentials Committee wires are pulled the same as was the National Commit tee, and the result is usually nearly the same.
 Framing the Platform.
 It Is when the district delegate sits in the Committee on Resolutions to draft the platform that he begins to realize that he is only 6 small "1" compared with the bosses. The genial MT. Doe, who has been coming to the national conventions since 1868, Is elected chairman with a hurrah. He assumes his position and draws from his pocket a carefully prepared docu- ment, which the secretary proceeds to read. The district delegate might have had an idea some time previously that he would be consulted as to the plat form. But the party leaders saved him all the trouble and worriment They had skilled men at work on the plat form weeks before, and It Is built ac- cording to their Ideas The committee usually adopts the platform with rush. Sometimes there Is a fight on particular topics. But party expedi- ency usually rules
 Real Work Now Begins.
 The Credentials Committee ire quently sits for three days and the | convention must wait until Its labors are finished. The Committee on Per nanent Organization Is usually a cut | and dried affair. Finally the Credel- | tials Committee reports and the new roll Is made up. Then the Committee <, on Permanent Organization makes It's | report. It recommends that the Hon | orable Senator or MT. So-and-So" be called upon to preside. Cheers greet | the name. and the gentleman Is escort ed to the platform. After he has been elected he makes profound speech, the | other officers are chosen and, like race | horses, the meet Is on.
 If the Committee on Platform is permanent chairman has made his speech On the report there must be a roll call. There Is always, too, the possibility of a fight Certain blanks" that please Maine may be abhorrent to Texas. When the matter of the plat form Is disposed of, either by the con- mittee reporting or by the announce | nent that It Is not ready to report, the permanent chairman announces another recess maybe until the next day, pos sibly until later In the same day. Nomination of a Candidate. Frequently the time Is taken up with speeches placing the candidates for President in nomination. These ed dresses are usually good in their way. Men noted for their eloquence, who can portray the virtues of the aspirant in language that will thrill their hear CTS, are selected for this work. The platform is usually accorded the speak CT and his oratiOn Is hailed with deaf ening applause and cheers. Each can didate Is brought to the front and his works painted i1 glowing colors. Then comes the critical period. The district delegate believes now Is the moment when he counts for something.
 The roll call begins and proceeds monotonously. The chairmen of the different delegations alone do the talk Ing. That Is all there Is to It The first ballot in the convection Is usually devoted to experimenting favorite sons. After that the real work begins. The district delegate learns that he Is not to vote as he intended, but that he will vote for some one else on the second ballot.
 Suddenly there is roar In the con yention. It is a mighty shout, louder than cannon. Somebody has been nom- mated for President. Amidst great disorder the rollcall Is pushed to con clusion. The chairman tries to learn how the tellers agree in their count But the crowd knows all about 1t. The chairman, powerless as Mrs. Parting ton with a broom against the waves |