The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-06-24

crowd in the Coliseum fell like great
wave on the shores of the place, in
idle conversation as the proceedings
of tNe convention droned on The
committee on credentials made its re-
port, and the great crowd Tapped it
up as the sea laps up the sand-im-
personally, uninterested, utterly id'e.
There was no fight, and evidently the
crowd knew there would be no fight.
The regular order proceeded. and
Senator Lodge was installed as per-
manent chairman, and the great crowd
the great buff sea. rocked idly to
look at him He began to speak with
some fervor. and little ripples Of ap-
plause played across the tide. His
earnestness deepened the pillows
slightly.
And the waves lulled and were quiet.
And then, not while he was at cli-
max, but as the man before them was
reaching deeper and deeper into the
soul of the place and the occasion, the
sibilant lisp of the crowd hushed. and
in the great silence the man spoke,
simply and strongly and without ora
tOrical flourish or emphasis. "He has
enforced the laws as he found them.
and so he is the best abused and most
popular man in America"
1t was not much of a tribute. But a
wave OF sincere feeling swept over
the quiet tide of humanity. 1t was not
-f, OF
than the first wave that came rolling
in. But another wave followed it, ana
another higher and stronger came az
ter it. The speaker, who did not rea-
lie what was about TO come, put out
his hand to beg silence, but a huge
wave of applause came over him, and
he ducked and backed of good-na-
turedly and let the wind Of emotion
play as it would across the restless
sea before him.
At Flood Tide.
In another minute. perhaps two. Sen
ator Lodge rose again to face the >ris
ing tide. but 1t rolled in on him with
great roar, and men knew that the
storm Of applause had come which
Theodore Roosevelt's work as an
American citizen had conjured. So
they let it rage, and for nearly an hour
the waves of that storm broke and
roared in that place.
Then the crowd, in that hour of joy.
gathered individuals in and they
ceased to be individuals and became
the crowd. At times the delegates
were swept off their feet. State after
state rose. like black pillows on the
face of the waters. and cheered and
waved remnants and sank to e1uilibri
um only to ruf1le up again and cheer
with the crowd. No state was able to
keep its mCoring. And in the tunult
and the shouting there were no re-
dictionaries. New York was as bo;s-
ferrous as Wisconsin, and Kansas
joined Pennsylvania
Roosevelt, Roosevelt, four years
more" they roared, and the cry
skinned over the waves Of applause
like a gull, and like gull it was evan.
scent 1t signified nothing. And then
slowly, when the deep answered deep.
the calm came and the speaker went
on with his speaking.
1t was all so simply and SO natur-
ally done, all SO evidently sincere.
without claque or Encouragement,
that there was in its undercurrent an
element of sadness. For it seemed a
good-by rather than a bait to Theo-
dore Roosevelt, and those who have
feared him feared him no more. and
those who have trusted him were hap
by, but rather sad than joyful.
Once the big show-the presidential
nomination-was over. the remainder
Of the work of the convention. the Sc
lection Of a running mate for Secre-
tary Taft, was completed In short
order en- Friday morning when Hon.
James s. Sherman of New York was
named for second place on the ticket.
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.
copyright 19CS. by Geo. Matthew Adams)