The daily sentinel., 1908-06-16
GOV. CUMMINS
SEEMS The
LEADING
CHOICE
Much Interest Over
Second Place Race
---Iowa Man Has
Support of the West
[By Associated Press. ]

Chicago, June 16.-Chicago put
forth her best in the way of weather
conditions today for the opening of
the great convention. A strong
breeze off the lake all day yesterday
cleared the air of the humidity
which has characterized the weather
for the last few days and of the low
lying cloud of smoke which to most
of the transient visitors is the syn
onym for Chicago. The marked cool
ness refreshed the crowd of delegates
and visitors and awakened them this
morning ready and eager for the mo-
mentous gathering that would take
place at noon in the great Coliseum
on Wabash avenue.
Gay. Decorations.
The addition of Flag day yester-
day to the more than ordinarily spon-
taneous cooperation or the Chicago
people, regardless OF party, in the
display of decorations for the con-
vention, augmented the already gen.
, erous display of national colors; and
the sun rose out of the great blue
lake upon a scene of fiuttering buht-
ing and the early gathering of good
natured crowds upon the streets.
1t seemed as though Nature her.
self had determined to join in the
perfection of the physical arrange
ments for an auspicious beginning of
the presidential campaign.
March to Coliseum.
Early in the morning the crowds
began moving towards the Coliseum,
although the chairman's gavel was
not to fall until noon.
The California delegation left first
in the parade from the Auditorium
hotel to the convention hall, followed
by Colorado, Nevada, Washington,
Idaho and Hawaii.
The marching clubs, the playing
bands and the steadily increasing
crowds made a gay and picturesque
scene as the day wore on and the
hour of meeting approached
Scene of Simple Beauty.
The interior of the great conven-
tion building was the scene of sim
pie beauty and order. A more fitting
or more completely equipped place
of meeting could hardly be imagined.
No Crowding There.
Twelve thousand seats in serried
ranks tlll every available inch of the
space, save for the aislss and entran-
ces: yet there is no appearance of
crowding, and none of that sugges-
tion of temporary malSeshift and un-
safety that so often marks the place
of meeting of great conventions.
Arrangements Perfect.
The exits are numerous and are
plainly marked, and from the center
of each section of seats a passageway
or tunnel leads out. Every precau-
ton for a quick egress in case of
emergency has been provided. Prac-
tical men have planned the arrange
ments of the assembly halls for the
pages, seargeant-at-arms, door keep
ers, messengers and ushers. There
are rows of telephones and large
spaces set aside for the army of tele-
graphers, committee rooms, offices,
reception rooms, smoking rooms, and
tastefully decorated retiring rooms
for the ladies'. There is also an
emergency hospital fully equipped.
There are just enough decorations to
beautify without interfering with
ample light and ventilation.
The Big Ones Working.
All last night and again today be-
fore and after preliminary session
of convention leaders continued
their work on matters remaining to-
be settled. Platform polishing, and
more especially a sharp conflict over
the plank covering court injunctions
in labor disputes went on.
s.UncIe Joe" Fighting.
Speaker Cannon backed by promi-
nent leaders of various states con-
Times vigilant in the opposition to
any radical utterance on the injunc-
rion question and lines are more
sharply drawn upon that subject than
any other.
VVYl D~cITh