Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-18
IN FEAR OF STAMPEDE
Roosevelt Sentiment Made
Light of, But Respected.
"ANTIS" WERE TROUBLED
Yesterdays Demonstration Charges
Situation With Electricity.
SCENE IN CONVENTION HALL
District Delegation Raises Laugh
r4%
"ANTIS" WERE TROUBLED
SCENE IN CONVENTION HALL
District Delegation Raises Laugh.
Father and Horner Get CompI-
ments for Active Participation.
Staff Correspondent.

Special From a STAFF Correspondent
CHICAGO June Is. 1908.
When tie republican national conveh-
ton was called to order at 10 ocicck I'M"
morning there WAS enough electricity IN
the air TO run a railroad or illuminate a
city
The hall WAS charged with 1t. fNeh
those members of the Wisehcimer family
who pooh pooh yesterdays hour-iohS
screechfest following the mention OF
'The President" were nervous and as iuil
Of In" current as a eats back
Such OF them with whom ! talked. as
the Coliseum was filling. sc"ffcd at the
idea that there were any stampede sur
DriseS i'm Store and said that when inc
time carrc tho various pledged delegates
would stand M and deliver like "A trained
animal troupe. But you could see that
even while they are saying it the skilled
and licensed political mariners kept their
attention on the barometer. "A weather
eye to WindWard and took the feel or the
air every now and then with wetted fore
finger.
The Roosevelt demonstration is worth
a word or two-or mavhap three. In the
first place Mr.. Roosevelt's name was not
even mentioned. and there was no "Theo-
ator Ledge. the permanent chairman. in
his excellent speech to break the dam
and let loose the waters. Instead Mr.
Lodge said THE President" at the
proper place in his canned speech and in
quite the most gentle way.
Stop-Watches Set.
But that was enough. The half-dozen
newspaper men sitting near me immedi-
ately pulled out stop-watches and set
them to going. Fifty minutes later they
agreed the unroar had died down suffi-
GENTLY to call the time and swap them
on
Let no one think that forty-nine min
utes isn't long. long time to howl
Just try IT some time and see. OF course.
the baby can do it without turning a
hair but ii is something of a stunt for
grOwn-ups.
made the Roosevelt demonstration of yes
terday last fOrty-nine long minutes they
did it by working in relays. But. the
yowlers and ShouterS and handclappers
and Chautauqua flag-and- handkerchief
wavers were scattered all over the hall.
the vocal violence was evenly distributed
and seemed general all the time.
Il is true that the mere spectators on
the platform and in the galleries ac-
counted for a good deal of the noise.
age politician isn't yelling himself into "a
fit until the proper time. at least, GER
tainly not until you can show him some
excellent reason therefor. And the reason
seemed lacking yesterday.
So. if the demonstration had depended
solely on the delegates on hand. there
wouldn't have been any fOrty-nine min
uteS of continuous noise. But as there
were at least 12.0O people in the hall,
less than 10 per cent of whom were dele
ont ion 70 ha hat he
delegates didn't make most of the no Sc.
They couldn't have done il even if they
had been in the humor.
ANTS" All Aquiver.
'Tis bitter pill for your ally folks
and other ants to SWallow-thiS demon
stration thing of yesterday-and now they
arr going around trying to cheer them
selves up by saying it wasn't such much
after all, that the delegates didn't howl
fearfully. that there We're paid claquers
in the galleries, and a lot of other fool
ishneSS of this nature.
But they are looking over their Shout
ders all the time for the third term spec
ter that they fear to see If you jOggle
them unexpectedly they jump up in the
air and are perSpiring freely when they
light.
So. taking it all in ALL there doesn't
seem To be any doubt but that the DOM
perhaps even in a class by itself For
while there have been some long-Son-
tinued rackets at previous conventions
in fact. there are lot of newspaper men
who are always provided with stop
watches so that they can clock applause
record breakers-the racket usually comes
after the nomination and not merely at
the mention of the title of man who
has declared in language about une-
auivocal as can be framed that he amt,
don't. won't and so forth.
Twas a vastly interesting thing during
that forty-nine minutes of unalloyed din
to sit and look out over the vast hall at
the waving flags and hats and banners
and arms. and even coats and vests-for
some folks got so enthusiastic they had
To shed clothing-and to listen to the way
the waves of sound rose and fell. and
to note how these waves were influenced
by even the most trivial of incidents.
District Delegates Raise Laugh.
The District of Columbia daleg ton
Messrs. Flather and Horner. furnished
about the only amusement of yesterdays
session. When they were called upon to
vote on the Burke resolution for the re-
duction of southern representation the
reply came back across the hall from the
District seats Where Mr.. Father and NJ.
Horner were holding forth: ''One and
one" Mr.. Father voted for the resolu-
ton and Mr.. Horner against
For some reason or another the big
crowd-delegates and spectators alike
seemed to consider this highly amusing
and gave them the laugh. Mr.. Horner
was one of the SignerS of the minority
report from the committee on rules on
this proposition, but Mr.. Horner's views
didn't coincide with those of his col
league. There is no rift in the lutte. how
ever.
Both the District of Columbia delegates
have been working like blackSmithS. and
are willing 10 subscribe to the PROPOSE
ton that national conventions are not all
play. Mr.. Horner was up all night at
tending the session of the credentials
committee, of which he is a member. Mr..
Fathers stunt was almost as firing
Probably both delegates will get together
and vote against the anti-injunction prop
osition when it is offered.
The local men have received many COM
pliments-and from people that count
too-since they have been out here with
respect to their active interest In every
detail of the convention proceedings.
Give us men like these two said one
member of the national committee to ME
this morning. land the District Of Co
lumbia will be whole lot more important
in national affairs than IL ever has been
in this way up to the present time"
All of which is encouraging and should
make the voters who got out and hustle
for the winning ticket in April feel real