Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-06-18

STATIONS which usher in nationa
convention. State delegations ant
marching clubs slow in arriving
passed into the city throughout the
day and there was incessant din Of
brass bands, marching men and ex
ploding enthusiasm. The broad lake
front along which the headquarters Of
candidates and state delegations are
located, was besieged by the In
coming throngs which choked the hotel
Hobbies, overlooked into the streets
and mingled with the groups Of curl
Gus onlookers on the broad plaza front
ing on Lake Michigan. But despite
the thrush Of strangers there was an
undercurrent of feeling that the null
titude was not as great and the en-
thusiasm not as feverish as in times
past. It was observed that some Of
the arriving state delegations were
stripped to a strict business basis Of
delegates and alternates. without the
usual quota OF strong lung shouters.
This brought the cancellation Of hotel
rooms in goodly number until some
of the large hotels threatened legal
proceedings for this unexpected d.
minution of revenue. But to the vet
Grams Of convention battles, the de-
crease of lung power among the ar
rivals promised the more orderly and
business.like convention that had often
been wished during the tumultuous
proceedings Of the past.
Although many important confer
ences were held during the day on
candidates and platform the chief in
terest continued to center on the ar
irving delegations with their distin-
guished personnel and the noisy dem
onstration which greeted them.
The Taft headquarters had the
usual throng of visitors, but the
formal opening was still deferred un'
I'll the arrival of the Ohio delegation
Monday, when the real enthusiasm
will be touched of.
The vice presidential situation had
assumed a new angle Monday morn
ing. A meeting OF the Iowa delega'
ton had been called for II o'clock,
but the delegation did not meet. 1t
did not dare. The appearance In Chi
cago of loyal Cummins lieutenants
from every part Of Iowa was totally
unexpected here. The delegation to
the national convention is composed
of 10 members Of the Allison faction
and seven members Of the Cummins
faction. So far as the national con.
vention is concerned 1t was supposed
to be a Dolliver-Allison show. The
Cummins' crowd now appears to be
the factor in Iowa politics which must
be reckoned with.
The delegation in the convention
from Iowa was confidently expected to
enter some sort of protest against
the selection of Senator Dolliver for
the vice presidency. Several promi-
nent Iowans who cordially detest Cum
minis, together with several other
Iowans who hold conspicuous railroad
Jobs, had constituted themselves a Sc
lect committee to block Delivers
nomination. 1t was not because Of any
particular love for Dolliver or any de-
sire to subserve his political well be-
ing that these influences united to de-
feat his vice presidential nomination.
They feared the election Of Cummins
to succeed Dolliver in the Senate. But
they did not say this for publication.
For newspaper purposes they declared
the election Of Dolliver to the vice
presidency meant the election Of
Democrat from Iowa to the senate.
The Cummins factionists all over
the state read these stories in the
newspapers. They knew what 1t
meant without conference or tip from
Des Moines and in each community
men what had no thought Of coming
to Chicago boarded the train and more
uTO COuluB ONOIy uOuEs
The contentious, therefore, in regard
to Senator Dolliver are squarely be-
fore the convention. One is that Dol
liver's nomination for the vice presi-
dency will result in the election Of a
friend Of Cummins to the United
States senate to succeed him. The
other Is that the refusal to consider
Delivers name because of the posi-
Bile election Of friend of Cummins
to the senate will mean that Demo
crat shall succeed Allison in the sen.
ate.
The stampede to Roosevelt which
has been predicted from so many
quarters for SO many days has not
made itself apparent up to this writ
ing. A dozen different times Monday
there were stories Of revolts by vari.
GUS delegations which would not stand
a minute for the nomination Of Taft.
Late Saturday night Senator Bourne,
or somebody else, caused a number Of
trusting journalists to scatter broad.
cast the report that IFS delegates had
signed an agreement 10 vote for Roose-
welt on the first ballot There we're
not in Chicago, all told, IT'S delegates.