The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-07-09

ton, the streets in the vicinity of the
big gold-domed building were damned
with people waiting for the doors to be
thrown open. Trim, carefully
groomed Fasteners. clad in long
coats, plug hats" and derbies. knock
ed elbows with less punctiliously
dressed representatives of the noun
tain and Pacific Coast States. The
Merry Widows" of the Denver women
and the Merry Cowboys" on the
Western delegates lent picturesque
ness to the scene.
In order to prevent confusion about
the entrances, the police had roped
off all the thoroughfares leading to
the structure. Signs over the door
ways indicated the direction which
each holder of the much-prized cards
of admission should take. Mayor
Speer had assumed personal charge of
the handling the crowds outside
and a small army of policemen was
detailed to preserve order their work
making the task of the ticket-takers
comparatively easy.
During the assembly and seating OF
the delegates and spectators the fam
GUS cowboy band" of Pueblo and
Alamosa, perched up next to the roof
in the rear of the hall, rendered a
mixed program of patriotic, classical
and "rag-time" airs.
AS the audience edged its way into
the building it was greeted with a
Kaleidoscope panorama of color. The
decorations were probably the most
elaborate as well as the most artistic
ever attempted for similar function
Up above the stage of the chairman,
dropped from steel rafter, was a
magnificent oil painting of George
Washington, framed in gilt and meas
uring eight by ten feet. Draped be,
hind it were two huge American flags
while festooned about it were yards
upon yards of tri-colored bunting. TO
the right was q similarly draped pic
ture of Andrew Jackson, and to the
left one of Thomas Jefferson. On the
opposite wall was portrait of the last
democratic president of the United
States, Grover Cleveland, bordered
with black in mute evidence of the
prevailing feeling of sorrow, both party
and national, over his recent death.
Back of the platform upon which
were seated the members of the ma
tional committee was row of Cali
fornia palms. Twenty stuffed Ameri
can eagles. carrying in their beaks
long streamers of red, white and blue
were suspended from the ceiling i'm
mediately over the stage. Around
the front of the balconies and CALLER
les were strung $4,000 yards of
bunting, while at intervals of ten feet
had been placed American shields
studding the ceiling were tri-colored
stars, each ten feet in diameter, rep
resenting the various states, territor.
les and insular possessions. In the
corners and about the sides of the
main floor were more palms.
The total number of seats was
10000. The space Immediately in
front and at the sides of the platform
had been equipped for the use of the
400 newspaper correspondents who
had come to tell the world all about
it. AS in the recent Republican con-
vention at Chicago, the press associ-
atoms were permitted to install in
their reservations telegraph operators
with soundless keys for the bulletin,
ing of important features of the pro
ceedings. Down below the stage,
reached by stairways leading from
the press section, were rooms set a
part for the use of the telegraph COM
panies and press associations.
In the center of the hall were the
002 comfortable opera chairs occu.
pied by the delegates, and back OF
these the seats of the alternates. In
each of these sections were two wo-
men, Colorado and Utah each having
sent a delegate and an alternate.
Mrs. Mary c. G. Bradford is Denver's
voting representative in the conven.
ton, and Mrs. Haywood, of Salt Lake,
the delegate from Utah. 1t was the
first time that the "suffragettes" OF
the west had had the opportunity OF
seeing real women politicians partici-
pating in national affairs.
There was manifest disappointment
on the part of the six men who had
been chosen by the Democratic party
in the Philippines as delegates, when
they were ushered into the alter.
mates seats. According to the pre-
cedent set by the last convention,
as well as by special action taken
last week by the national sub-commit-
tee on arrangements, the Philippine
representatives are denied a voice In
the deliberations, although they are
graciously permitted to look on.
They intend to make a fight before
the committee on rules for recog-
milton as delegates. The point made
against their participation in the do
ings of the convention is that it
would be inconsistent for democracy
to declare that the Philippines ought
not to be part of the United states
and at the same time admit repre-
sentatives from the islands to gov
erning political body of the nation.