The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-06-22
convention has been a mild affair; =
|The police had 10 Iintefsrcf fest tfee
Ilernard and hf1fi- -Rnrnard .hfent of THE

The police had TO fintePfsrci teft tNfte
Bernard and snti-Bcrnard shienf of The
Hamilton county delegation grew so
excited | ntheir Meeting late Tuesday
that they raised loud yells and shook
savage fists in one another's faces.
XIII theumpire," was also the war
cry i'm the Franklin county delegation
meeting which did not upset James
Ross. In both cases though, the coura-
geous blue-coats who pressed into
the thick OF the crowd to avert
bloodshed backed hastily out with
sheepish faces.
The state political convention Is a
device on the part of the thirty sec
ond degree politicians TO keep the hard
working neophites amused. Within
the memory of man the nomina-
tion of ticket or the writing of q
platform i'm Ohio has never been left
to the delegates. Some times, In the
rush of the closing hours, they are
permitted to select the candidate for
membership on the board of public
works themselves. In the same period
of confusion, when the delegates with
limited excursion tickets or cows to
milk are hurrying to catch their trains
the dairy and food commissioner and
the school commissioner are nomina-
ted. The firm manufacturing patent
foods or drugs which is most gener-
Gus to the campaign fund names the
one , and the American Book COM
pany the other With these three ex-
ceptIons the party bosses and the
railroads do the nominating. The
bosses pick the executive officers and
the railroads the candidates for su-
preme judge.
Yet the political neophte, the dele
gate, constitutes the show of the
state convention Conventions are al
was held on Tuesday and Wednesday
The political reporters arrive Sun
day night, abuse the hotel criticise
the local arranPcmsuts, interview one
another, and wa, the result as the
"concensus of opinion in the "throng
of arriving delegates" on Monday
the inevitable and ambitious candi-
dates who are not on the slate, and
who can't believe a slate has been
framed ganst them, arrive, open head
quarters, and explain that II Is an
open race" Thcy are extensively
and interviewed on
the delegates arrive, wearing
their store clothes. fresh shaves, and
large yellow, green. blue and red
badges with tin medals suspended.
The delegates throng the headquarters
Of the candidates who can't possibly
be nominated and promise them their
support. The Berea brass band, with
twenty-seven discordant rivals. plays
in the streets Walters in the crowd
ed hotels all temporarily on the Amer-
lean plan, loss heads and memories.
Crowds OF eager partisans roar
through hotel corridors all night. +,
Sleepless, hungry, excited by beer and
he brass bands the perspiring pa
riots crowd through hotel corridors
and lobbies, cheering themselves
hoarse over nothing at all "Rah
'or the gran old party, hic." This Isl
he real show, the stage mob stand
ing out against a staae setting OF
streets fluttering with ragged, faded
Dunting. Under cover of this Tuesdays
noise, the real rulers of the conven-
lion slip into town and hunt the uiet
house of friend. There tCey frame
Il all up. Tuesday night while the
sheep are listening to the .
noarse voice OF the Keynote" orator
IN the first convention session, the
inal touches are given to the slate.
On Wednesday morning the orders go
,ut. The delegates, herding into the
hall, suddenly discover
hat everything has been arranged for
hem. They are weary men, with
worn faces stubbly whiskered> and
store clothes wrinkled and baggy.
Their throats are hoarse and they
want To go home. Such kicks as they
hear against the slate are disorganiz
sd, disconnected, and possibly the re-
suit of morning after" headaches
'Aw, what's the use Let's go along
and go home" somebody says, and
hey do.