The Washington times., 1912-06-11
CONVENTION SIDELIGHTS

riRhted. He then began to attend po-
iiticai conventions In counties, States,
and Joined the campaigns of Roosevelt.
Through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massa-
chusetts, New Jersey and other States,
Jones followed the Presidential candi-
date, disposing OF his small buttons at
Of the Roosevelt committee to pur-
chase several thousand of them, mean
time visiting every State political con-
vention that he could, where large num-
bers were also disposed Of
Jones will remain in Chicago until af-
ter the national convention, and In the
meantime is working strenuously for
the nomination of Teddy as a means
OF extending the period Of demand for
his buttons.
Every little convention-or big-has a
terminology all its own. Four years
ago the Republicans did business in
terms OF conferences, whereas now II
holds "pow-wows." Four years ago the
Ancient Order of Folks Who Never
Learn and Never Forget Anything we're
referred to as the "allies." Now they
are amiably characterized as burg
lars" or second story specialists"
Four yearsa go the people who were
for Taft's nomination were for Taft be-
cause he was Roosevelts candidate: so
they were commonly referred to as the
Roosevelt crowd" Today-well, to-
day, II violates no confidence to say,
the people who are for Taft are no.
commonly identified as the Roosevelt
crowd"
Four years ago the more polite de-
smriptive name applied to the people
who are now called burglars" was
"reactionaries." Thus does reaction re-
act. A man is a reactionary In one
convention. and four years later he Is
burglar
On the other side the descent has been
similar. The Rooesvelt-Taft people of
four years ago were in favor of Roose-
velts policies-that is, they claimed to
be. Those policies were referred to as
"Rooseveltism' or perhapsas ''progress-
| ivism." though the label progressive
was only just beginning to be used
then. Today, the same policies are de-
l.cately alluded to as ANARCHY so
| cialism." and "tommyrot."
People who are for Roosevelt are also
described as 'neurotics." President
Taft. in an outburst of confiding kind
! illness, contributed that phrase to the
| campaign.
! titles with broad good-nature that Is
| one Of the most edifying things abou
| such a gathering al this. II Is a fetch.
| ing evidence OF how the great American
sense OF, humor is always working. Fol
| Illustration:
| Two delegates meet up or the lob5!
floor. They have known eaSh othe
f+r twenty years, though they neve
meet excep. at the national conven
tions. They start for each other.
Hello. Bill!'
Hello. Tom!'
| Delegate again this year, I suppose? :?
| Sure; are your
NC, l came as an alternate thi
time; bal fight; mix-up made 1t neces
sary."
II sec: are you burglar this trip:
Nope; I'm a neurotic and glad Of II
1, "oh, I've got my Jimmy up in tn
room. and bottle of nitro-glycerine
already for business. Say, that bottl
Of explosive would interest you, toe
IT really is thirty-fve years old; fines
ever saw. Don't you want to com
up and attach a fuse to a little OF II?
Sounds good. I'm on"
Whereupon burglar and neurottc stai
off arm In arm for the 'steenth floor
examine the contents OF the bottle.
These ancient convention friendship
are often chosen close and most in
|
An Illinois man and a Texan, for ir
stance. get acquainted in the intima'
yet utterly unusual way men do II 6
such places. They don't know eac
, others business, religion, or anythin
else. They Just know each other
! the political side. Business deals, 81
cial relations between families. all sor
of curious and unexpected things no
; from these persistent acquaintances.
! uyhn tho convention hAD
never get over 1t. There are folks hel
right now, a lot Of 'em, too, occupyin
, first-class rooms in the best hotels, WI
will go home broke, and stay broke II
fun. No difference; they would rath'
eat at free-lunch counters than mil
!; the little experience Of rubbing elbow
: : with greatness, in this most democrat
Of all gatherings; Tor ,arssvn rev aays; nh.n.s
a considerable extent from convensit
, Ito convention; but the mass OF peop
, who come always includes large pr
= portion of these old-time regulars: wi
:, simply couldn't stay away II the doct
4 ordered them to. 1t makes the n
4 tional conventions the most interestii
- ! social functions in the world. The
q isn't anything like a national conVe
ton in any 9ther G0Tniy ,i n9t be s With f0U
4 in its present form. many years NOR
: Bill Finn was telling the boys abo
that this morning.
"The preferential primary Is comm
q, It's here, in fact" he said. THE Sta
and the local primary have captur
the country. Conventions are going
!. he different from this time: this is I
i last one OF its kind that we will ev
= see." 49,
Everybody understands that that
, true. There will be national conVe
- tions, doubtless for many years pet; o
they will not make Presidents; tn
will merely record, ratify, and a
|, nounce, as a cash register or Voti
- machine might do. The country "
g know who has been nominated long
fore the convention meets. and the
~ will be no arrangements for the de
b gates and the national committee, I
l. bosses, and the boosters, to get
s. their work and overturn the will OF
# people.
How will II be done? The wisest oy
d among these politicians admit that tn
e. don't Just know that. 1t is manic
u that II the preferential primary sho'
n proceed on the State-unit basis, as 1t
/. now organized, 1t would not elimint
the convention. because so many can
y dates would have their own home a
a neighborhood support, nobody wol
NJ have an initial majority, and the &C
3. yention would have at last to decide.
y That likely enough will be about
~ situation four years hence; but 1t v