The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-08-09

were suggestive OF &sv&
Not a dissenting voice was raised dur
ing the session. The question of negro
representation from the South had caused
friction earlier in the day in the national
committee, but there was no echo of this
fight in the convention. The delegates
were at times explosive in their enthusi-
asm. Many of the state delegations came
into the hall singing and shouting in
their delight at the birth Of the new
party, and three hours later left the
building in the same happy frame OF
mind.
Although green hands were supposed
to be at the helm, the machinery OF the
convention worked smoothly and eff
GENTLY. There was no roll call of dele.
gates, but the delegate section of the
floor, arranged in the same manner as
at the Republican national convention a
few weeks ago and accommodating nearly
1,10O persons, was filled. The alternate
section also had its full quota.
Galleries Were Filled.
There was not the same crush of spec
tators as at the Republican gathering,
but when the proceedings began the gal
leries had few empty seats. Convention
leaders were enthusiastic over the show
ing made in the Coliseum and made the
claim that no better looking, substantial
set of delegates ever was seen on the
floor of a national political convention.
Work Of the national committee on
contested delegate cases caused a delay
of nearly threequarters of an hour in
the assembling of the convention. Dur.
ing the wait the delegates amused them
selves with songs and yells composed
for the occasion, while a band up near
the flag-draped steel rafters and a Grand
Army fife and drum corps on the stage
We'd with each other in playing patriotic
airs.
There was a great cheer as Senator
Dixon, national chairman of the party,
raped for order. This was repeated
later when the call for the convention
was read, and there was even greater
enthusiasm when former Senator Bever-
idge was presented as the choice of the
national committee for temporary chair.
man. The formaity of electing Senator
Beveridge was not necessary, and amid
renewed acclaim he was escorted to a
place on the stage, decorated with a
gold badge and handed the convention
gavel.
Beverage Is Courteous.
Senator Beverage then delivered his
keynote speech. He spoke for more than
an hour and a half, expressing some of
the advanced ideas of government adopt
ed by the new party and paving the way
for even more progressive proposals to
be made to the convention by Col. Roose-
welt. The temporary chairman was given
the closest attention throughout. Once
he mentioned President Taft in his con-
nection with his approval of the Payne
tariff law, and instantly there came a
storm of jeers and groans from the
crowd. Every few minutes Senator Bey.
eridge was interrupted by applause.
The former senator from Indiana made
a most courteous presiding officer, and
once when a premature motion to ad.
journ was made, he begged pardon of the
delegate for not recognizing him at the
time, promising attention a little later
in the session.
The usual standing committees were
appointed in the usual way and then be-
fore the days proceedings were brought
to a close James R. Garfield of Ohio
moved appointment of a committee of
fifteen to invite Col. Roosevelt to appear
before the convention at noon Tuesday.
The motion was carried with q whoop.
Col. Roosevelt, not being a delegate,
did not attend the opening session.
Women Are Featured.
A decided feature of the convention
was the large number of women dele
gates. This called forth great cheering
when the temporary chairman reached
that part of his speech advocating suf-
frage. A big banner inscribed Votes
for Women" was hung from one of the
balcony rails.
Massachusetts, gave one of the women
delegates a place on the resolutions COM
mittee which will draft the party plat
form.
Tuesdays session of the convention
promises to be largely one of speech
making, with Col. R~oosevelt's confession
Of faith" as the center of interest. The
adoption of a platform and the nomina-
ton of presidential and vice-presidential
candidates will come Wednesday.
One form of demonstrative approval
adopted by the delegates was in imita-
ton of the bawl of the Bull Moose, a
LONG "mnn.n The head of a hull MOOSE