The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-07-04

MiItonW. B'unenberg Has Served
:. Long as Big PARTIES Reporter.
A JOB FULL OF yExATIoNs,
Official Record Of Political PROCEEDINGS
Has Been Employed at Capitol In
Washington For More Than Two
Decades. /

Washington For More Than Two
Decades. !
The familiar features Of Milton w.
Blumenberg appeared again at the
quadrennial gathering of Democrats
and Republicans to nominate presiden-
tial tickets. Mr.. Blumenberg is the
official reporter Of both conventions.
| He first reported a national conven-
ton in 1900 at Philadelphia, when the
Republicans nominated Mckinley and
Roosevelt. He has reported every Re-
publican national convention since
then and was unanimously chosen for
the work again this year. In 1904 he
reported the Democratic convention at
st. Louis. Four years later he report
ed the gathering at Denver, and he.
has been designated for the work at
Baltimore. The official reporter of the
national convention is chosen by the
committee on arrangements Of the ma
t1onal committee.
Mr.. Blumenberg is about forty -one
years old, a native Of Baltimore and
began his work as a stenographer at
the capitol in 1886 as amanuensis to
| the official reporters. He has been
continuously employed on official re-
porting at the capitol ever since.
Recorded Famous Cases.
Blumenberg has reported the argu-
| ments in many of the most important
cases heard before the United States
supreme court, notably the income tax
case, a case involving the Idaho statute
relating to the Mormon test oath, the
famous Greer county land case in Tex
as and other court work. He was the
official reporter for the Virginia consti-
tutional convention, for the merchant
| marine commission, Of which Senator
Gallinger was chairman and which Wis
tied the leading seaports of the United
States in 1904 to report on the legisla-
tive needs of the merchant marine; for
the Hawaiian joint commission and for
the immigration commission which
went to Europe in 1907 to Investigate
and report on immigration matters.
he has reported almost every impor-
tant contested election case in the SEN
| ate that has arisen since he joined the
staff Of official reporters. including the
cases of Senators Quay of Pennsylva-
! mia, Clark of Montana, Smoot of Utah,
Stephenson of Wisconsin and Lorimer
! of Illinois.
The national committees of the re-
spective political parties make a con-
| tract with Mr.. Blumenberg to prepare
the official report of the convention.
and he organizes his staff and is per-
sonally responsible for submitting to
the committee within as brief a time
as possible after the adjournment of
| the convention complete official re-
port Of the proceedings, which after it
has been approved is published and
| becomes a permanent record Of the
| work Of the convention.
The Strain Of Convention.
This involves more than merely TAX
ing shorthand notes Of the proceedings.
1t requires weeks Of time after the con-
vention to verify names, votes and the
forms Of resolutions and amendments
offered from time to time in the midst
of great confusion and frequently in
the midst of scenes Of great excitement
In the remarkable all night session
at the st. Louis convention of 1904.
when Judge Alton B. Parker was nom-
mated by the Democrats and when
William J. Bryan left a sickbed to
make personal appeal to the dele
gates, Blumenberg was on his feet
taking shorthand notes Of the proceed
ings from 8 O'clock at night until
o'clock in the morning.
The official reporter of a national
convention finds it impossible to sit
down to do his work during the great
er part of the time. He must be on the
floor Of the convention instead of on
the platform so that he may rush to
any part Of the convention floor to
verify names or to catch the words of
speech delivered from the floor or
the wording Of a motion that may be
uttered in tone so low that it could
not be caught by reporter sitting on
the platform.
Fine Discrimination Required.
An instance is recalled Of a we'll
known politician from a western state
who delivered an eloquent nominating
speech for presidential candidate at
a national convention held within the
last quarter Of century. He showed
much resentment when the official re-
porter waited on him and asked to be
supplied with the manuscript Of his re-
marks for the official record
'Sir, my speech was impromptu-
every word Of it" he said. "- i
But the official reporter, trained in
his work, knew very we'll that the
speech was not impromptu; but. to con-
firm his own suspicious he applied to
the official reporter of a press associa-
ton to ask his judgment as to whether
the speech was impromptu or pre-
pared effort. The press association
man promptly supplied the official re-
porter with printed advance copy of
the speech, which the delegate had
thoughtfully supplied to the press as
ISOLATION for publica ton.
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