Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-06-27
NATIONAL CONVENTION
As Viewed by Mrs. Francis King Who
Spent Last Week in Chicago.

! As an interested spectator at the
. Republican National Convention in
/ Chicago last week may | give you a
/ few impressions of the great specta-
Gle? Mr.. King was fortunate i'll hav-
! ing two very excellent seats III the
= second row of the balcony to the left
of the speakers platform seats from
which we could see and hear every
! thing. Chairs were at premium
| throughout the whole convention.
| The great Coliseum seats eleven
thousand people and wa. always COM
pletely filled. The cold weather
| throughout the week was providen
tial; always a comfortable breeze
blew from Lake Michigan.
The first figure 10 catch my eye
as Mr.. w. J. Bryan whose genial
smile was visible from his place
among the representatives of the
press Beside him on Saturday all
day long sat Mrs. Bryan, a stout,
comely woman in a broad straw hat
18th a wreath of green leaves about
it, Mr.. Bryan whose place was be-
side the railing of the main isle i'll
front of the platform held a CON
slant informal reception o. men who
reached up to shake his hand. And
on Saturday afternoon at four when
Mr.. Bryan left the hall to take his
train to Baltimore for the Demo-
cratic Convention, he received a great
round of hand-clapping from many
Of the spectators who noticed him
as he passed out
Mrs Longworth and her husband
sat near one of the exits and watch
ed all the proceedings with great at
tention. A young Roosevelt son,
Archie, was always on hand in seat
back of the platform-a nice looking
boy of perhaps sixteen.
Mr. Root always distinguished
looking man held the convention in
his hand by his firm manner, his abb
solute knowledge of the conducting
of such proceedings, and the sharp
raps of the gavel which he gave from
time to time. Near him sat Repre-
sentative Olmstead of Pennsylvania
whose krrowiedge of parliamentary
law is so remarkable Among those
on the platform were Senator Murray
Crane whose whispered consultations
with Senator Root were constant.
Frank B. Kellogg, the trust-buster,
a fine looking white haired man, was
on the speakers platform. Mrs Kel-
logg a pretty and charming woman
sat two seats away from us and clap
red vigorously whenever the Roose
welt forces appeared to gain a point.
Mrs. Medill Mccormick the daughter
of Mark Hanna, was on her feet often
clapping and cheering when Roose-
velt's rame came up. A good look
ing woman tall and dark, in bright
rose-colored linen dress with large
white hat which she removed dur
ing the sessions.
On Thursday we had two surprises
for as soon as we were in our seats
t ten in the morning, and prayer had
been offered, by a chaplain, the con-
vention adjourned to meet at four
that day. AT four, the same perform
ance was repeated and sounds of dis
aoDcintment and disgust was heard
on all sides. 1t was at this time that
the most singular of all singular
things to happen in an Anglo-SaX-
on audience took place-The short
prayer with which the clergyman of
the day opened the session was APP
pauded by several hundred specta-
tors and a few of the delegates-A
most inconceivable happening it
seemed to me.
During a lively demonstration for
Mr.. Roosevelt on Saturday after the
announcement of his message to his
delegates read by Mr. Allen of Kan
sas, it was amusing to see the Taft
delegates actually holding on with
both hands to the posts supporting
the name of their state for fear the
Roosevelt delegates, then marching in
the aisles might cary off these names
in their excited procession. The
"toot toot' of the "steam-roller" was
often heard from the Roosevelt dele
gates and caused some anxious coun-
tenances to blossom out into smiles.
Who knows what valuable part few
played in convention were bitter
feelings were so much in evidence
and where there seemed to be con-
s-ant danger OF physical outbreak
The feeling during the first session
of the convention was highly nervous
and no noe knew what might or
might not happen-everybody was
looking for trouble and there was
more than one earnest glance at the
groups of policemen on the main
floor among the delegates and the
single ones patrolling the galleries
Peace and comparative quiet prevail
ed however, partly owing to the very
marvellous control which chairman
Root had from the very start over
this vast concourse of people. The
sight of so many people in one build