The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-07
LONG CONVENTION
COST S1,5OO,OOO
1rasping Merchants Squeezed
Cash From Delegates, Who
Could Not Escape.

LOUD NOT Escape.
Baltimore. July e.-one and half
million dollars Of money CHANGED
hands during the Democratic conven-
ton. just for tho necessities Of con-
yentlon l!fc. or course. there are GER
tain thineA In the convention life
which would pass az Injuries at times
less unusual. Which is to say. tina,
man Gnd corporations gathering at
conventions are either forced or
or moved b. exc!temen, to spend
money at ratio which would s,if-
zen the auditors department, OF tneir
souls with horror a, any o.ao. time.
But sl.5oo.ooo is conservative Tor what
was spen, in Baltimore during seven
days
Suppose YOU were q delegate from
town on the main iae wnere abou,
TWO trains e day In each direction
stop, ard suppose YOU had saved UP
about go in the las, four years be-
cause YOU wanted to see q Democrats
President named, one VINO had q
chance 20 be elected. ana because the
district chairman had announced TIA,
II you could pay your own expenses
YOU could SO. slppose. further. that
you have found room IN Baltimore
which cost you three dollars day.
and when you go, here YOU found It
was not three dollars t. week and
d!du't include board. and YOU found
yourself spending more money every
nGlt- nour than YOU could earn In t.
days labor al nome. and that YOU
thanked all that was good and holy
that you had q return ticket and three
were still sandwiches to be bought
for cents.
Suppose all that, and then think
how YOU would feel when the Demo
cratic convention adjolrned over sun
day with the very fair prospect that
it might sim be going FOR another
week.
II you have followed the hypothetical
question idea properly YOU are in ex-
actiy tho state " mind OF scores OF
unfortunate men Who sat with their
heads in tAcir hands in Baltimore.
some of them We're living on loans from
fellow delegates Many sold their re-
turn tickets 10 scalpers ana livtd on tho
proce eds. and did not know how they
would get home. Many sat on park
benches through the balmy Maryland
night, oleary-eyed and graytaced.
No Talk of bribery.
1t Is 20 til. honor OF this convention
that there We're no hints that any OF
the candidates sought to take advar-
tase of the evil opportunity TO tempt
delegates Both the Wilson and Clark
headquarters invited the.r delegates TO
call ana tel their troubles. but the
offers were made in the open and car
ried no suspicion Of crooked bargains.
In many delega tons, especially
among the Underwood delegations of
the South, which are not bound by the
unit rule and where the absence of a
delegate means the loss OF a vote, the
Der from being forced to go home be-
cause he could not afford 10 stay
longer
Some of tho expense items seemed
trivial. but summed up they total a
surpristnS amount. III the irss place
there We're lose delegates in the con-
vention. The average cost OF the del
cgatc getting here and nome is some
thing over $50 each. And risht there
Ss2 60 has been devoted to patriotism.
cts irndc Lavish Expenditures.
They arrived in city which bad APP
propriatod 500. 900 a. an !nducement 10
bring the convention TO Baltimore ana
had actually spent whole lot more.
Besides putting this money at the disposal
Of the national committee, the city gave
the use OF tile great armory where the con-
sention ~ held 1t spent nearly $4,000 re-
paving the streets near the building, pant
Ing trees on the lawns. which mus; die IN
week TWO because they were set In the
ground at an understandable time and turn
Ing the great drill hall into a wonderful
auditorium with vast galleries an Imposing
Speakers platform and many rooms for
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