Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-14
CLARK AND ROOSEVELT
 VIOLATED PRECEDENT
SHATTERED UNWRITTEN LAW WHEN THEY ATTENDED PAR. TY NATIONAL GONVEN-
 TIONS.
Many Occasions Where Men Attended Who Were Made Party
 Nominees.
(By Sidney Epsey.D

Washington, July 13-Besides fur nishing excitement unprecedented in the political annals of tn United States the national Democratic and Republi- can conventions have shattered an un- written la Wof political etiquette that has held sway since the first days of the Republic. This tenet embraces that portion of American political dip lomacy that prohibits prospective presidential candidate from attending the convention at which there is chance of his being nominated. The rule was violated by both Theodore Roosevelt and Champ Clark.
 When the Colonel announced his intention of invading Chicago much space was devoted to the subject His invasion was regarded by his follow CTS as characteristic of the push and aggressiveness of the sage of Saga more Hill; while his enemies regarded his presence in tn econvention city as another instance of that careless ness of conventional custom which has so strongly marked his career. At the time it was conceded that he was the only man in public life nj bound custom of political diplomacy and "get away with it. He had been so consistently successful in dCing things that never had been done be- fore that there was a remote possi- bility of his latest bold achievement bearing fruit Newspaper editors, therefore, were on a tiptoe of excite ment to lear nof the success or failure of his latest venture.
 It was thought that when he arriv- ed in Chicago, his vivid personality and hold upon the people would prove nothing less than dynamic in it's in fluence. He was pictured in the light of a political giant who would ride roughshod over the convictions Of the delegates, grasp the convention by the throat. and choke it into nominating him.
 MT. Roosevelt, however, went quiet ly into Chicago, held two or three more or less somnolent interviews with his political, packers and turned around and very quietly departed without the nomination.
 A still later infraction of this un- written rule of political diplomacy was the invasion of Baltimore by Champ Clark. MT. Rlark made even less noise than Mir. Roosevelt In fact, he arrived in the convention city all most unheralded and while there oc- cupied such an incons picuous position on the Chesapeake without receiving even press notice. He also depart ed without the nomination.
 It would seem viewing these two un- successful trips in the light of pre- cendent, that conservatism as to pOli- tical etiquette has at last been placed l upOIl SO oSCule plHAelClC lHdI IL lo extremely unlikely that the candidates for the future will attempt to sway national conventions by their personal appearance There is, in fact, little use in a candidate violating this un- written law. In the first place, the voters of the United States have come to entertain the opinion that if a man has any supporters at all in great national convention, he should stay at his own fireside and wait there for the news.
 This custom Wa sinaugurated by General Washington, along with sev- eral others and it is as we'll establish ed as the third term precedent. There are, however, circumstances under which it has been inadvertently vio lated and under which it can be vio- lated without fear of criticism.
 For instance, Colonel William Jen- nings Bryan, who occupies the same relative position with respect to the 1 Democratic party as does NOlOnel Roosevelt to his party, of course at tended the Baltimore convention. He i was not an avowed candidate at the outset.
 A few conventions have entertained candidates unawares and caught them mapping. A notable example of this was the convention that nominated James A. Garfield.
 Mr. Garfield was member of Con- gress and stood we'll in his party, but no one had thought of him as presi- dential timber till he rose in the con- vention to make the speech nOminat- ing his candidate. It was a strong speech in which eloquence and com mon sense were so pleasingly mingled tbot hv tho tima tho ,lrOrotiOn was