The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-18
Noise of Delegation Yells
browns Out the Band.
ALL BANNERS ARE REMOVED
AS Soon as They Are Set Up
on Floor.
California Comes in Minus tho
Two Taft Men.

cry corner, at every door and in every
aisle was the distinguishing feature of
the scene of the Coliseum in the early
hours before the doors were opened
to ticket holders. The nervous tension
due to general expectation of tumul-
tuous scenes from the drop of the
hat at the opening of the Republican
national convention was very apparent
on all Sides The police were as ner-
vous as anybody else. 1t was difficult
even for persons with proper tickets,
including newspaper men, to get into
the hall. Assistant Sergeants-at-armS
doorkeepers, ushers and other subor-
dinate officials were so keenly alive to
| the possibilities that their hands trem-
| bled as they took tickets and ushers
| showed people their seats with furtive
| glances about them as if there We're
something explosive just under their
feet.
Along the front row, between the
body of delegates seats and the plat
form, a solid row of uniformed police,
as early as 9:Ho M, sat waiting
for-nobody k""rrs what.
Last touches w the carpenters
mingled with the noise of hammers
and a buzz of conversation, forerpn-
ners of the heavier hammering. prom
ised when the convention began.
At 1918 a. m. the band in the Coli
scum began to play MY Country 'Tfs
of Thee and the people began to
stream into the Coliseum.
First Notes of the Band.
The band was in it's place by $3.50
far up above the gallery at the north
end of the hall opposite the platform.
The first notes echoed among the
steel girders in the great hall. BY the
time the doors were opened at 10 the
crowd outside had become dense, but
the police kept it moving. No kind
of eloquence, no argument. no plaus-
ibIe story of imperative business on
that side of the street was of avail.
Every policeman had to be shown"
the right kind of a ticket at the
right door. There were Chicago poll
ticians who had not been able to get
tickets, but who thought they had
pull" No sort of pull, no sort of To-
cal pull, at any rate, was OF any use;
hall, such as it looked, could hold
nearly $4,000 persons. Yet that IS
only a few more than the total-other
Withstanding the Coliseum will
hold as arranged for this convention.
Seats platform, press benches, alsles,
runways, ETC., are figured to holG
cIudes for 1920 in the body of the
hall: 1890 on the platform; $50 SER
geants at arms; 500 policemen and
four hundred messengers. ushers and
pages.
Plain Clothes Men Enter.
Five minutes later a thin procession
of men in plain clothes came in. As
sistant sergeants at arms they were,
but the police pounced on them as If
thew were a hostile army.
Col w. F. Stone, sergeant-at-arn1s o.
the convention, who was on tip toe all
morning with so1icitude for the main.
tenance of peace and smooth fulfillment
of orders, had his assistants quickly
ordered out of the aisles and seats.
The soft click of the secret sounders''
of the newspapers telegraph man be-
gan to be audible near the platform
about 10 o'clock; the press section with
it's upward of 400 was filling up; the
convention hall STORY" of the Republi-
can convention of 1912 was streaming
out to the newspapers of the civilized
world.
Repeating System Dead.
At 1916 the band broke in with
America a few persons heard the
tune and stood up with heads barred.
A bit later when the musicians struck
up 1.-The Star Spangled Banner many
more persons caught the air and
stood.
BY 1920 there were many in the
hall including some of the New York,
Mississippi and Texas delegates. Out
side We're hundreds of people who
found it impossible to get in.
''The repeating system has been
killed." said an assistant sergeant at
arms, "and they have found no way to
overcome H.
Every ticket holder passed muster
three times before he found his place.
At the last he surrendered his days
cannon and no means remained to help
a friend.
Fifteenth Republican Convention.
Chicago, June 18.-Warring Taft and
Roosevelt forces gathered at the Coli
scum today for the opening of the
fifteenth Republican national conven-
ticn. with battle lines on both sides
apparently holding firm and with lead
ers and delegates predicting that the
session would mark an epoch in the
annals of American politics.
Rarely have the principals in a ma
t:oraI political convention met under
greater stress of feeling than that
which prevailed today. The atmos-
pfere was electric with bitterness and
personal animosity.
Thousands of people who were un-
able to obtain seats at the convention
thronged hotel lobbies and the imme-
diate vicinity of the Coliseum with the
idea that a sensation of one sort or
another would develop in the big hall
at any moment. Many political vet
Grams said it was the worst crush of
humanity in their convention expert
ences.
Plans for the Fight.
President Taft's managers concIud-
ed their plans for the fight on the
floor of the convention on the assump-
ton that the temporary roll as pre-
pared by the national committee
would show a Taft majority by small
temporary roll of the committee would
r11oo,,,a the foYf1 Dnrarv roll of the o0u-