Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-05

Il Z
CHICAGO, August 5.-The national pro-
gressive party began it's active career
here today, when the first session of the
national convention was held in the Coli
scum. Former Senator A. ]. Beveridge of
Indiana was elected temporary chairman
and made keynote speech. Col. Roose-
welt will not attend the convention until
tomorrow. The big Coliseum, transformed
from the battle-ground of the repub-
lican national convention to the meet
ing place OF the new national progress
i've party. was thrown open shortly
before IL o'clock today, but it was
nearly an hour after that time before
the first Of the delegates began to ar
rive. They filtered in slowly at first,
in ones and twos. Then came the big
| phalanx of delegates from Pennsyl-
vania. singing We'll Hank Boies Pen
rose to a Sour Apple Tree, As We Go
Marching On"
The Pennsylvanians got a demon
strative welcome.
Popular Interest Lacking.
The galleries of the hall were all
but empty as the hour set for the con-
vention approached and spectators
were coming In slowly.
The scene In the hall. except for the
lack of a jam in the galleries, was almost
Identical with that Of the republican con-
vention- The seating arrangements for
the delegates and alternates had been
changed but little. Many OF the stand
ards had been raised on the identiful
spots where they stood during the tumul-
tuous convention which renomirated
President Taft. New York. Ohio and
Pennsylvania had front-row places.
California, pioneer state in the Roose-
welt movement, was promoted to a promi-
ment front position at the right of the
stage.
Hall Gayly Decorated.
The hall was gayly decorated with flags
and bunting. The big sounding board
suspended by wires over the speakers
| stand attracted much attention. 1t had
| been constructed particularly for Col.
| Roosevelt's speech tomorrow afternoon,
but similarly assisted everybody else, in
cluding the reading and tally clerks.
Large canvas portraits were q feature
| OF the decorations. Back of the stage
| were those Of Washington, Jefferson and
| Lincoln. The portrait OF Jefferson had
| been labeled Jackson, but the mistake
was rectified before the convention was
| called to order. At the left Of the stage
| was portrait of Hamilton and at the
| right one of Andrew Jackson, at first
| labeled Jefferson
The Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln
| portraits have been linked on all the
convention tickets and badges.
suspended from the band gallery at the
far end of the hall. where all could see.
was an oil painting Of Col Roosevelt. The
artist did not at all flatter the progressive
leader.
/ Over the main entrance was a stuffed
head of splendid specimen of a bull
moose.
Delegates Full of Enthusiasm.
| Shortly after noon delegates began to
arrive at the hall in increasing num-
bers They came in singing and shout
ing In their enthusiasm. Three cheers
were ready for almost any proposition
suggested. They were loudest and long,
est. however, when some newly arrived
delegate would jump to chair and yell
"Hurrah and three cheers for Teddy"
| The Delaware delegation was cheered
when il arrived at the hall, the chair
man carrying a banner with the in
scription:
| Delaware Progressives. Watch Us
Grow
| CALIFORNIA; delegation. CARRYING the
same banners they used at the re-
publican convention. and each member
with a red bandana about his neck,
was greeted with prolonged cheers.
Il
among the ceiling girders. regaled the
assemblage with popular and patriotic
airs, vying at times with a Grand
Army fife and drum corps stationed on
the stage.
The New Jersey delegation came in
shouting the same yell they used so
often at the republican conventions:
''Rah. Rah. Rec. who are we?
We are the delegates from New Jer-see
Are we in 1t? Just you wait
Till we give Teddy % straight"
New Jerseys New Battle Hymn.
The New Jersey delegates brought a
new battle hymn with them. which,
like the Pennsylvania ditty on the
subject Of hanging Boies Penrose TO
a sour apple tree. was set to the tune
of the Battle Hymn OF the Republic .
This is the way 1t ran:
1.-The grand old party is molderIns in the
II e.me and .lyed the nation bur ,,,.,, :, c.,.
| not save.
It's Barnes plaything and It's Guggenheim's
| slave,
But we go marching
''The bull moose Is coming. Can't you hear hi.
Il warlike tread.
\ The elephant and donkey are a-tremblinr with
4 dread.
Their game is up. we've got 'cm licked they
i know that they are dead,
As 90 marching on
Dixon Twenty Minutes Late.
| At 1920 Senator Dixon of Montana. ma
i ffnn1l chairman of the new Marty whn