Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-06-07
Organize With
Senator Harding as the
Temporary Chairman, and
Committees Are Appointed

Coliseum. Chicago. June Under
the handicap Of drab. dull day. with
q rain-soaked assemblage, the repub-
lican national convention got under
way today. The weather was plainly
on the nerves OF the delegates. who
quieted down at i1:2s when Chair
man HIlles' gavel fell 2S minutes af-
ter the time set.
II was not until Temporary Chair
man Harding had gotten we'll along
In his keynote speech that the air
really warmed up. The ohioan. re-
pnted to be one OF the handsomest
men In the United States senate. and
q polished speaker. drew the first old
fashioned hall-rocking. spontaneous
applause when, having warmed up
himself and warmed his rain-soaked
audience. he pleaded for navy that
fears none In the world" applause
that lasted through a minute Of fren-
zied cheers greeted his declaration
that the United States should not be
too proud to dgbt."
Harding greeted an audience that
was wet and cold, freezing with ap-
preaching colds and uncomfortable In
the musty atmosphere Of the great
hall. He got merely . polite receD-
tloun at FIRST. but as his polished
phrases sank into the audience he
gradually warmed the air.
The 1900 began to forget their
snitfles. their cold feet and wet
clothes.
The republicans convened without
any sign Of any sort Of agreement on
the candidate whom they will select.
II was still Hughes and Roosevelt and
Burton and Fairbanks and all the
rest. with nobody knowing exactly
what would happen. There was no
doubt that the G. o. P. convention
was nightly interested In what was
happening and about to happen at the
Auditorium. where those who broke
the bonds four years ago were hold
Ing conference,
That there would be an attempt for
q get-together meeting of committees
from both conventions was certain.
At least one resolution was to be In
troduced suggesting a combination Of
interests.
II was ll:2S when Chairman
Hilles' gavel fell. Contrary to the
usual situation, he had little trouble
In obtaining quiet, the. delegates APP
pearing eager to assist in getting the
show under way.
This is a year." he said, what
ever may have been true OF past
years. when politics is patriotism and
patriotism Is politics, Therefore the
audience will please arise and sing
America"
Prayer was then offered by Rev,
John Timothy Stone, OF Chicago.
The divine prayed for peace. ask
Ing blessings for the deliberations Of
the meeting and pleading for mo
hasty or ill-spoken words"
May the men Of our choice be
those OF your choice" he said.
Secretary James b. Reynolds next
read the Official call for the conven-
ton. being greeted with good-natured
applause. The reading was not
audible to more than 80 persons,
Chairman Hilles next presented
Senator Warren G, Harding OF Ohio
as temporary chairman. taking
single sentence for this function.
Harding's name got q goodly burst
of applause.
'IIilles appointed az o committee to
escort the Ohioan to the platform,
Crane. Borah and Mckinley of
Illinois. u N
Somebody yelled that Borah had
not arrived. and Crane and Mckinley
then undertook athe Job alone. As
Harding's well known figure appear
cd on the platform the tirst real spon-
tapeous applause came. He began
reading his speech at exactly li.45.