New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-08
COP. RUSHES
ORGANIZATION
Chairman Harding G
Sounds Keynote as
Convention Opens.

Chicago. June THE Republican
National Convention assembled in the
Coliseum to-day, heard keynote
speech delivered by Senator Warren
G. Harding, OF Ohio, perfected an or
ganization and adjourned until II
o'clock tomorrow morning. II all took
just two hours. and its lack OF demon
stration or outbursts of any kind and
its strict attention to the business in
hand were reminiscent of the Philadel-
phia convention Of 1900 that nominated
Mckinley and Roosevelt
For one hour and twenty minutes
Senator Harding, temporary chairman.
delivered carefully prepared speech,
punctuated in the telling points with
periods of hand clapping and applause,
at time time did demonstration oc-
cupy more than half minute.
The convention was twenty-five min
utes behind the hour arranged for its
assembly, but when Chairman Hlles of
the Republican National Committee
brought down his eavel at 1925 O'Clock
it moved quietly and with precision un-
til adjournment at 1:25
Little Enthusiasm for Leaders.
Those Of the old-time leaders present
who used to march down the aisles to
their seats TO the tune of an uproar
walked in to-day almost unrecognized.
W. Murray Crane, Senator Lodge, Reed
Smoot and lot of the others came in
practically unnoticed. probably because
majority of the delegates did not
even know them by sight.
Chauncey Depew Was surrounded by
a small sdmirIng group, Senator Pen
rose got reception from his own dele
cation, Governor Whitman was recog
nized by some, but on the whole the
convention was more interested in
wondering what was going on in the
auditorium than 1t was in the arrival
of the men who hitherto have decided
what the convention should do with
itself.
At 11:2S o'clock Chairman Hill.s
brought down the gavel with three re
sounding whacks and quiet settled
down over the big hail.
THE hour Of IL o'clock having ar
rived and quorum being present"
said he. "the convention will be in
order. Paraphrasing a remark made
by the late President Mckinley, this is
,aybo
Of past years when politics is patriot
ism and patriotism is politics. There
fore the audience will please rise and
sing two verses OF America"
Galleries Join In Chorus.
The band launched into the air, and.
led by a male quartet, the floor and
galleries Joined in mighty chorus
that swept through the big Coliseum
There was a moment OF confusion at
the end Of the singing, as the dele
gates found their seats again, and then
the Rev John Timothy Stone, Of Chi
csgo. read prayer.
Secretary Reynolds read the call for
the convention. II was only a for
mality. None OF the delegates wanted
10 hear it. so they talked and moved
about while Mr.. Reynolds kept on.
That ended. Chairman Hillss presented
Senator Harding, OF Ohio, as tenn
porary chairman. and put the question.
A rolling chorus Of ayes" swept the
hall. and ex-senator Crane. Senator
Borah. OF Idaho, and Representative
W 3. Mckinley were appointed com
mittee to escort Mr.. Harding 70 the
platform. The Idaho delegation an
nounced that Senator Borsh was un
avoidably absent. so Mr.. Crane and
Mr.. Mckinley marched up with Mr..
Harding. His appointment was the
signal for the first genuine outburst
of applause, but II WAS brief, and he
plunged into his prepared speech, ap-
peaiing for harmony, counselling the
delegates that IL was not a time for
"recrimination but day of recon
secration."
Attacks on Wilson Cheered.
He spoke more than an hour. refer
ring seldom 20 his manuscript and in
terrupted frequently By applause and
cheers as he scored the Democratic
Administration for ineficisncy, incapa-
city and extravaganza. and declared
Continued en- page q. column