Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-07-01
WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER
By Arthur w. Dunn

]
Although senators and members Of
congress have returned to their CON
gressional duties. the talk is still about
| the recent conventions, and specula-
lions continue as to the political
/ strength of the two different tickets
nominated at Chicago ana St. Louis.
! Of course it was known that the
! Democrats would nominate the old
| ticket, and 1t is generally acknowl-
! edged among members Of that party
that they expected Roosevelt to be the
nominee Of the Republicans. That
such was expected might be indicated
from careful reading Of the speech
of Governor Glynn as temporary chair.
man. 1t was evident that this speech
prepared something like ten DAYS in
advance, had In mind a Republican
candidate OF a militant type. The re-
marks fit Roosevelt very close.
Wise Nominations.
/ -Four years ago the impartial OBJ
| server said that the Democrats at Bal.
| timore made the wisest choice In nam
| AA@to oCfEAAiOA W h5OAl. 1uOSc SdEle OD-
servers would say now that the Re
| publicans made the wisest nomination
at Chicago.
! With all due Difference to all the
other candidates, with acknowledg-
ment of the high standing and per-
sonal integrity of every man who
was placed before the Chicago conven-
ton, 1t must be said by those who
! know that the convention made a Sc
| lection which was more acceptable TO
| the people and to the majority of dele
| gates than would have been that of
any other man.
One Man Domination.
OF course there was talk about one
man domination at the st Louis CON
vention. But what of it? What else
could be expected when the president
was to be renominated and the cam
paign made upon his policies? OF
course he wanted the proceedings shap-
ed to suit his ideas.
1t Is not the first time that one man
has dominated national conventions
Bryan has dominated two Democratic
conventions, and Roosevelt has doml-
mated two. Both of these men were
as powerful In the conventions they
controlled as Wilson was in the recent
convention at st. Louis The conyen
ton at St. Louis had but one idea. and
that was to do what President Wilson
wanted. 1t may sound like machine
methods. but conventions are frequent
ly run by machinery, ana in most cases
everything IS well creased so as to
cause the least friction.
Rows Make News.
The 500 newspaper men VINO went to
! st. Louis fee, that they We're bunkoed
TO some extent. They had so little to
| do and found SO little to write about
that they might just as well have re-
! manned at home, Rows make news.
/ Disturbances, the unexpected, diEagree-
mcnts. midnight conferences, combina-
/ tons to beat some one or to nominate
! some one-that is what makes conven-
| tons great things in newspaper
! sense. cut and dried" they all said
many times. Why, of course! No one
really expected anything more. Those
newspaper men were looking for the
unexpected and were disappointed.
Some Sore Spots.
Now. here Is a queer thing: There
were really more sore spots after the
! St Louis convention among the dele
/ gates than after the Chicago conven-
/ ton among the delegates. Perhaps
half hundred very disappointed men
/ who supported Roosevelt left the con
/ vention hall in Chicago but they ex-
/ pected defeat. At no time did any real
/ live man who was supporting ROose-
/ welt expect that he would he nominal
ed In the Republican convention.
! Now MS 10 the sore spots as the out
/ growth Of the Democratic convention
( They resulted from little things. Men
did not get the recognition they want
/ ed; they were held In leash too tight
/ ly; they felt that they had lost their
individuality as representatives of the
people and were simply meeting to
obey the mandate of one master mind
/ And yet those men went there knowing
that would happen.
A Conspicuous Person.
For twenty years John l. Martin of
St Louis has been conspicuous fig
ure III Democratic national conven-
lions He has been sergeant-at-arms
OF the conventions in all that time. and
he is always In evidence right behind
the speaker or presiding officers. trying
to maintain order when order Is nee
esSary and the cheer leader when
cheers are wanted.
my Last Convention"
This is my last convention" is q
remark that l heard in both Chicago
aud ST Louis sometimes made by men
OF advanced years. but occasionally by
men who have determined that no