The Washington herald., 1916-06-08
BY K. G. HILL
1suu News Seryiee.e


Chicago, June The sixteenth national
convention OF the Republican party as,
sembled at ii o'clock this morning In the
Coliseum, sat listless for two hours and
adjourned until II o'clock tomorrow morn
ing
Its dullness was unspeakable. Nothing
availed to stir the delegates from their
Iassitude. They came as IL entering a
house of mourning. They left as softly
and as silently.
The name of not a single candidate was
offered for applause. The partisans of
Hughes, of Roosevelt, of Root, of Bur
ton-of all the rest-were dumb. It was
an amazing thing. In other Republican
conventions, no mater what the political
situation. there was always half an hour
of roaring enthusiasm before the dele
gates settled down to routine work. The
only name that was cheered this morning
was the name of Lincoln and that was a
mere patter OF hands and flutter of
voices
The leaders of the party in selecting
Senator Warren G. Harding. of Ohio. to
deliver the opening address-the cam
paign keynote-were sure they had found
the very man to illuminate enthusiasm
to Eft the delegates and visitors to a
great height of zeal and party devotion.
They were disappointed. Senator Hard
lng's speech fell flat.
Speaks More Than Hour.
The Senator gave them a good, old
fashioned Republican speech, with a few
new trimmings, but 1t was of no use.
He spoke for one hour and seven min
utes and at the end he was mildly ap-
plauded for twelve seconds. No one can
exactly explain what was the matter.
Some persons think that perhaps the Re-
publicans are trying so hard for harmony
that they have lost their spirit; that
they are afraid to make a loud noise for
fear Of hurting somebody's feelings. The
delegates are ready to march and cheer
and act like live men instead of num-
mics, but there seems to be no one to
give them the necessary cue-to tell them
when to cheer and what about
The doors of the Coliseum were open
at o'clock this morning, and from then
on there was fairly steady stream OF
delegates and visitors into the big build
ing. band or two did its best to arouse
dropping spirits, but had poor success.
Hall CLOVIS with CoIor,.
The great spaces of the Coliseum glowed
with the national Colors. Flags were
draped along the two tiers of galleries.
Flags hung at regular intervals from the
ceiling. Flags were looped and rosetted
upon the south wall as background for
an oil portrait OF Abraham Lincoln. life
size painting upon which the light from
shaded incandescents fell softly 1t was
the only picture OF a Republican leader
of the past or present that had been
placed in the hall.
Miss Anne Morgan a uest.
Back of the speakers platform upon
the general elevation, are the seats of
the national committeeman and OF the
special guests, who included at this ses-
sion of the convention Miss Anne Morgan
and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. and Henry
w. Taft. Charles .. Eilles. chairman
of the national committee, occupied the
first chair of the first row, just back of
Temporary Chairman Harding, and Muir
ray Crane, OF Massachusetts, was in his
favorite place just back of Hilles. Touch
ing elbows with these were Franklin
Murphy, Of New Jersey; Reed Smoot, of
Utah; Warren, OF Wyoming, and Barnes,
of New York. 1t was a very neat and
handy arrangement for the board of
strategy.
Calm Remains Unbroken.
At 1890 a. m. the Coliseum was practi-
cally filed and yet there had been no
demonstration of any sort to break the
singular calm
One began to hear from every side:
What's the matter with the Republicans
this year," It was a question which went
unanswered. AS the minutes passed
and men whose faces were absolutely
familiar came into the hall, the expecta-
ton was that the proceedings would liven
up. Nothing happened.
When California arrived, delegates and
visitors might have applauded out of
sheer gallantry Mrs. Olive c. Cole, of
Los Angeles, who is 81 years of age, and
Mrs Abbie 2. Krebs, of San Francisco,
who are the. two women delegates from
that State, but no recognition whatever
was given to the unusual and interesting
fact of women delegates in one of the
great party conventions.
AS usual with conventions, this
gathering was slow to get down toI
business. Just enough of the dele
gates were seated to make it possible
for National Chairman Hilles to call
the delegates to order at the scheduled
hour of IL a. m. Mr.. Hilles tried to
get things started at 1882 a. m, and
whacked down his gavel right man
fully. but the aisles were still crowded
Hilles Opens Convention.
Barnes, of New York. recovered from
his ptomaine poisoning illness was
especially conspicuous at the ear of
Mr.. Hilles, but more eyes followed
Crane. of Massachusetts. who slipped
here and there. and all around. so un-
obtrusively thatit was easy, indeed, to
lose him unless one looked mighty
sharp. At 1875 a. m. the gathering