Semi-weekly herald., 1916-06-08
each other as brothers, not as polit-
ical enemy.

Gone today was the before -the-bat-
tie acrimony of four years ago which
centered about the smallest minutae
of the convention machinery.
Maybe the leareds of the Pro-
gressive and Republican gatherings
still maintained an air of aloofness
mixed with a curiosity as to what the
other side was doing, but there
wasn't nearly so much grim despera-
tion in the chase of the Southern del
egate, the pursuit of the elusive un-
pledged delegate or the jockying for
places on the permanent roll Of the
convention roster.
The business scheduled in both ma
tional gatherings is to be more of
less perfunctory today. Calling to
order. prayer, introductory speeches
by the national chairmen and the
setting to work of the convention
committees is about all either the
Republican or the Progressive leaders
expect to accomplish in the days
public sessions.
Tonight the Resolutions Commit
tees are expected to begin their long
grind of hearings and closed sessions.
leading up to the formulation of plat
forms.
1t was National Chairman Charles
d. Hilles whose gavel banged to or
der the Republican conclave, at noon
precisely. Hours before that minute
the great galleries of tn Coliseum
had been packed to their utmost ca
pacity.
A band tucked far up above in the
gallery footed cheeriully away at the
popular airs of the day and kept the
waiting thousands in good humor.
On the floor, were standards bear
ing the names of the states marked
off the space reserved for the actual
participants in this quadriennial fes-
tivity, the delegates were slower to
arrive.
There WAS Il constant roar of noise
from the floor and the galleries, the
bu1zing of thousands of voices blend
ed into one indescribable medley.
This bedlam of confusion and talk
and stamping of feet and whispering
and shouting rolled up to the speak
er's platform like a giant wave. The
niose of eight thousand sets of vocal
chords must be heard to be under
Stood words can't convey the impress
sion.
The delegates all alive to their
own importance and wearing vivid
badges proclaiming their right to
have voice in selecting the Republi-
can standard bearers, strolled in in
groups and squads and companies.
They clustered about in little knots,
buzzing away with the ever-unchang
ing gossip of national meeting.
On the speakers platform the offic- |
ers of the convention We're holding |
the little conferences chat really |
amounted to something.
Then came Charles D. Hilles |
There was vociferous outburst, n
sort of tidal wave of noise that dash
ed against the platform and finally
subsidized in what would have been
merely the murmur of expectation, if
it hadn't been for the fact that eight
or ten thousand murmurs of expsc-
tation from the audience blended to-
gether, made a fairly creditable
amount of noise.
Finally, BANG. went the gavel.
(Gavel by courtesy, be it understood,
since it was really gigantic mallet,
the only kind whose staccato 'raps
could be expected to penetrate the
convention noise.)
Chairman Hilles called the corven-
ton to order.
The noise subsidized a little. There
was more BANGS and BIFFS and
ultimately a sembance of order was
obtained and the Republican Conven-
tion of 1916 was in session.
Over in the Auditorium, very much
the same scenes were being enacted,
on a slightly smaller scale. The Aud
itorium was likewise packed, but 1t
wasn't nearly SO large hall as the
Coliseum and its theatre-lilae pro-
portions didn't create the impression
of vastness such as struck the on
locker on entering the barn-like in
terror of the Republican meeting
place.
The Progressive conclave was more
mixed, also. There were women del
egates. But there was the same