The Dermott news., 1916-06-08
RATIONAL GATHERING OPENED
 FORMALLY IN CHICAGO.
CROWD FILLS THE COLISEUM
Senator Harding of Ohio Is Elected Temporary Chairman and DeIiv- CTS the Keynote Speech-
 Committees Named.

opened It's great Quadrennial show tho national conventior-tOday before capacity house. Despite the fact that the proceedings of the first ses sion were 10 be only preliminary for malities, the people hockcd to tho Coliseum by the thousand and poured through the many entrances in solid streams for hours When Charles D Hilles. chairman of the national com. mittee. arose at eleven o'clock and took up the Gavel to call tho conven. ton to order there was not one yacan- seat fin the immense structure
 r was fine setting for an i'm. portant event The Coliseum was doc. Orated as never before. with flags and bunting draping the rirders and gal leries and covering all bare spots on the end walls. 1'p in q gallery at tho south end of tho hall brass band was pouring forth patriotic and popu. lar airs Back of the speakers ros. rum where sat Nr Hilles and h's working force of 25 men. were grouped many members Of the diplomatic corps who had come on from Wash. 'ngton. and the distinguished guests of tho convention. among them all liv- Ing evchairmen of Republican national conventions To tho right and lief. of these wcre placed the members Of the national committee and tner guests
 Tn the body of the hall. directly in front of the speakers stand. wcre tHe s9f delegates gathered about thNar sta'e standards and back of them 9el alternatcs Just below tho rostrum and on both sides of t were tho {25 working newspaper men and in tho galleries all around tho hall Were the thousands of spectators who had been fortunate "a obtain admission tickets
 Mr Hilles was heartily applauded when ho stood hofore the thronG gayel in hand Ue spoke hut briefly in calling the great gathering to or dor. and called on Rev John Timothy Stone pastor of the Fourth Preshy torian church Of Chicago. to deliver the Invocation Dr Stones eloquent and impressive prayer was followed by tho reading or the call for the convention by James B Reynolds ot Massachusetts. secretary of tho na tional committee
 Nr Uilles hon called for nomipA, lions fer temporary chairman or course tho selection of United States Senator Charles Warren Harding of Ohio for that position had been all settled long ago and his election by unanimous vote was only a tormalIty Senator Harding is m imposing figure and as hc accepted tho rayol from the hands o' Mir Hrles he was enthuslas- ticaAlr=tAcered
 Chairman Harding launched al oncs into bis keynote" specch and did not beljo h,s reputation for eloQuence and deftness of phrase. He began with a warm plea for harmony in the party ranks. coupled with the confident as ser'ion that such harmony already was an assured fact With unctuous son. touces he skIlully oiled tho way for ele smooth return of those who lett the party four years ago to follow the Bull Moose standard. and he declared to chem and to the world that he did not believe therc was really renc. tionary Republican among the dele gates
 As might have been epeXcted. MT Harding carly fin his address took up tho subject of national defense. His utterances on this topic were reason. ably emphatic and in line with the preparedness sentiment that has been spreading over the land. Our national uusolhshnoss has been proved since the great war broke out, he said. and our national weakness in defense re. vcaled Tho foreign policy of the Demeeratic administrations. both In re lation 10 Europe and in the matter O. Mexico. was dealt with in a flow caus. tic sentences, and the plan to turn loose" tho Philippines also was scored.
 Tho speaker devoted some attention to the need. from Republican point of view. for a protective tariff, and ..on turned to the topic of American- .sm. Here he once more let his olo quence have full play. and his call for loyalty devotion and love for the United States on the part of every un" . roar of cheers
 "Verily it is good to he an Ameri. can And we may rejoice to ho Re puhlicans." he concluded
 When tho band music that burst forth at tho end of Senator Hardlngs speech was over and tho assemblage quieted down again, the other tempo rarv officers were nominated and elected. and the chairmen of the va rious state delegations wero called on to send up the names of the men se- lected by the delegates to represent them on the committees on credentials. permanent organization, rules ar or der of buslness, and resolutions. l. most cases thA names were all read and were soon\ in possession of secretaries.