The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-07
Blare of Bands, JOstling of
Crowds on Michigan Avenue.
ROAR OF CROWD IN BIG HALLS
Standard Bearer Participants
in Quadrennial Festiyity.
Actual Business Today More or
Less PerfunctOry.


the blare of bands, wriggling
lines of densely packed human
ity in hotel Hobbies, beribboned
and be-badged visitors, and the
buzz, buzz of talk-this was the
opening day of the Republican
and Progressive national con-
ventions.
At least, these were the out
ward manifestations of the chos-
en- few of two national parties
meeting in solemn conclave to
name a presidential ticket.
Four years ago the steam
roller stalked it's Gargantuan
way through Chicago's streets,
down and through the Coli
scum and back into the round
house of political history.
If the steam roller hadn't per-
formed, there would have been
only one national convention to-
day. But those who were
squashed by the pancake-making
wheels of the juggernaut arose,
brushed off their busted gar
ments and assuaged their man.
gled bodies with the balm of a
convention, candidates and ma
chinery Of their very own.
Heal the Bruises.
I 1t appeared today that the bruises
the steam roller of four years ago in
| flicted might be entirely healed. The
Republican man if the street and the
| Progressive man in the street hailed
each other as brother, not as political
enemy.
Gone today was the before-the-bat-
.tle acrimony of four years ago which
centered about the smallest minutae
| of the convention machinery.
| Maybe the leaders of the Progress
| sive and Republican gatherings still
maintained an air of aloofness mixed
| with curiosity as to what the other
| side was doing. but there wasn't near
| 1y so much grim desperation in the
| chase of the southern delegate, the
| pursuit of the elusive unpledged dele
| gate or in the jockeying for places on
| the permanent roll of the convention
| roster.
| Perfunctory Today.
| The business scheduled in both ma
L
| perfunctory today. Calling to order
prayer, Introductory speeches by the
| national chairmen and the setting to
work of the convention committee is
| about all either the Republican or the
| Progressive leaders expect to accom-
piish III the days public sessions.
The real fireworks is expected to be-
gin tomorrow with the keynote
speeches of the temporary chairmen
Resolutions Tonight.
Tonight the resolutions committees
are expected to begin their long grin6
of hearings and closed sessions, lead.
ing up to the formulation of platforms
1t was National Chairman Charles D
Hilles whose gayel banged to order
the Republican conclave. at noon pre-
c1sely. Hours before that minute the
| great galleries of the Coliseum had
been packed to their utmost capacity
A band, tucked far up above in &
gallery, footed cheerfully away at the
popular airs of the day and kept the
waiting thousands in good humor.
On the floor, where standards bear
ing the names of the states marked of
the space reserved for the actual par
Elephants in this quadrennial festivity
the delegates were slower to arrive.
Constant Roar.
There was a constant roar of noise
| from the floor and the galleries, the
buzzing of thousands of voices blended
into oneindescribable medley The bed.
lam of confusion and talk and stamp.
ing of feet and whispering and shout
ing rolled up to the speakers platform
like giant wave. The noise of eight
thousands sets of vocal chords must be
heard to be Understood; words cam
convey the impression.
The delegates all alive to their owr
Importance and wearing vivid badge.
proclaiming their right to have a voice
in selecting the Republican standard
bearers, strolled in in groups anf
squads and companies. They clustered
about in little knots, buzzing away
with the ever-unchanging gossin of :
national meeting.
On the speakers platform the of.
ficers of the convention were holding
the little conferences that really
amounted to something.
Then came Charles d. Hilles There
was a vociferous outburst a sort M
tidal wave of noise that dashed 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 ter
thousand murmurs of expectation
from the audience blended together
made a fairly creditable amount OF
noise.
Bang Goes GaveI!
Finally, bang. went the gaveI
(Gavel by courtesy, be it understood
since 1t was really gigantic mallet
the only kind whose staccato raps
could be expected to penetrate the
convention noise).
Chairman Hiiles called the conven.
ton to order.
The noise subsidized a little There
were more bangs md biffs and ulti.
mately a semblance of order was OBJ
tanned and the Republican convention
of 1916 was in session
The Moosers Meet.
Over in the Auditorium. very much
the same scenes were being enacted
on a slightly smaller scale. The Audi
torium was likewise packed, but il
wasn't nearly so large a hall as tbs
Coliseum and its theater-like propor.
lions didn't create the impression O.
vastness such as struck the onIookei
/ on entering the barn-like interior OF
the Republican meeting place.