Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1916-06-08
REPUBLICANS IN
BIG CONVENTION
NATIONAL GATHERING OPENED
FORMALLY IN CHICAGO.
CROWD FILLS THE COLISEUM
Senator Harding of Ohio is Elected
Temporary Chairman and DeliV-
ers the Keynote Speech
Committees Are Named.

Chicago, June 1.-THE Republican
party opened its great quadrennial
show-the national convention-to-
day before a capacity house. Despite
the fact that the proceedings of the
first session were to be only preimi-
nary formalities, the people flocked
to the Coliseum by the thousand and
poured through the many entrances
in solid streams for hours. When
Charles d. Hilles chairman of the ma
tlonal committee, arose at eleven
O'Clock and took up the gavel to call
the convention to order there was not
one vacant seat in the immense struc-
ture.
Back of the speakers rostrum,
where sat Mr. Hilles and his working
force of 80 men, were grouped many
members of the diplomatic corps who
had come on from Washington, and
the distinguished guests of the con
vention, among them all living ex-
chairmen of Republican national con-
ventions.
In the body of the hail. directly in
front of the speakers stand, were the
991 delegates gathered about their
state standards, and back of them 991
alternates. Just below the rostrum
and on both sides of it were the 425
working newspaper men, and in the
galleries all around the hall were the
thousands of spectators who had been
fortunate to obtain admission tickets.
Convention Begins Business.
Mr.. Hilles was heartily applauded
when he stood before the throng,
gavel in hand. He spoke but briefly
in calling the great gathering to or
der, and called on Rev. John Timothy
Stone, pastor of the Fourth Presbyter-
ian church of Chicago, to deliver the
invocation.
Mr.. Hilles then called for nomina-
tons for temporary chairman. Of
course the 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 formality.
Senator Harding is an imposing fig
ure, and as he accepted the gavel
from the hands of Mr.. Hilles he was
enthusiastically cheered.
Chairman Harding's Address.
Chairman Harding launched at once
into his keynote" speech, and did not
belle his reputation for eloquence and
dizziness of phrase. He began with a
warm plea for harmony in the party
ranks, coupled with the confident as
sertion that such harmony already
was an assured fact.
AS might have been expected, Mr..
Harding early in his address took UP
the 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
unselfishness has been proved since
the great war broke out, he said, and
our national weakness in defense re-
vealed The foreign policy of the
Democratic administration, both in re-
lation to Europe and in the matter of
Mexico, was dealt with in few caus-
tic sentences, and the plan to turn
loose" the Philippines also was
scored.
The speaker devoted some atten-
tion to the need, from Republican
point of view, for protective tariff,
and then turned to the topic Of Amer
icanism.
"Verily, it is good to be an Ameri-
can. And we may rejoice to be Re
publicans," he concluded.
When the band music that burst
forth at the end of Senator Harding's
speech was over and the assemblage
quoted down again, the other tempo
airy officers were nominated and
elected, and the chairmen Of the vari-
GUS state delegations were called on
to send up the names of the men Sc
lected by the delegations to repre-
sent them on the committees on cred
entails, permanent organization, rules
and order of business, and resolutions.
In most cases the names were all
ready and were soon in possession OF
the secretaries.
Some miscellaneous business fol
lowed and Chairman Harding then
declared the convention adjourned
until Thursday morning.
The henderson, the committees at
once gathered in the meeting places
assigned them and took up their work
so as to be ready to report to the Sec
ond session of the convention.
BrandeIs Takes the Oath.
washington. II outs Danbitz Bran