Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14
DELEGATES AND AUDIENCE SLOW
IN REACHING CONVENTION HALL

the matter up with Senator Willard saus.
| bury. of Delaware. and others friendly to
| the Administration, He took the position
that IN this way the President would be
able to carry the fight to the Republicans
from the very start incidentally, u the
plan could be put through II would enhance
| interest in the convention and Keep the
| delegates and visitors here until Saturday,
/ AT 1913 there were only few spec
| tators in the hall. The suffrage spectacle
| along the streets had proved a serious
rival to the convention as an attraction
and the people chose to remain downtown
| rather than sit and wait In the hot gal
leres. The delegates also took their time
| Incoming.
SECRETARY THERE EARLY.
Secretary j. Bruce Kramer reached the
platform half an hour before the time
scheduled for the convention to open. lie
delivered his instructions to the assistant
secretaries and completed the platform ar
rangements
Meantime the delegates continued to I'LL
In the seats on the floor. AS the big hall
filled the heat became more and more In.
tense. An Illinois follower Of Jolly Roger"
Sullivan started a popular movement by
taking off his coat He earned round Of
applause from the scattered delegates and
spectators.
PINK WHISPERS ATTEND.
The Kansas delegates with big sunnowers
on their coats filed into their section, mop
ping their brows and making uncompli-
mentary remarks about the weather Sena-
tor j. Hamilton Lewis, of Illinois. with
lurid whiskers and correct in harmonious
brown attire, took a place near the plat
form. A big skylght in the roof seemed
to concentrate the rays of the sun In a
fiery shaft directly on the heads of the
delegates who sweltered in the crowded
seats.
A moving picture operator set up his ma
chine the floor as the hall filed and a
battery of photographers lined up at the
gallery rail opposite the speakers stand.
The galleries filled rapidly as the time for
the opening drew near The band in a
stand at the extreme left end of the hall
struck up a tune. quartet armed with
megaphones started in to sing America
First" and the real convention atmosphere
was complete.
TEXANS WITH COTTON.
The song made init" and floor and gal |
leries cheered. The Texas delegates started |
something new. They were supplied with |
big blue buttons to which were attached
legend
our principal industry, 900, 900 bales
annually"
The buttons were in great demand and
the Texas delegates started near-riot by |
throwing them up into the crowded gal
leries where the spectators scrambled for |
them.
Senator Kern. majority leader of the |
Senate. got warm greeting when he took |
his place chairman of the Indiana dele
CATION.
CHEERS FOR OLLIE JAMES
Senator Ollie James. of Kentucky, who
will be permanent chairman of the conven-
ton was cheered he pushed his huge
bulk through the crowd to the platform.
Thnngan1S nf haH
distributed Every delegate and many of
the spectators were armed with the ma
tional colors, and the floor was waving
sea of red. white and blue. The various
leaders were cheered they entered, and
the flags waved wildly in the sultry air.