The Benson signal., 1916-06-17

With nagS and bunting. No marked
enthusiasm, no lively professions Of
delegations seeking their seats, no
spontaneous demonstrations when the
notabilities of the party entered.
Senator Warren G. Harding, selected
as the temporary chairman, evoked ap-
plause when he stepped forth to ac-
cept the gavel
Mr.. Harding had been chosen to
sound the keynotes, and of course he
did sound several for the party at
large, notably on adequate national
preparedness, protective tariff and
straight Americanism. But first and
foremost he sounded what was meant
to be the keynote for the party in con-
vention assembled and for the Bull
Moosers several blocks north in the
Auditorium. That keynote was har-
mOny.
Harmony fairly radiated from Mr..
Harding's countenance; it oOzed from
his Outstretched hands; it flowed in
stream down among the delegates
but there it seemed to stop. He spoke
| no harsh words of the "erring broth
| ers" of 1912, but exuded enough har-
| mOny to make it perfectly easy for
| them to slip back into the party with
out bit of friction. He didn't swat
| the Bull Moose with club, or scold
| it, but strOked it's ears and sought to
remove painlessly it's horns and mas
sage it's snout into the semblance Of
an elephants trunk. How well he sue
ceeded the closing events OF the two
conventions demonstrated. Truth to
| tell, there vas every evidence that
Senator Harding had no desire to stir
up anything much with his address,
for the old-line leaders had not yet
discovered just how they could save
the party by accomplishing the defeat
of the Democrats next November.
An Undercurrent of Fear.
Beneath the smooth surface of events
In the Coliseum was apparent to the
| close observer a distinct undercurrent
Of fear-fear Of what the PrOgressives
would and would not do. The latter
had gone into convention with the
|
of nominating Colonel Roosevelt and
no one else. Moreover, they intended
to force his nomination on the Repub-
licans The Republicans were split
| into two great camps. One, the "al-
lies" was made up of the forces sup
porting the dozen or more "favorite
sons" The other included the sea-
soned men whose purpose, seemingly,
was the prevention of Roosevelt S
nomination. To bring this about. they
were willing to support Charles E.
Hughes.
The "allies" were ready to give each
of their candidates a fair chance, and
then proposed to combine on one-but
which one they couldn't determine.
Meanwhile, in the Auditorium, the
radical Progressives were clamoring
to nominate the colonel at once and
let the Republicans indorse him or go
through the experience of four years
ago, and only the strenuous efforts of
George w. Perkins and few other
wise ones held them in check to await
the peace negotiations that were to
come later, and come in vain.
No wonder that fear ruled. 1t looked
as though the man down at Oyster Bay
held in the hollow of his hand the
fate of both parties, and he sat there
nearly as silent as the associate JUS
tice. To be sure he did send word
that he would be pleased to come and
address the Republican convention if
it desired to hear him, but no such de-
sire was manifested.
So the first session moved quietly
to it's conclusion, and the only really
spontaneous burst of enthusiasm was
that which greeted the announcement
by Sergeant at Arms Stone that a
thousand automobiles, provided by
Mayor Thompson's committee, were
waiting outside to convey the dele
gates to their hotels.
What the Women Won.
On Thursday. though the rain con-
tinued unabated, the convention added
a touch of color to it's mourning garb
state of mind, in recognition of the
progressive platform that was pre-
sented by the scholarly Senator Lodge
in behalf of the committee on resolu-
tions. To be sure there was nothing
startling in that platform, nor any
thing very unexpected, if you except
the plank on woman suffrage. And
there was where Senator Lodge de-
veloped an unexpected vein of sar-
donic humor "The Republican party"
he read, with some flourishes inserted,
''favors woman suffrage"-he paused,
and many of his hearers. especially
the women, cheered loudly for min
ute-"but recognizes the right of each
state to settle this question for itself" j."
concluded the senator. Louder than
ever was the shouting that greeted
this, but it was derisive, and all clut-
tered up with laughter.
| And yet the women had won a gen.
uine victory in obtaining even this
qualified Endorsement of their cause,
and felt we'll rewarded for their effort