The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-19
MOtherly Old Women There to
Chase Demon Rum.
NATIONAL CONVENTION OPENS
Col. IngersoIl, ex-Progressive
Leader, in Limelight.
Crowd Sings Hymns, Prays and
Shouts "Amen."
BY HI RENNICK.


of the same kind of home town folks
who make up the church boards, the
chautauqua crowds and run the dis
and villages, swarmed into st. Paul
today for the opening session of the
prohibition national convention.
Motherly old women, of the type
that attend the home and foreign mis-
sionary society meetings back home
and bake cake and make jellies for
the pastors aid society picnics, were
in the crowd. So were bearded, gray
haired old men in their black Sun
day-go-to-meeting'' clothes, some of
them with collars and some of them
who never wore one.
The delegates who came to st. Paul
imbued with the thought of downing
the Demon Rum are as different from
the crowds who attended conventions
of other political parties as the frock-
coated city merchant is from the gnar-
ly listed, aproned Storekeeper at Hicks
Corners. or any other crossroads.
Wears Diamond, But No Collar.
The prohibitionists seem more earn
est, and care less for show. The
women brought their tatting, their
knitting and their patchwork
1t was a hot day and costiess, collar
less, suspender-showing shirts
of them blued and some of them
''boiled"-dotted the crowd at the
auditorium. For instance, there was
Col James NJ. Ingerso1l of Pocatello,
Idaho. a grizzled. grey mustached
ranchman, who sat on the plat
larless, he wore no coat, but
his diamond stud illuminated his shirt
as no necktie could. His grey socks
came down over the tops of his square
toed black shoes and he twirled the
mustache, appearing like gruff, good
scout, dressed up in his Sunday clothes
and dreading it. Colonel Ingersoll,
the only Progressive leader attending
the convention, was in the Hmelight
continually
Grandma of Party There.
Mrs. Kate M Hamilton of Los An
geles, Calf, who is IA years old, and
has been a Prohibitionist for sixty
three years, was grandmother to
many of the women delegates who
greeted her. She sat near the plat
bit of vanity expressed in earrings
that bobbed as she nodded her grey
head.
This convention sings for amuse-
ment, where other parties shouted.
marched and yelled. The prohibition
i lists Joined in the choruses when A. NJ.
| Thatcher, who positively has the deep
est voice in captivity, rumbled hymns
and songs OF the dryS TO the accom-
paniment of a piano-played by the
same type of a girl who played the
organ back at the Hicks Corners
church.
The delegates seemed religious and
| comfortable. There was no dressing
for style-but a lot of "an1ens'' were
devoutly pronounced when the min
lister prayed or the hymns were sung
Drys Sure of Victory.
st. Paul, July 19.-Confident that
the ticket that they nominate will poll
the largest vote in the history of the
party the delegates to the National
Prohibition party opened the twelfth
lQuadrennial convention here today
The willingness of such men as VIII
liam Sulzer of New York, J. Frank
HanIy of Indiana, Eugene N. Foss OF
Massachusetts, and Sumner w. Haynes
of Portland, Ind, to be considered as
presidential candidates indicates the
leaders say a widening of the party's
influence, and thousands of former
progressives are expected to join them
Some party leaders are predicting 9
close race between the three former
governors, Sulzer, Hanly and Foss
with Haynes running in fourth place
Those more sure of the outcome ex-
press the belief that the contest has
narrowed down to two men-Sulzel
and Hanly.
Mr.. Sulzer telegraphed his followers
that he would arrive Thursday to enter
the fight.