New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-09
Ford Joke Stirs Convention
of c.. O. P. When All Else Fails
Depcw Springs 1t After Rock of Ages" Is Played
Moose Continue to Clamor for Colonel and
Professor Hart Joins in Heartily.

CT and when he declared "the one thing
you ought TO send to the Republican
convention Is the nomination OF Theo-
doro Roosevelt" banners bobbed up
and down and folks shouted and waved
bandanas and clogged the aisles and
demonstrated generally.
Gavel Kerplunk.
Tho gsvcl came down kerplunk and
kerplunk. II was made of heavy wood.
Chairman Harding could have used a
toothpick for his gavel at the Repubh-
can session In the morning. Maybe
the delegates would have swept on and
nominated Roosevelt then and there
II 0. X. Davis had not read long tele-
gram from the Colonel In which T. X;
devoured the Germans and advised
calm and patience. Still 1t was only
a little later that Congressman MELON
aid, before consigning the Republican
party to a place of torment, said tine
Invisible government controls the Re
publican convention Just as 1t did IN
1912" and he added that any commit
tee which went to deal with the Re
publicans should make up It's mind that
Il had to do with "thieves and robbers.
We have no knowledge Of the
grounds upon which the Progressive
gentleman bases his charge. AS far
as we have seen them, the Republicans
are almost puritanical in their sedate
virtue. They began their morning ses-
sion with Brock Of Ages done on the
bells of the orchestra, and then decreeu
a children's hour, in which Chauncey
N. Depew and Joe Cannon addressed
the convention
Depew did not succeed In leaving the
platform without telling Ford story
IL was the familiar one about why Is
a bathtub like a Ford car, and the an
swer is and always has been, because
everybody wants one and yet ne ha.es
to be seen in II. The anecdote old
not stampede the Michigan Delegation,
but II reused moro enthusiasm among
the other members of the convention
than any issue yet presented.
Yet it must be said that the FORMER
Senator'S speech was on the whole a
dignifed and interesting address. Pc
pew was the first man In the kepupii-
can convention who had nerve enough
to say Lusitania. The words submarine
and hyphen are still TO be SPOKEN
Dusts Off History.
The old politician, full Of years and
things. busted off some history for the
delegates. He repeated fighting phrases
of Marcy, Seward and Cleveland IN
times Of international stress. He gave
the Roosevelt admirers their chance
too, for although he did not name the
Colonel he repeated "Perdicaris alive
or Raisuli dead" The phrase failed
to evoke any enthusiasm.
The speaker made fun OF the paci.-.
fists and of my friend Mr.. Bryan,
who was scarcely yard away. He told
of Lincoln, whom he knew, and admitted
that the earlier statesman knew more
stories than he himself. He also In
formed the delegates that Lincoln was
a practical politician, who had organ
lied Illinois"
In closing he suggested himself as
possible compromise man for the
Republican party in case 1t wished TO
choose an "elder statesman
After Depew came Cannon, who ram
bled in more or less partisan man
ner. He gloomily suggested that after
all II would not make much difference
IL the earth should swallow up the
convention hall, as 1t would be possible
TO get just as good a set Of delegates
elsewhere. Mr.. Cannon Is undoubtedly
right, but the issue Is not likely to be
popular.