Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-16
OLLIE JAMES, OLD
TIME TALKER, THE
STAR AT ST. LOUIS
Chairman Of Convention Gives the
Delegates First Real Thrill by
His Flowery Praise of
President.
BRYAN COMES IN FOR SHARE
Delegates Demand That the Peerless
Leader Be Heard and Subside
Only When Promised.
HOTEL KEEPERS LOSE PREY
BY EDGAR c. SNYDER

ST. Louis, Mo-, June 15.-(Specia
Ielegram.)-The second keynoter o
the most orderly and sedate natona
convention of an unterrified democ
racy, Senator Ollie James of Ken
lucky, worked the first real, spontan
eous outburst of applause today il
his speech as permanent chairman
when he said with reference to the
president, Without orphaning a sin.
gle American child, without widowine
single American mother, without
firing single gun, without the shed.
ding OF a single drop of blood, he
wrung from the most militant spirit
that ever brooded above a battlefield
an acknowledgment of American
rights, an agreement to American de-
mands."
Made Him Say 1t Over.
The delegates and the galleries
were unit in splitting their hands
and thoats when Big Ollie" had to
repeat the phrase for the edihcation
OF some CT the delegates whose hear
ing is defective.
There is TO gain saying the fact
that the convention had been put in
proper frame of mind by Governor
Glynn in his keynote speech of yes
terday, to hear the we'll rounded,
ponderous oratorical periods of the
statesman from the Blue Grass
country of "Old Kentuck." Very
reminiscent Of the orator of a eener-
alton ago, Senator James was the
embodiment of the convention spirit,
and he used all the arts of which he
is master in working on the pas
sions, prejudices and sentiment of
the delegates and spectators.
Clamor for Bryan.
The demonstration aroused bv
James speech was continued for
twenty minutes, and then by some
species of ledgermain it was switched
from Senator James and his fine
words to Colonel w. ]. Bryan,
shouts for Bryan! Bryant" rending
the air. And it would have continued
indefinitely, in all probability, had not
the permanent chairman assured the
convention that Colonel Bryan would
be given aschanccFto address the con-
vention later. Reluctantly the crowd
subsidized. Mr.. Bryan had departed
from the Coliseum after the demon
stration over James speech was we'll
under way. Mr.. Bryan had an en-
gagement at the City club for lunch
con, where he was expected to make
a speech. And he did make speech,
which is in nowise surprising, as
Colonel Bryan has been doing that
self-same thing for thirty-o years,
whereby he has added much sheckels
to his strong box He grew remin-
iscent with the city dubites, and told
them that he had attended his first
political convention forty years ago
in St. Louis. Also, he came there
as reporter, which he said was his
present occupation.
Blames the Brewers.
His failure to be named OH the Ne
braska delegation, he told his hear
ers, was caused by the saloon keepers
OF the state, who awnted to keep him
out of the convention, while he sought
to keep them out of the saloons, and
both were successful.
Mr.. Bryan is not the pathetic figure
at this convention some people would
make you believe. He still has large
following of enthusiastic worshipers.
He is still to them their Moses, grown
a little bald, with the bridge Of hair
at the back Of his head graying rap
idly, with his figure taking on embon-
point, but he is still their Moses, if
little elderly. When William Jennings
Bryan entered the press section at
II: 80 today he was given a warm re-
ception. He smiled the old Bryan
smile in return and bowed again and
again in response 10 the cheers. A
number of the delegates moved up to
the press enclosure and shook hands
with him.
Thirteen Women There.
There are thirteen women dele
gates. Eight of them, when asked
abou t>their occupations, said they
were wives" four replied that they
were real estate operators, and one
said she is farmer.
The editors in the various delega-
tions come from twenty-five states.
The doctors are from seventeen
states and Missouri leads with six
men of this profession in its delega-
ton.
-Four of the five miners in the con-
vention are from Alaska. OF the
twenty delegates who said they had
no business, eighteen are from the
state of Washington. There are no
saloonkeepers in the convention
Nine United States senators and six !
congressman are delegates and there
are about thirty federal job horse
in the delegations setting tight on the
lid.
Want to Make Time.
The determination OF the leaders
to speed up the nominations was re-
ceived with shouts~by the rank and
file. of the delegates and by groans
fro mthe hotel and restaurant keep
ers, for by tomorrow evening, St.
Louis will be like "a banquet hall de-
serted"
A kick was registered by many
Of the subscribers to the convention
tund when it was announced that the
LIE OF the convention would be cut
one-half, namely, from four days to
two.
James E. Smith, chairman of the
association charged with raising the
100000 convention fund, let out
wild yell when he was told that the
democrats had spent all their money /