South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-10
CONVENTION MAY
DE ON COAST DR.
IN OHIO CITY
Democratic Leaders Prefer
San Francisco But Politics
May Influence Choice.

WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. g.
That the democratic national con
Z e,tion next year will be held either
N San Francisco or in an Ohio city
Cincinnati or C1eveIand-is the
opinion expressed by politicians I'm
close touch with the democratic ma
tiOnai committee. which VIII meet
here on Jan 20 select the place
and fix the date for the national
convention
San Francisco IS working hard 20
land the convention Neither Gin
cinnau nor Cleveland Is doing much
along that line. and yet there is a
atrong element a. the party that
thinks II would be good politics
To- send the convention 10 Ohio next
year As between the two Ohio
cities mentioned. il Is believed that
cleveland has the best show. con
eding that Il will put forth an
equal effort with Cincinnati and Of
fer as favorable Inducements
Cleveland's hotel accommodations
are believed 20 be more satisfactory.
and the breezes Of Lake Erie have
an attractiveness to r-seeing poll
tcians when they reflect that the
convention will begin about June %
and that the weather is likely 10 be
pretty hot about that time
No Proposition Yet.
No formal proposition has come
from either Cincinnati or Cleveland.
although w. A Julian, a prominent
democrat of Cincinnati, stated when
he was here recently that CinCin-
natl will have a proposition ready
when the committee meets.
The high cost OF national cOnven-
tons has kept pace with the high
cost OF living and it will be neces-
sary for any city that desires TO
: compete for next years national
democratic convention to guarantee
Sa>sund Of at least 100000 10 cover
ali convention expenses. The finan-
Ciai records Of the democratic ma
tional committee tell an nluminat-
ing story OF how the cost of national
conventions has crept upward. The
Baltimore national convention of
1872, one of the longest on record,
cost SIS, 900. Four years later the
St Louis national convention, a
short. cut-and-dried affair. cost $7S,-
600. and the next national cOnven-
ton is expected TO top 100000. In
estimating costs an allowance is
made OF $500 a day for rent of the
han. and the rent usually begins
when the decorators commence
their work about 10 days in ad-
vance OF the convention. Carpenter
work. printing of tickets and in
fact every element of cost entering
into such an extensive enterprise as
national convention have in
P>reased vastly since 1916.
Women 10 Attend.
The democratic national commit
zee II preparing 10 remind the rep
resentatives OF contesting cities that
the convention will be unique next
ear in respect TO the attendance Of
women and that in making ar
engagements due consideration must
be given 20 the probability that be-
tween 5000 and 10000 women will
he in attendance. The presence of
these women viii increase the diff
hculties OF providing hotel accom-
women must be comfortably housed.
AZ every national convention men
sleep on billiard tables or cots
spread IN halls and sometimes con-
slider themselves lucky TO have soft
chairs in which 90 reCline, but il is
obvioes that the women must have
better accommodations The ma
UOnal committee intends 20 encour-
age the attendance OF women and
viii do what it can toward securing
the selection OF women as delegates
Leaders Prefer Coast.
Among the leaders the drift of
sentiment is said 10 be in favor of
holding the convention at San
Francisco. but with "a strong prob
ability that the views Of the rank
and file of the committee may over
bear them. The argument of the
san Francisco advocates is that II
would be a happy psychological
move 20 carry the convention TO the
state that won the fight for the
party in 1916 and, moreover. that
the holding OF the convention there
would warm up the enthusiasm of
democrats in all the western states
Comparatively few of the people
living west OF the plains ever have
attended a national convention. or
seen the leaders in public life. and
would be everiastingly appreciative
10 such an opportunity should come
10 them once in a life time AS
against this argument however is
the fact that convention at san
Francisco would be very inconven-
lent 10 the mass Of delegates and
others who expect 20 be present.