Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-06-15
NO PYROTECHN|Cs
At c. O.P. MEET
Delegates Calm as Lodge Ar
raigns Wilson Administration.
DELEGATES ARE LEkDERLESS
Many of the Old Guard Are Absent,
Though Some of the Veterans Are
in Evidence on the
Floor.
BY WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.

convention Hall, Chicago, June O.
No. the fireworks did not start at the
opening session of the big Republican
show. The predominating feature of
the first day was Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge and his keynote speech, and no
one has ever accused the Massachu-
sets statesman of ever having touched
a match to a skyrocket.
At johnson mass meeting on Mon
day night the California senator made
a plea for a party that would be rep
resentative of the plain people. 1t
was the Republican party, as repre-
scented by their chosen delegates, that
faced the Massachusetts senator when
he accepted the gavel as temporary
chairman of the convention. That they
were the plain people was evidenced
by their lack of understanding of the
scholarly English in which the gifted
senator arraigned the Democratic ad-
ministration and applauded the acts
of the Republican congress. They did
not dare applaud even when he spoke
of the Democratic president because
they did not know whether he was
praising or condemning him.
One Dark Horse Eliminated.
A prominent worker in the camp of
one of the leading candidates heaved a
sigh of relief before the keynote
speech was finished, and summed up
his satisfaction with the statement:
THAT speech has eliminated one dark
horse, as Lodge could not now be
nominated by these delegates"
One noticeable feature of this first
day was the absence of many of the
old-tfme leaders. To be sure Uncle
Joe Cannon was there, and Chauncey
Depew was there, and Governor Her.
rick and a number of others were
there, but the Old-timers were very
much in the minority, and the conven-
ti0n showed the effect of their absence.
1t was an Embossed, leaderless crowd
of delegates that filled the main floor
seats-a crowd of whom many were
mere novices in the political game.
They were mot on to the ropes ;" they
WC1C hOL just sui z VI "Aittl was Va
pected of them, and even the profess
sional cheer leaders, imported for the
occasion, did not succeed In arousing
that degree of enthusiasm that is to
be- expected in a national political
convention. When the cheer leaders
told them to sing few of them tried
to sing, but there was frightened
catch in their voices; when they were
told to wave flags some of them did so
in mechanical sort of fashion that
fully demonstrated their lack of un-
derstanding of just what part they
were to play.
But just give these novices time, and
they VIII arise to the occasion. The
ingredients for the making Of a warm
time are In Chicago, and before it is
over the city will know that q Repub-
lican convention has been held here.
Hays Master of Situation.
master of the situation. and that Is the
national chairman, viii Hays. All of
the guesswOrk of the past and the fu-
ture as to the nominees would imme-
diarely be over if he were to announce
his candidacy for the nomination. He
was today the only man recognized as
q leader by all factions. AS he stepped
to the front of the platform to call the
great meeting to order his smiling
.countenance brought forth the one
"three times three and q life-sized
tiger" of the day. And it came with
out a cue from the cheer, leader at
that Will Hays has "arrived' with
the delegates to the Republican con-
vention of 1920.
Back of the scenes that marked the
workers for the various candidates
were making strenuous efforts to round
up another delegate for their favorite
candidate. The one question on every
body's lips was: "Who will he nomi-
nated?" The sure answer was: "T
know but I am pledged not to tell"
Col Henry NJ Byllesby of the Wood
forces was an exception to the rule.
He knew and he was not afraid to tell.
With Colonel Byllesby it was General
Wood on the seventh ballot"
Altogether it is an amazing situa-
ton with many humorous features but
the only funny things the coterie of
dollar-a-word humorists, including
such men as Irving Cobb, James Mon
tague, Ring Lardner and others who
are reporting the convention, can find
to write about are themselves.