The Washington herald., 1920-06-11
TIRED FANS KEPT
AWAKE BY BAND
AND WET" SONG
BY WILLIS ABBOT.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

ray Crane. of Massachusetts, and
Reed Smoot. of Utah, went virtually
without notice except from the old
timers who recognized in these van
ishing figures types of a Republic
anism that dies hard. 1t may die
with this convention, but not dur
ing 1t, for Crane and Smoot at this
moment are the dominant powers;
and when the name of that other
survivor of the vanishing old guard.
Boies Penrose, was read out. the
convention, galleries and delegates
alike rose to the one full -throate
burst of cheers that this convention
has heard. New York Joined hearth
ly in the demonstration, WHICH led
wiseacres to predict a community
of political interests between the
two great delegations.
Eight years ago the Republican
party was driven out into the will
derness. because IL had followed the
leadership of Penrose. Four years
ago the resumption of that leader
ship left the party in such state
that the mere turning of cold
shoulder by Hiram Johnson brought
chill defeat. Yet Penrose, gravely
i'll a thousand miles away. today
wields a stronger power in this con-
vention than any delegate and his
name evokes louder applause from
the galleries.
Waiting the delayed arrival OF
the committee on resolutions. the
convention. aided by Yell Master
Brown and the band, INDUCED in
voice play. Nobody knows how
dry l am" was sung with fervor,
and an impassioned guest in the
galleries cried out. Tell that to the
tSupreme Court" Among the work
ers there was speculation as to
, whether the tardiness of Senator
Watson's committee was Indicative
of renewed dissension over the
treaty plank. 1t seemed significant
that. while four columns of the
platform text had been printed in
/ the afternoon papers, no one dis
"ussed it. and all were waiting in
! eager anticipation for the final ut
| terance of the party on the relation
of the United States to the other
nations of the world.
Georgia belatedly announced
Henry Lincoln Johnson as its Sc
Lection for the national committee.
Demand that the full convention
b" given yea and nay vote on
ratification was blocked by Chair
man Lodge. whose determination TO
prevent what might result in the
rejection of a man because of his
color was such that he broke his
Eavel in enforcing order. The
gavel being made of wood from In
dependence Hall. il would be easy
TO draw a moral from the incident.
We sit and swelter. Four years
ago at this juncture in the con-
ventiOn. sitting in this same hall.
people were asking each other.
What will Roosevelt do?" But
even then. with a convention DOM
mated by that master mind sitting
only half mile TO the north and
threatening war upon the Repub-
| lican ticket should it take the long.
long trail back TO the dusty doc
, trines of reaction. the old guard
had its way, and Roosevelt did
, nothing.
/ In this hall. within shouting dis
lance OF my seat, are score of
writing men who predicted then
that if Roosevelt failed to lead
once more the fight, against reaC-
! ton. in his party. four years would
=
! ed to virtual impotence. Today we
/ find the prophecy literally fuIfiIIed.
In 1916. despite the menace of the
! Progressive convention then in ses-
sion. the reactionaries had their
! way, both as to platform and can
{ didate. This year no such menace
: exists. The old guard are emphat-
ically in control and the only
: really hearty cheers given in this
: hall today have been for Penrose
+ Cannon and sherman of Illinois.
shortly after Senator Watson. OF
Indiana, advanced to one part Of tn.
rOstum To report the platform. gen.
erous applause greeted him. Wat.
son represents perhaps the most no.
! table instance of the come back" in
politics of recent years. A decade
ago he was driven back to private
] life under staggering charges. Out
OF office and almost in obscurity. he
strove necessarily to regain his los,
prestige. and. being an Indiana poll.
/ tician of pleasing address and DO.
litical skill. he succeeded
A Senator of the United States
the chairman of the committee
! which today enunciates the policN
/ of his party. and far and away the
! HlpSt pOpuldF nSure In the Republi-
! can organization today: Jim" Wat.
son has emphatically come back
1t is fact suggestive of varied po-
! litical reflection that Watson, the
stand patter. is here in power and
popularity. while Beveridge, the pro-
gressive, is but an obscure figure.
watson began, in a voice that car
ried to the remotest gallery, his
| reading 1t is a long DIatforu Moe,
OF II. that part in which the public
takes but a languid interest. hat
been printed in the early afternoon
! papers, but the audience listende6
! attentively. A practical public
speaker. Watson sufficiently indicat.
ed the points at which he expected
! applause and was seldom disap-
pointed.
But there is little in the docume nj
to revoke any great enthusiasm. The
denial of the right of striking
against the government Reitera.
ton of the principle of a protective