Americus times-recorder., 1920-06-29
C. O. P. EXPECTATION OF
APOLOGETIC RIVAL DUE
FOR DISILLUSIONMENT
SAWS RIcKEY
No Doubt of Wilson's
Place in Heart of His
Party
Bx H. N. RICKEY.

The first session of the Democratic
national convention was a short
three hours in length, but in those
three hours there was more enthus-
iasm, more human interest, more in
spiration than during the entire five
DAYS of the Republican convention
at Chicago.
In the first place, the arrange
ments for the convenience and COM
fort of delegates and visitors, both
inside and outside the beautiful con-
vention hall, were perfect. Both the
San Francisco committee and the
subcommittee of the national COM
mittee having the convention IN
charge had outdone themselves to
the end that when Vice-Chairman
Kremer. of the national committee,
\ called the gathering to order the
scene that was presented set new
precedent for political gatherings,
During the half hour precedin0 the
opening each of the scores OF Dem
ocratic nooles among the delegates
and visitors was given and ovation.
During this same period at Chlcago
there was no sign of enthusiasm Tor
anybody or anything. The first great
demonstration was for President VIII
son. The band struck up the star
Spangled Banner" and as the lnsplr-
| ing strains of the national anthem
swept through the beautifully dec
Grated auditorium, bringing tne
| twelve thousand men and women TO
their feet, an American flag of enor-
nous size was let down from the
ceiling in front of the splendid pipe
organ back of the speakers platform.
The beautiful tones of the organ, re-
leased by the hands of master or
ganist, merged with those OF the
| band. AS the lost notes died away
and before the spell was broken the
flag was furled, revealing an illuml--
mated oil painting of heroic SIZE OF
the president.
1890 Cheer Frenzily.
There was an instant of silence
and then at least 1880 of those
twleve thousand people burst into
| frenzied cheering. If their had been
any doubt as to the place Woodrow
Wilson holds in the hearts OF the
great majority of the delegates and
visitors, the fifteen-minute demons
stration which greeted his portrait
would have removed it.
Kremer's speech was longer than
is usual for the formal opening
speech, but it was a fighting speech
and well received. His frequent ref
erences to the president and the
League of Nations met with en-
thusiastic response from the dele
gates and visitors alike.
The keynote speech of National
| Chairman Cummings, as temporary
chairman, was masterpiece from
1.-The standpoint of the logical presen-
tation of the Democratic side of the
tremendous issues which the voters
will be called upon to decide in the
coming campaign Entirely apart
from the merits of the case, the eff
fort of Cummings, both as to sub
ject matter and manner of presen-
tation, was incomparably superior to-
the long drawn cut and drearrv eff
fort of Lodge at Chicago. This is
not alone my opinion; it is the
unanimous verdict of the hundreds
of writing men in the press section
of all parties who suffered at Chi
cago while Lodge delivered himself.
If the Republicans have been fig
uring on an apologize defensive de-
mocracy this year they are going toI
be dissillusioned, if one is to judge
! by the Cummings keynote. 1t was
forceful recital of the progressive
and constructive accomplishments of
the Wilson administration during its
four years prior to the great war.
Cummings graphically described the
country's magnificent effort during
the war under the leadership of the
| nyI fha nnTa%s0 90
gress, an effort which defeated Ger
many. In his discussion of the League
of Nations he charged the represen-
tative majority of the senate with
having defeated the league because
of jealousy and for political pur-
poses.
Fine Company for U. S.
There was roar after roar of
-tcheering when the speaker called at
tention to the fact that with the
exception of the Central powers the
only nations in the world who have
not Joined the league for mutual
protection and safeguarding the
worlds peace are "Bolshevist Rus
sia, Revolutionary Mexico, Unspeak-
able Turkey, and thanks to the Re-
publican senate, the United States. :"
A resolution of greetings to the
president expressing sympathy be-
cause of his long illness and graft
fcation that he is recovering his
health was adopted with a roar of
unanimous approval.
Altogether it was the most inter
esting opening session of a national
convention within my experience.
The name of no active nor receptive
candidate for the pr ,idential : omi-