The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-02

DEMONSTRATION FOR SMITH
 A half an hours outburst of sing ing, cheering and pArading did not become the boresome thing it usually is at conventions. It relieved the tedium of tiresome speeches and long sitting and refreshed the spirits
 Every great party convention should
 be held in q hall with an organ. With
 out the organ the extraordinary dem-
 of New York would probably not have
 happened. Governor Smith is merely
 "a favorite son candidate. His church
 affiliations make his nomination for
 the presidency inexpedient. He was
 put in nomination mainly to hold the
 New York delegation together, or per
 haps that he might be named for the
 vice presidency. w Bourke Cochran,
 la favorite orator of democratic con
 ventions, put him in nomination, his famous voice some what spoiled by the
 metallic system of amplification, which
 is now used to make speakers heard throughout vast halls, but which
 causes voice to sound as if it came cut of a phonograph.
 Mir Cochran told How Governor
 Smith had risen from being peddler
 to being the chief executive of the greatest state in the union. and how even his political opponents bore wit
 ness to the fine character of his ad- ministration. But for the religious issue, Governor Smith would undoubt- edly be the nominee of this conven- tion. When MT. Cochran finishd ram many started waving flags, whica every New York delegate carried. The great organ boomed out the song
 Tammany, Tammany," and without anyone's realizing how it all happened, every state standard on the floor began to move in procession about the hall. It was a scene such as is only witnessed after nomination is made. when everybody joins in and makes it unanimous.
 Had not a certain disqualification been operating against Governor Smith. no such universal display of admiration could have taken place at this stage of the convention. The delegates committed to other candi- dates would have refrained from par ticipating and their banners woul1 lave stayed still in their places on the floor. But with the governor not serious contender, everybody could af- ford to join in, showing him honor and that the party delighted to honor him. He is that thing which they esteem above all else. a straight party man who.has made good in the eyes of the public without forgetting regularity. Moreover, the delegates wanted to show their sympathy for him in his virtual disqualification for nomina- tion.
 BIG DISPLAY FOR COX
 The Cox demonstration was the other great demonstration of the day. 1t did not represent as many delegates as did the earlier display of pumped up enthusiasm for Attorney General Palmer. But it was more effective than the Palmer demonstration was ! because it was better organized; in fact. it introduced novelties in organ ization. On one side of the hall in the galleries the Cox people had T cheering section for all the world like the cheering section of college at a football game.
 Tn this section were young men wearing straw hats with red, white and blue hatbands about them. And behind them sat a red-clad band, which had accompanied the Cox boom from Ohio and which had been marching about from hotel to hotel here con vincing the town of the reality of Cox chance of nomination. Tn front of the cheering section was a cheer leader who led the singing and music. After Cox had been put in nomination this band broke loose and the 100 per cent American straw-hatted young men sang the Ohio song and shouted the cheer, Cox. Cox James NJ. Cox" And he .double-jointed cheer leader youth- ful in spirit and trousers, with his sleeves rolled up, mounted the speak CTS rostrum and led the Cox demon stration on the floor where they were room joined by the whole Cox cheer ng section. which descended from the l galleries. red, white and blue straw l lats, red-clad band and~nll. With all ! his going at once and the great organ l gripping at the vitals of the crowd l he Cox demonstration was tremend- | JUS. It was forced. but it had the air | If not being forced. There were nos | many votes in it, but it was good fun | lntil Chairman Robinsons gavel | brought 1t to an end.