The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-07-03
Nominating Speeches Were Sig
nails For Turning Loose
Frenzy of Demonstrations
McADOO RECEIVED
GREAT OVATION
Delegates Of All Factions Join
ed in Riot of Cheering and
Singing When His Name Was
Mentioned

songs tnat tuSSed at the heart strings
and the throbbing appeal of a mighty
pipe organ, the Democratic national
convention brought nomination day to
a tremendous emotional crisis that
had nothing TO do with candidates or
platform issues.
Fractional differences were forgot
ten; political jealousies were swept
aside and from the scething tumult
on the floor to the singing, cheering
thousands i'm the packed galleries, the
vast assembly gave itself up at inter
walls without stint to a great brotherly
union as unexpected as it was over
whelming.
The scene was unparalleled in the
memory of the oldest convention OBJ
server.
There was no feature lacking to
draw the thousands from their sober
business into riot of feeling and the
convention surrendered, Uncopdition-
ally.
Flooding silver light fro,n the cleo
trio ares high in the galleries bathed
moor and platform in strange ap-
peaitng glow; the crash and ciamor of
the military bands, the great impress
i've sweep OF the arched roof OF the
auditorium and always the solemn
elation in the voice of the great or
gan tuned to the melodies of other
days, were not to be resisted.
Even before the convention was
called to order before noon the hall
was touched with the hint OF what
was to come. Root, cs for Palmer
and for Cox had come armed for
great demonstrations. There was no
mistaking that. The crowd expected
it. AsE'
High against the wall of The west
ern gallery a red coated band from
Ohio. was placed, fronted by a solid
block Of roOters who got into action
before the delegates had filed more
tnan half their seats. Across, IN a
perch above the organ loft, the con-
Vention band was at work with stir
ring melodies and the organlst threw
his great instrument into fun. roaring
accom- paniment Of any air The rocters
raised.
When the first nominating orators
had been heard and the names Of SEN
ator Owen. former iinbas St,lor Ger
ard and Senator Hitchco,k had been
placed on the ballot amid liberal an
plause, Florida yialtni to Penusyiva
MIA and the name Of \. Mitchell Pal
mer was present Ell TO SET me conveo
ton into wild ecsCacy Of singing and
cheering. The Palmer mrn were
ready. No noise making device had
been overlooked, no device of rOoters
20 stimulate the clamor left untried.
Up in the front of the platform a long.
slim. red headed veil leader waved.
frantic arms from Il r!ckety perch on
chair, while I:aufor,,ia woman in
white drove ahe dem )as-cat,on for
ward with almost equal vigor. The
shouting of the Palmer a0nerents
grew and welled until a Georgia dele
gate rooted the strle standard from
its place and starred the march uf
states to he followed by Pennsylvania
and half dozen other delegates.
The tunlnlt lasted more lhan La,f
an hour. Around ami atonnd The
aisles the procession went, the stand.
ards bobb,ng awkwardly high over
the heads Of the nlacchrrs. A n,slv
roOter danced along with a slim little
woman perched on his shoulder. On
the platform scnre of pa,iavr wo-
men crowded to the speakers stand
and with waving flags urged the dele
gates on, while the band Joined hear
tiiy in the songs. which were caught
up all over the hall.
When Governor Cox was named it
vas the turn of the Cox supporters
ana they came to the task with will
Again more than half an hour was
gwen over to the uproar and singing
to the parading of states standards
led by Ohio and Kentucky. Yells Civ
EN- with the barking note Of football
rooters came down from the Ohio sec
ton in the gallery The Ohio band
never paused. Again and again it
drew new cheers from the Southern
delegates with the strains Of Dixie"
or sought and found men with Irish
descent with THE Wearing of the
Green"
While the riot Of movement, color
ana noise was at its height rooters
ana band trOoped down from the gal.
lery TO the floor. They tramped
around the aisles, singing "Ohio,
ohio' and the convention with impair
tial good temper Joined in.
1T took much effort by Governor
CoX's managers to still the uproar and
let the business of nomination pro
coed.
Senator Harrison OF Mississippj
among those seconding Governor
CoXs nomination, struck q note than
proved the convention had been Keyed
up. He hit hard at the newspapers of
san Francisco which published the
story OF the governors divorce of ten
years ago, and burst of cheers ans
wered his thrust
Then Chairman Robinson recogniz-
ed w. Bourke Cochran Of Nsu yo,L