The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-02
WANT TO HEAR BRYAN

WANI lO dEAk BR l AN
 Amid yells of disappointment from a breaking crowd which called for Bryan, Bryan, Bryan" and we want to hear Bryan" the convention ad- k journed until tomorrow morning. The resolutions committee would work all night <
 At 'elock the hour set for the re- assImblins If the convention the plat { form committee was not ready to re- port and the prospects were that the convention would not get under way for some time.
 In anticipation of the prohibition , fight, the convention hall was packed at the appointed hour. The delegates l we're ready and the last tiers of the il galleries up under the edges of the roof were full as they could be. The NJ band, the organ and the singers en- tertained the crowd.
 Friends of William Jennings Bryan, recalling threats of bodily harm made
 upon him at Baltimore in 1912 had ar
 ranged to be prepared to defend their
 champion in case ho should be inn
 perAiEd in the heat of the battle of the
 vets and drys. They had favorable
 points about the sp.aker's stand and
 on the floor waiting for the possible
 developments they hoped would not
 come.
 Although the big auditorium was packed to the doors and roof fully 5000 persons with tickets of admis- sion were on the outside and unable to get in. At S:35 Chairman Robinson \ wanted to make an announcements but the band and organ prevented it by breaking into The Sidewalks of New | York"
 At $40 the chairman finally got or der and directed that the aisles bs cleared
 As usual, Ahe proceedings started with prayer and the singing of The Star Spangled Banner" N STILL NOT READY VI At $50 the platform committee re- ported it was still not ready On motion of Delegate Linebaugh, the convention went into temporary recess while the state delega tioas 4mitteefnan and national committee women. Most of them already had i been selected and their announcement in that fashion was principally time killing proposition while the, platform committee continued to work. While this was going on, the efforts of the combination reports which came to the convention hall said it had de- ci6ed to center on Cox for the present. The McAdoo people. on rhe other hand, were predicting that their candidate would go over the top" before the fifth ballot. They claimed backing of many prominent administration lead CTS who are on the ground here. To further fill in the wait, dele 1 gate from Virginia sang Take Me Back to Old Virginia" unaccompanied by any music
 When he came to the chorus the audience Joined in and the organ <l,f f,V,n< <l a1A F. l t..~ notes.
 He encored with Mid the Green Fields of Virginia"
 | While the convention was being enter tained Vice Chairman Kremer was con- ferring with the managers of the various candidates to see if they would regard favorably a motion to suspend the rules and go ahead with the balloting for a nominee while waiting for the resolu tions committee.
 The word came down from the plat 1e9m committee meanwhile that if goo6 ' 0Drtune prevailed. there might be a re-
 port about 1o:30 o'clock and that in tn, have only two speakers-Mr. Bryan or the one side and Bainbridge Colby or the other.
 UNABLE TO DECIDE
 The meaning of this was that the plat
 form could not decide the prohibition is. que and was going to let it come to ths floor.
 The band significantly played "Wt Won't Go Home Till Morning.. and ths
 convention, ruefully getting the point
 did not applaud very loudly. It eheeret
 loudly, however, when the band played
 How Dry I Am The delegates prob
 ably were thinking of the wet and drl
 fight going on in another part of tht
 building.
 Mrs. George Bass of Illinois. chief o
 the women's bureau of the democras sit
 national committee. made a woman sui
 frage speech in which she said she woult
 reveal "the duplicity of republican man
 agement in Congress" on the suffrag'
 question.
 The nose count made by the conven
 ,rion managers to determine whether th'
 two-thrds vote to suspend the rules am
 % ahead with balloting could be SC
 cured, developed that all of the candi
 dates managers were opposed to it be
 cause they felt it would get them lou
 of position"
 eosadnseA en Pase I've,