The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-06-07
CHI. DOES NOT
CARE IN LEAST.
Very Little Interest Shown in
Convention Two Blocks
From Auditorium.
DELEGATES ALL AT SEA
10y WILLIAM G. sHEpHERo)

II. N. S. Staff Correspondent
Chicago, June Ia, N. S.)-If the
rest of the country doesn't care any
more for this republican convention
than the city of Chicago does, there
is hardly any reason for holding It,
You may wander away from the tr.a
hotels. the Auditorium and the ~
Sfess, a block or two in any direct =
even toward the lake, and not 81 =
sign OF the Dig meeting. The folk
funny colored rooster feathers, WI 3 e
word Wood" printed on theJ : re
worn only by those who tread " . rd
masc pavement of the hot G nd
cross through the underground 5 lels
from one hotel to anothep : acre
aren't enough flags raised on = hngs
western water tank, Therf I not
more than $500 individuals if ! whole
what's going on, s~-s
And yet the Chicago folks find II well
worth while to spend at least an after
are things to see all around you II you
have your eyes and ears open and keep
circulating around.
Passing OF Keys.
The passing of the keys, for instance,
in the Railways, and the lobbes now
ana then you see man slip his palm
into the hand or even into the pocket
of another and whisper a few words.
They separate. One man take an ele-
Nator and goes to certain floor with
the key which was slipped to him
secretly before your gaze a moment be-
fore, he enters a room and there in a
grip or a dresser he finds what every
body at this convention seems to be
talking about-a drink.
There is one certain doorway in the
Congress hotel before which Chicago
folks may well. stand in awe. This is
the door of the only convention room
where a reporter is not welcomed and
where only the very elect may pass
'E /, O. A." are brass letters which
are fastened at the portal Look at the
transom From both directions
sheaf Of telegraph and telephone wires
which are strung along the Railways
ald down the elevators shafts. pass
into the suite.
Knock at that door and husky man
who bears all the ear-marks of a police
man in civilian clothes will answer you
and tell you that whoever you want to
see isn't there; he will direct YOU tc
another room and probably say to you
nobody is ever here in this room."
Sproul to Run,
But he's wrong. Governor Sproul OF
Pennsylvania. who wants to be presi-
dent, goes into that room. Murray
Crane and Harry S. New Of Indiana and
Reed Smoot go there and sit and plan
and talk. All that's left of the visible
old-fashioned bossism in the republican
party Is centered In that room. The
sound of telegraph instruments and long
distance telephone bells come through
the doorway occasionally.
Snap these wires and you would cut
off from the national republican con-
vention that sick and ed-ridden man in
the city of Philadelphia who. II he could
have come to the convention in the
palace car which had been prepared for
him, to live in the private mansion near
the convention hall which had been set
aside for him, might have been master
of the gathering over these wires
there goes to his bedside stream OF
nesgs and advice and ANALYSIS. Now
and then there come 10 the trusted men
in that room advice which is given
between the narcotic sleeps with which
the physicians occasionally ease the
suffering of Boise Penrose. With ears
wide open any interested Chicagoan can
understand what the absence of Boise
Penrose means.
Delegates wander around almlessy.
This is an open convention. More than
half of the delegates have come with
the right to vote for whom they please,
You discover that they don't know for
whom they will vote, because they don't
know who will be put up Delegates
need to go around the convention hotels
with tightly closed lips. afraid of slip
ping secret. Today they are the most
talking of all convention visitors, They
move about the lobbes and Railways
asking each other who will be nomi-
nated?" Newspaper reporters used to
have to hunt up the delegates to ask
questions: today in this open conven-
tion it is the delegate who hunts the
reporter.
of the city. with little knowledge of
politics. could readily understand that
these delegates up to this moment OF
writing are sheep without a shepherd.
We folks in the United States have
been crying for an open convention. Up
to the dawn of the day before the con-
vention we had an open convention.
1t was generally admitted that we didn't
know what to do with 1t. having Sc
cured it.
There are signs, however. that the
bosses might mercifully extend their
hand before the great meeting and help
to end the indecision and bewildered
American convention voters. The big
men were beginning 70 appear on the
scene. You might have seen them
standing around the Hobbies. smiling
confidently as II they knew how. to
make things steady and certain when
the right time came.
At the headquarters OF the various
candidates you might have seen signs
of nervousness. During Sunday every
candidate talked to groups of reporters
Not single one Of them made claims.
"Our lightning rods are up, was the
gist of their statements.
In the Wood headquarters were ofii-
GERS lounging about chatting with each
other or graciously bowling and eX-
changing society talk with society Lead
ers in the Wood rooms, suggesting that
Wood may be drawing on his army 20
furnish amusement 70 voters. AS II TO
add to the militarism OF the. scene,
Wood himself rolled up TO the hotel in
a big army car, bearing the letters
u. s. A." and strode into the office
in the field uniform. II might have
happened in Europe.
Mighty events are ahoat in Chicago.
II they do not stir Chicago and the
country in these days Of their happen
ing, be sure that in time they viii make
their mightihess felt for good or evil.
Chicago is blaze to conventions. The
folks here have seen, several Of them
and have beheld all the great party
leaders face to face. II Is incredible
that the rest OF the country thinks as
little Of the great even as do these