Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-06-29
Convention Is
Long Delayed In
Opening Today

Auditorium, San Francisco, Jun
29.-One o'clock, the assembling hour
came and passed and as usual the con
vention was not ready for business
Delegates were arriving rapidly, how
ever, and the galleries were better fill
ed than yesterday. Most Of the lead
ers and managers were busy in the up
per rooms of the big building working
with the committees.
The band and pipe organ filled sr
the time and the song leaders got into
action to amuse the gathering crowd
Popular airs sprinkled with patriotic
airs and invariably winding up with
Dixie" never failed to bring out the
inevitable rebel yell from the southern
delegations. The platform too was slow
In filling with the usual notables. With
some Of the delegates they had been
cruising around San Francisco bay as
guests of the city anNCnere slow get
ting back,
Rced Quits Fight.
Fifteen minutes more and the con-
! vention gave no more signs of being
ready to start up. Delegates jammed
the aisles chatting and laughing and
appiauding the efforts of the singer.
and the musicians. Today's session
was expected to be time killer anv
way. and no effort was made to drive
Things ahead. The convention man.
ayers wanted plenty of time for ths
committee workers. There were scat.
teflng yells for Palmer and Cox from
various corners as rooters got into no.
Sitloh loaded with pennants and flags
me probabilities of a fight over tba
report of the credentials comp,ittee
which had voted not to seat Senator
Reed as delegate from Missouri dim
intshed with reports that Reed wmu,d
not carry his fight to the floor of the
convention The Reed fight was tta
ohiy ripple in sight on the smooth
waters OF the convention and his de-
cision not to carry the contest further
robbed the day of its only prospect of |
excitement.
Dixie" Prevailing Tune.
one thirty passed and most of the
delegates had arrived and were stand
ing in their places waiting for the con-
vention officials to sound the call to
order.
Either the band had orders to play
Dixie loud, long and often or else it
Tell back on the air when it exhausted
all others, because it seemed to be
playing Dixie" most of the time The
southern delegates, showed no signs of ,
wearing out and never. failed to cut .
loose when they heard the strains
Old Forces Present ,
A few of the old democratic war 8
horses were on the floor of the sec
ond session, among them Judson :
Harmon of Ohio; Charles r. Murphy :,
of New York Thomas Taggart of In :
diana; Governor Smith of New York !.
and Vance Mccormick former chair =
man of the national committee.
A Palmer booster got into the or :.
gan loft and tried to announce that y
the band would play a selection ded- !
icated to his candidate. The Palmer
rooters on the floor took his gestures |
as tip for they heard little of his u
voice-and began another Palmer
demonstration. The Palmer people II
were easily leading in the noise MAX I
ing all through yesterdays session n
and today's. p
Vigorous whacking of the gavel u
brought the delegates down to their b
seats and gradually cleared the aisles
at 1850 o'clock. :"
Mr.. Cummings was determined to r.
get order quickly and succeeded Il
Il present greetings to the unterri.
lied democracy of America" said Mr. Il
Cummings as soon as he could be
heard. =
Bishop L. W. Leonard of the Meth
odist Episcopal church of San Fran
cisco offered the prayer.
The singing of the Star Spangled
Banner followed the prayer and the
big audience joined in heartily. ),
Sideplay Brings Laugh :, !,
Secretary Hoffman announced that ="
he convention had special hospital d .,
n the building with physicians ana "
nurses for any emergency. =
do they write prescriptions
queried a delegate from the floor, "
mid gale of laughter. -
"Its a dry hospital" responded =, 10
Secretary Hoffman to scattering ap- u
,lause. ''
Then one of the secretaries an Z
lounced that million dollars Of Cal
fornia gold was on exhibition near
he hall for the delegates to go and
ook at
Look out ehe republicans don't
get it shouted a delegate and the
onvention had another laugh.
The report of the credentials COM
1ittee affirming the seating of the
Palmer delegates from Georgia and
he unseating of Senator Reed then
las presented,
When the unseating of Senator
Iced was announced xyithout man
Joining his name there was loud ap-
lause and cheers from the delegate
ections. 1t turned into quite a dem
with prolonged shouts.
The delegates fully recognized the
s.nR nf Aln