Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-06-11
ND PYROTECHNICS
At C. D. P. MEET
Delegates Calm as Lodge Ar
raigns Wilson Administration.
DELEGATES ARE LEADERLEss
Many of the Old Guard Are Absent,
Though Some of the Veterans Are
in Evidence on the
Floor.
81 WRIeHr a. PATTERSON.

ny WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.
Convention Hall, Chicago. June O.
No, the fireworks did not start at the
opening session of the big Republican
show. The predominating feature Of
Che first day was Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge and his keynote speech, and no
one has ever accused she Massachu-
sets statesman of ever having touched
match TO a skyrocket.
At Johnson mass meeting on Mon
day night the California senator made
a plea for party that would be rep
resentative of the plain people 1t
was the Republican party, as repre-
sented by their chosen delegates, that
faced the Massachusetts senator when
he accepted the gavel as temporary
chairman of the convention. That they
were the plain people was evidenced
by their lack of understanding of the
scholarly English in which the gifted
senator arraigned the Democratic adj
ministration and applaudad the. acts
of the Republican congress. They did
not dare applaud even when he spoke
of the Democratic president because
they did not know whether he was
praising or condemning him.
One Dark Horse Eliminated.
A prominent worker in the camp of
one of the leading candidates heaved
sigh of relief before the keynote
speech was finished, and summed up
his satisfaction with the statement:
"That speech has eliminated one dark
horse, as Lodge could not now be
nominated by these delegates"
One noticeable feature of this first
day was the absence of many of the
old-tine leaders. To be sure Uncle
Joe Cannon was there, and .Chauncey
Depew was there, and Governor Her.
rick and a number of others were
there, but the old-timers were very
much in the minority, and the conven-
ton showed the effect of their absence.
1t was an Embossed. leaderless crowd
of delegates that filed the main floor
seats-a crowd of whom many were
mere novises in the political game
They We're mot on to the ropes" they
Z
pected of them, and even the profess
sional cheer leaders, imported for the
occasion, did not succeed in arousing
that degree of enthusiasm that is to
be expected in a national political
convention. When the cheer leaders
told them to sing few of them tried
to sing, but there was frightened
catch in their voices; when they were
told to wave flags some Of them did so
in a mechanical sort of fashion that
fully demonstrated their lack of I'M
Outstanding of just what part they
were to play.
But Just give these noyices time, and
they win arise to the occasion. The
ingredients for the making of a warm
time are in Chicago, and before ii is
over the city will know that Repub-
IIcan convention has been held here
Hays Master of Situation
SO far there Is hut one man who is
master of the situation, and that is the
national chairman, VIII Hays. All of
the guesswork of the past and the fu-
diateIy be over if he were to announce
his candidacy for the nomination. He
was today the only man recognized as
leader by all factions AS he stepped
to the front of the platform to call the
great meeting TO order his smiling
countenance brought forth the one
''three times three and life-sizeds
tiger" of the day And it came with
ous ere from the cheer leader at
that VIII l4ays i2s arrived" with
the delegates to the Republican con-
vention of 1920.
Back of the scenes that marked the
formalitics of the convention hall the
workers for the various candidates
were making strenuous efforts to round
up another delegate for their favorite
candidate. The one question on every
beGy's lips was: "Who win be nomi-
nated?" The sure answer was: IT
know hut | am pledged not to tell"
Col. Henry NJ Byllesby of the Wood
forces was an exception to the rule.
He knew and he was not afraid to tell.
With Colonel Bylleshy II was General
Wood on the seventh ballot"
Altogether it is an amazing situa-
ton with many humorous features, but
the only funny things the coterie of
dollar-a-word humorists, including
such men as Irving Cobb. James Mon
tague, Ring Lardner and others who
are reporting the convention, can find
to write about are themselves.