The Washington times., 1924-06-12

pages, dry even when drastic. The
Wisconsin platform, frankly, suf-
fered from overwriting. It would
have been a brilliant piece Of
strategy to skin it right down b
a skeleton, to be waved aloof and
ratified for bang effect.
AS 1t was, it became draggy, fol-
lowing as it did the much longer
document already read by Warren.
Aroused By High Spots.
Only in the high spots, which
there was occasion for thin cheers
from the few progressives and thick
boos and Kisses from the multitu.
dtnouS regulars, were there any
demonstrations, was there any in
d1cation that pulses had not yet re-
stunned their normality for which
this convention is unique.
The insiders began to smile and
breathe in palpable relief. The hero
Of the feeble opposition, who had
had his minute of glory, who had
for sixty seconds stolen the burglar
proof convention, was talking to
himself out again. Cooper had
been allowed twenty minutes. A
dozen chairmen and other high
flunkies were holding watches on
him. Now they put away their
Watches-say, Cooper could talk his
bald old head off, for the more he
talked the less it mattered now.
So that when the venerable
gentleman who had lived like the
butterfly his moment of gaud and
glory tapered down to the finish
OF his reading, and, resuming for
one flicker again his own form, ne
stoutly and squarely offered his
PLATFORM for q vote, there were no
cheers-there were no hisses-thers
was a laugh.
=, It was q, tragedy, that which
had begun as a comedy and risen
to a mighty and moving drama.
BO0S For Wisconsin.
1t was a deplorable ending for
three days of history which had
known no high lights save the
staunch opposition Of the Wiscon.
sin pilgrims, who had been washed
without breaking against the Glib.
raltar committee on resolutions
who had been subjected to ignomin.
ious, but ineffective raiIlery at
each session.
Last night, when Spokesman
Warren had made mention that
only one State stood opposed to the
PLATFORM, and everyone knew
which State it was and that it was
the lone State which stood opposed
to the candidate, Warren had link
cd the reference to a tribute for
the memory OF Warren G.. Harding,
which brought every one up ex.
| cept the Wisconsinites, who solidly.
lmmutabiy' immovably sat in their
corner.
Every State ripped I'D it's stand
ard, the thousands crowded about
the Wisconsin square but not a
Wisconsinite budged.
The cheers for Harding mingled
with the boos for Wisconsin, but
the Wisconsin delegation sat pat.
The band struck up 1.-THE Star
Spangled Banner'-a slick trick
but the Wisconsinites still sat firm.
After 1t was all over, they rose
and sang the national anthem, or
attempted to, but the chairman beat
them down with the gavel and they
subsidized; 1t was not their purpose
or province to assert themselves.
They wanted only to show that
they could adhere to their policies
stubbornly as could the majority to
theirs.
"Nay'' To Platform.
The majority platform, when put
to vote, was answered with a may"
from Wisconsin. It was still a
brave nay, but It was drowned in
the below Of YEA" from the other
States and Territories, united.
The play was over. The Wiscon.
sin cinderellas had not outwitted
the powerful Williams. The Wiscon.
sin little Evas had gone to heaven.
perhaps, but the imps OF Satan be-
low, the Simon Legrees, were SNUG
and victorious.
The story Of the heroic stand
would go down to posterity only in
the printed annals and would grow
dusty in the archives.
II its intent had been to start
spontaneous combustion that
would burn as q mighty torch for
third party, 1t had been drowned
in the lengthy drip-drip of verbose
statements of principle.
La Toilette may pick UP the
ashes and salvage the embers and
blow the flame to life again.
He may not.
But that first protesting clarion
of Cooper, Of Wisconsin, will never
be forgotten by those who wit
messed it. for ita sheer thrill