Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-26
ROARING CONVENTION TERONG Pa rs TRIBUTE TO Wis

There still were many empty seats
III the galleries, however, and the
group of convention officials on the
, platform showed no indication of
! calling for order.
Reporters Protected
| The advantage of the high raise
| of the platform above the floor level
| became apparent when a dozen dele
gates who thought they had business
with busy officials on the stage tried
! in vain to find a way to get their
attention. In most previous conVen-
| tons it has been possible to climb
up over the press stand to the plat
form and in the excitement of heat
ed convention battles many delegates
have done it to the lasting detriment
of the correspondents. The Demo
Gratis this year decided against it.
A few minutes after II, Senator
Carter Glass, also mentioned as a
possible dark horse selection for the
presidency, came to the convention
floor and was given a rousing re-
ception with several hurrahs by the
members of the Virginia delegation.
Mrs. William G.. McAdoo, a daugh-
ter of Woodrow Wilson, took a seat
in box directly opposite the speak
ers' platform. She wore mourning
for her father, and was accom-
panied by several members of Mr.
McAdoo's staff.
Sergeants- assisted by po-
lice officers, began circulating
through the aisles at 1915 endeavor
ing to persuade the delegates to take
their seats, but at first they had lit
tie success. The garden electrician
tested out his battery OF spotlights,
ranged about the overhanging gall
| leries, throwing the platform under
a white glare. The show was about
to start.
Fans Kept AfIutter
It grew increa singly hot in the
hall as the sun burst through the
clouds and beat down with mid
summer force on the glass roof. The
colors in the crowd were multiplied
by the distribution of scores of deco
rated palm leaf and pasteboard fans,
most of them bearing advertising de-
vices. They were kept aflutter.
There was plenty of color otherwise,
too, Kansas wearing large sunflow-
streamers carrying the name of their
state and many delegates display ing
on their coat Ia peIs the ribbons OF
the various candidates.
During the final wait of a few
minutes the box occupied by Mrs.
McAdoo, in a place of prominence
closely overhanging the delegates
arena at the rear of the short center
aisle, attracted much attention
among the delegates. David Laid
Rockwell, Mr.. McAdoo's campaign
manager, appeared with several
others in the party and waved a
greeting to many of those on the
floor
The actual opening Of the session
was delayed after all the delegates
had arrived in order to permit the
police outside to straighten out a
traffic crush about the garden and
let through the many guests who
were trying in vain TO get to their
seats in the hall.
Confusion OH Floor
Considerable confusion persisted
also on the floor where there seemed
to be an unusual crush of people
who had no seats allotted to them.
From one spot, in addition to the
delegates, alternates and those usu-
ally admitted to the floor, it was
possible to see badges reading va
rlously assistant sergeant-a alarms,
head dOOrkeeper, door supervisor.
usher, special officer, telephone OPP
orator, telegraph operator, page,
ticket taker and medical officer. Some
of those wearing these badges had
taken the seats of delegates, and it
was difficult to get the whole churn-
ing mass Of humanity properly as
sorted and quieted down.
Both delegates and spectators be-
gan to grow impatient and the par
tisans of several of the presidential
candidates took advantage of the
general confusion to stage inn
promptu demonstration for their
faVorites One western delegation
gave three cheers for McAdoo and
another group from the east joined
in Smith campaign song.
1t was 12:43 when the bang of the
gavel called for order. At first the
delegates only cheered to vent their
enthusiasm a the prospect of action
Standing in the full glare of the con-
centrat ted fire OF the spotlights, how
ever, Chairman Hull soon secured
quiet and introduced Cardinal HAYES
to make the opening prayer. The
delegates rose and cheered for a
quarter of a minute as the prelate
came out to the front of the stage
and then stood quiet and with bowed
heads as the cardinal offered his
prayer. 1t was solid mass of stand
ing humanity, fors the aisles were
| as crowded is the sections allotted
to seats for the delegates.
Anna Case Sings
The invocation concluded with the
| Lords Prayer in which many of the
| delegates joined, the band struck up
| the Star Spangled Banner" and
| showers of tiny American flags
| which had been concealed in folds
of the ceiling decorations were
loosed and showered down like many
colored leaves upon the convention
floor.
When the band had gone through
one stanza of the national anthem,
Anna Case, Metropolitan Opera star,
| sang a verse of the song while the
| delegates remained standing. She
| invited the assembled thousands to
| join with her when she reached the
chorus and they did so in a great
swelling burst of melody that ended
with crash of cheering and hand
clapping
Then the convention went through
the usual performance of having its
official picture taken. There was a
laugh on the floor when the photog-
rapher, stationed in a gallery, asked
! that every one be seated, for the
aisles were literally crowded with