Evening star., 1924-07-09
CALLS CONVENTION
FANATICS MEETING
Prominent Democrat Bitterly
Arraigns Aggregation of
Freaks in New York.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

BY ROBERT Il. SMALL.
NEW YORK, July 9.-'"rhis is not
a Democratic convention, never has
been a Democratic convention, and
should not be compared with any
Democratic conventions of the past"
The man who made this statement
is one of the most prominent Demo-
Gratis now in New York City. He went
on to explain:
From the first this has been a
gathering of wet and dry fanatics; of
Ku Klux Klan sympathizers and
anti-klan intolerants. 1t has been
the most unrepresentative gathering
ever assembled by false pretenses
under the supposed banner of Democ-
racy.
Party good, political principles
and precepts, welfare of country and
moderation of thought-all have been
swept overheard by bolshevik crew
which has had but one thought in its
head from/ the beginning-the scut-
Ting of the ship.
Does Not Fix Blame.
Il am not attempting to fix the
blame upon one camp or another. l
simply know that this monstrous
thing in Madison Square Garden has
not been a Democratic national con-
vention as l have known such con-
ventions during the last thirty-five
this awful growth upon it's back, this
parasite, / do not know We have
seen no play of politics here, no meet
ing of political minds. 1t has just
affair, reduced to a farce by stub
bornness and intolerance. The whole
country will sigh with relief when
this side show of alleged Democracy
this aggregation of freaks, ad-
journs.
For the past forty-eight hours the
Democratic national convention has
been in serious danger of being dis
possessed from Madison Square Gar
den. The patience of Tex Rickard,
prize fight promoter and lessee of the
big meeting place, was exhausted
when the second week of the conven-
tion ended with no solution in sight.
Tex. according to some of his close
friends. has been losing nearer $500
a day than the estimate of $1,000
day early in the gathering. Further
more Tex had leased out the swim
ming pool privileges at the Garden.
The pool is right under the center of
the convention floor. Or at least it
was there until the convention began.
Then it was drained and within its
concrete walls temporary newspaper
workroomS were set up.
The man who leased the pool has
been afraid that the summer would be
over and done with before the Demo
Gratis ever cleared out. Rlckard mas
been induced day by day to withhold
drastic action, but II is not sulpTiso
ing that he should be in mood to
swear out warrant of custer ana
drive the delegates to some other
meeting place.
1t long has been the custom OF po-
lice and public safety departments
TO call out the fire department ana
turn the hose on unruly crowds. Tex
has wanted for days to turn the nose
on the delegates.
At the rate the delegates nave ;n peSn
fading away the past two days their
meetings could be held in very
small space
Even the Democratic New York
Times came out editorially this morn
ing advising the Democrats to ad-
io1rn and ego elsewhere" There was
welcome on the mat when the Dernoo
cratic hosts first arrived, but the
welcome sign was taken IN ions az
There was a great howl OF derlsiVe
laughter in the convention TUESDAY
night when a resolution was read re-
ferring to the opening date OF the
nowwow as June "a. Most of the
delegates had forgotten Just wnen
There was another shout OF laugh.
ter when the permanent chairman OF
what has seemed to be permanent
unit rule in the Oklahoma delegation.
Tt appeared that Oklahoma had been
voting from the first under the unit
system, but there was no ofnclal re-
cording Of such instructions from the
state convention. Some OF thesdele-
gates suggested that the rule be alb
roeated, but Mr.. Walsh said such
suggestion should have come earlier
than the ninety eighth ballot.
.Under a decision Of the United
has been held that where a practice
has been established over a long
number Of years.
1t was minutes before the chairman
could proceed after that unconscious
bit of humor.
Former Gov. James M. Cox of Ohio,
leader of the party in 1920, who was
urged to come here on Monday to
see what he could do in helping to
convention, has hardly had wink Of
sleep since he arrived. The first
night he was in conference until
o'clock the following morning and then
was routed out of bed before z o'clock.
Tuesday he worked virtually the whole
night through.
Gov. Cox is one of the most fit
men physically ever in public life.
He keeps himself always in the best
of condition. His muscles are as
hard as iron. He never knows the
meaning of the word fatigue.
Most of the delegates had just
about forgotten that William Jen-
nings Bryan still was in town when
it was announced Wednesday morn
Ing that the Commoner had been