The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-28
DARKEST HORSE HAS BEST SHOT,
 COREY OPNES
Rough Work Done Under Cover While COnven-
 ton Kills Time
nv HERBERT COREY

NEW YORK, June 27.They gave the child rattler to play with Friday while papa and mama fought up town
 To put it another way, the ecnven- tien was q band concert. It was a counterfeit of deiiberate body. It went through motions, made noises and slapped itself on the back while the rough work was being done under cover up town. My own impression is that the rough work consisted in the ham mering by the Smith folks of smother nail in the McAdoo coffin. But that is q long way from saying that Smith's own boat looks any less likeka coffin than it has. This is mixing the meta phof, but the darker the horse 1the better the chance right now, in my opinion. .
 sHAfe Is the inside stuff: Alfred Emanuel Smiths neighborE children want to write platform in which the klan will be denounced by name Nc i. Adco could not run on that platform, they say. Without admitting that, the AfcAdco people prefer an incuous plank, in which an anonymous jab at the klan may be taken under cover ek A rOuslng commendation of the bill of rights.
 Want Platform First
 Hence the Smith people want to write the platform before the candidates are halloted on. They feel sure of their kan plank. McAdoo's men want to nominate first, on the theory that If they put over their man the convention will be forced to build platform on which he can stand.
 The under cover maneuvering went on all day uptown, while bright-eyed patriots casseroled in the great closed spaces of Madison Square Garden The roof was shut because of falling rain, and the temperature inside was that produced in fever patient who has just eaten heartily of green melon. The word went out to kill time. Hence, the only noiseless demonstration ever offered candidate in a national con vention.
 While 10000 people stood up and wondered and the band played, what will be scored as demonstration in bofor of Cox was produced. The com plete human silence of this demon. strAtion was only matched by the one man march of the standards when New HAmpshire's governor was nominated. The delegate who had the standard got started, and, gosh ding 1t, he couldn't step.
 Orators Obliee
 Between times orators obliged. There's something about a great convention that fobs the average man of all power to stop. Hence they blahed on and on. even after the convention began to offer luxuriant raspberries.
 Newton Baker, who made good blue printed political speech-the best to date, even considering Franklin Roose- velt's talk in nominating Smith--was completely laid in the shade by Mrs. Carol Miller of Pennsylvania. She ran heavily to evangelism in her address, but she put 1t over as it jingled. She is easily our best and did it after So many other Pennsy1vanians talked that If the convention had it's way it would { have read that great state out of the Union. To say their fellow democrats were tired of the Pennsylvania takers is to express a deathless thought ia mild and shrinking terms. It looked as though all Pennsylvania had broken out in | vocal rash. Whenever a fresh Pennsylyanian appeared evefybody gf6aned.
 All predictions are off so tar as the lucky man is concerned. I hold fast to Any belief that Smith and McAdoc are more uneasy corpseS and that one Of the third or fourth choices win get the starry crown. That the choices also think so is shown by the long list of them offered for their fellow democrats to pick from.
 Incidentally, the uptown workers finally decided not to hold a night sAs- sion, and let delegates get away for the day. This may be taken as another slight but hopeful victory for the Smith people, or rather for the crowd against MeAaoo, for Sa :day morning the scrap begins on the platform and Will liam J. Bryan is being rubbed with snake oil at this blessed moment.
 We may get away next week.