Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-07-17

~-fN UhtkI VITA
3 ne referred to as the progressive ele
r ment in the Republican party. Fo
the majority element In the Republican
party he had no single word OF com
mendation. But no one was very much
surprised Mt all OF that as no on.
mad expected him to commend the
enemy. That was not what he wa
there to do. Even Congressman The
odore Burton, the Republican keynotel
at Cleveland. who attended the Demo.
cratic show as a guest, did not seem
to take any serious offense at what
was said about himself and his Re
publican colleagues.
1t did not seem that Senator Har-
rison had overlooked anything thar
could be said In opposition to the Re-
publicans but along came the perma-
nent chairman, Senator Walsh, ON
Wednesday, June IS, with a new
LIST Of charges, or at least q
new vocabulary, While he spoke
the sun streamed down upon the
glass roof OF the convention hall
and turned It into a bake oven, but
his denunciatlon OF the political en-
envy caused the delegates to forget,
for the time, their differences over
platform planks and favored candi-
dates. They shed coats and, In many
cases, collars as well; they displayed
black and green and blue 'galluses,"
and despite the heat enjoyed to the.
full everything the leader Of the oil
Investigations gave them as first-hand
information For 1t all they paid him
to the full in convention COMA long,
loud, a terrific demonstration.
When the delegates assembled
on Saturday morning, June 2S, It was
with the expectation that they would
receive the report Of the resolutions
committee. But that was not to be.
For 80 long and almost continuous
hours the committee, headed by Homer
s. Cummings, had labored over it's
task, and the stumbling blocks It had
struck were Khan and League of Ma
lions. On the latter subject Ex-Secre-
tary OF War Baker was. leading the
fight to a straight-away declaration
in favor Of the League, and would be
with nothing less, but he was
in the minority. That did not repre-
sent serious situation for the party,
but the other subject, that of the
Khan, did There seemed to be no
grounds upon which to compromise,
md at the end of 80 hours Of labor
he venerable leader. William J. Bryan,
lropped to his knees In the committee
DOM and asked the members OF the
committee to join with him in asking
Divine guidance In their hour Of diff
ulty.
The resolution Mr.. Bryan favored,
nd for which he had worked through
he long hours. contained a plank on
he subject Of religious liberty, and
secret orders that were
pposed to the provisions of the Com
titutieB. but It did not name the
Ian. That was the plank that was
Tritten into the majority report OF the
ommittee. But It was not satisfac-
DRY to a large element In the party.
Governor Smith announced that he
Tould Withdraw from the contest for
he nomination II the party attempted
0 straddle the subject william r.
Democratic candidate for
overnor OF Maine; Balnbridge Colby
( New Jersey, former secretary OF
taae Joseph A. kellogg OF New York.
gere among other leaders that were
acking Governor Smith and his fol-
owing.
Fight Over Platform
The committee did not report until
fter three o'clock Saturday afternoon.
nd then they gave to the convention
9th a majority and minority report
a these two planks. The threatened
ascension In the party had been car
ed from the committee into the con-
ention to be fought out on the floor.
he League plank was the first point
Isposed OF. Ex-Secretary Baker made
a impassloned appeal for the minority
port, and for two hours the subject
as debated, but In the end the con-
sntlon voted $50 to 742 in favor Of
le majority.
The same people who had fought for
definite denuneiation Of the Khan
the resolutions committee led the
int for that when Il was taken to
e floor OF the convention William
innings Bryan, and Senator Owen of
klahoma made the appeal for the
lopflnn OF the majority report Mr.
ryan. In pleading for such a plank
would. In bis belief. Insure party
llty. said: the Cmthoake church