The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-06-26
HEADS CENTER
ATTENTION ON
RUNNING MATE
Despite Southern Rally to
Favorite Sons, New York
Man Seems Sure Winner
KEYNOTE SPEECH TONITE
Senator Robinson Eclipses
Evans Woollen As Vice
Presidential Timber
BY BYRON PRICE

BY BYRON PRICE
(Associated Press Staff Writer)
Sam Houston Hall, Houston.
Texas. June &c. (AP) A
Democratic national convention
whose major decisions were all
but made before it ever con.
vencd began here today in an
opening session SO brief that it
was over before the delegates
got settled in their seats.
Leaving the keynote speech.
the usual magnet of opening
day interest, for an evening
session. the convention merely
went through the motions of
getting itself legally afoot, and
then after a session of one min
ute less than half hour, re-
cessed until 7:30 p. m.
The only convention hall thrill
was not a part of the session itself.
1t was short demonstration for AL
Smith put on by impromptu Demo-
Gratis from Herbert Hoover's home
state Of California. The solid Smith
California delegation raised big
picture of their man high above
their place in the convention floor
and a cheer went up to the rafters
from the legion Of linen-suited
Smith men on the sweltering con-
vention floor and their summery
clad women companions and Smith
delegations.
Shouts of "No" came from all over
the great hall as the chairman an
nounced with the parliamentary
rapidity of machine gun that the
organization sponsored motion for
a recess had carried. Now that they
were at it after many days of travel
southwark and hotel room waiting.
the delegates seemed to like it and
meant to 60 on with it, heat or no
heat.
A newly appointed platform con
mittee will wrestle forward du,rue
tn. next twenty-four hours in she
hope of getting a finished pros.
including a prohibition plank thu
may avoid floor fight, ready
tomorrow or tomorrow night. AL
though the convention officials forgot
to 60 through the motions of form
ally giving convention approval to
the new committee. its members al
ready have been designated by the
various state delegations and they
are ready to 70 to work informally.
The keynote will be virtually the
only business of the evening ses-
sion. Voting for a presidential candi-
date probably will not begin before
Thursday or Friday.
Against the unwonted political
background Of this south Texas
city. in spick and span new hall
made to their order, the Democrats
sat down to ponder how best they
might heal up the wounds Of Madi-
son Square Garden and put unit
ed party into the campaign of 1928.
There seemed little doubt in the
minds Of the delegates as they came
together that the party Standard
Bearer would be Smith Of New York
and that the major platform issue
OF the convention-that Of prohibi-
tion-would be settled by a plank
merely pledging strict enforcement
OF the constitution and the laws.
Such program promised likewise
in the estimation of the vast major
ity to be carried through the con-
vention with great hurrah, but
underneath there fingered after all
the conferences and caucusing Of the
pre-convention period undeniable
residue of southern bitterness
against both Smith and the prohibi-
tion tenets Of his convention manag-
ers.
This feeling promises to assert it.
self later in a southern led floor
fight for bone dry plank and in
last ditch votes against Smith him.
self when balloting for the presi-
dency begins later in the week but
none Of these conflicting emotions
had opportunity for. expression in
the brief opening session called for
noon today. It was assembled mere
~ to get first preliminaries off the
calendar. After an afternoon re-
cess. the delegates will come togeth-
er again at Z p. m. to hear the key
note and clear the way for reception
on the party platform.
An hour before the noon conven-
ing the time small advance guard
OF the convention army had mustered
in the galleries and on the conven-
tion floor, and two bands, played al
ternately. A little later another
special Texas convention Jazz COM
pany which called itself "the old
gray mare band" circled the wide
outer aisle surrounding the delegate
section, dressed Is red shirted cow
boys, playing the tune for which it
was named and headed by a COW
girl leader, riding astride the old
gray mare herself. Horse and rider
got . bigger hand than either the
band or its music.
Among tbs first Of the distin-
guished guests to come mot the
reserved section on the convention
platform was Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
She entered accompanied by Mrs.
Jesse Jones, wife Of the Houston
publisher and banker.
The first women delegates 70 take
their places on the floor, were Mrs.
Alice Moss Ferris, o1 Laddouia. Nis-
souri,, IN the late champ Clarke dis.
trict and Miss Tess Nef1, IN altar-
nats from st. Charles, 10.
Soon after eleyen thirty Frank
lin D. Roosevelt cams Ia, also M
recognised b. nlest q tAeoo ahout
him. Leaning a tn arm a. NJ
(cantlnned = - tNe)