Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-16
POLICE INTERVENE,
END DISTURBANCE
Compromise Wet Plank Put
Over by Every Art of
Leadership.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. June 16-Prohibition
stalked from its committee hiding place
onto the wide convention floor last
night. swiftly changing apathy to
tenSity which started angry men toward
each other with doubled fists.
Rearing galleries all but drowned out
spokesman for the compromise prohibi-
ton plank won only by exercise of every
art of leadership.
The guests, perched high on the
ladder-like upper tiers of seats dimly
visible through blue haze of tobacco
smoke and dust, hOOtcd in derision at
threats of hard-boiled Bert Smell of
New York, convention chairman, to
drive them forth
On the floor itself. the Platform Com
mittee report with its compromise pro-
posals was presented by Chairman
Garfield only to be challenged by the
repeallst allies, whose field marshal was
the tall, calm-faced Senator Hiram
Bingham of Connecticut. It was then
demonstration broke out that had
near fist fights around its edges, quieted
only by prompt intervention of burly
Chicago police.
Leadership Triumphs.
Yet IN the end, after sitting all night
and well into the new day, the cocven-
ton recorded its will. with votes to
spare. against direct repeal. Leader
ship and presidential influence had tri-
umphed and to the soothing strains of
Aud Lang Syne" from the great sta
dunn organ, the weary delegates
trooped hOtelWard.
There was never any real doubt as
TO the outcome of the prohibition battle.
The repealist made the noise, aided
and abetted by the galleries, but the
votes to dominate the situation were
among the Western and Southern dele
cations that sat silent as the repealist
demonstrators pranced through the
aisles. some brand!shing tin GROWERS"
or glass stems filled with a foaming,
amber liquid.
The members sat sedately enough
through the hour and more it took
Chairman Garfield to read the long
Platform.
But when Bingham put in the re-
realist counter plan the pent-up emo
ton of his followers broke loose.
It started-and ended-peacefully
enough. Just the usual parade of State
standards until an Oregon repeal en-
thusiasJ sought to uDrOot his standard
and Join the march. A determined
2OO-p0under swung his heft to the up
per end of tie shaft.
Scene of Battle Shifts.
It wavered and shook as another
hand or two came to the raiders cid,
but weight triumphed before the police
arrived.
Immediately behind doomed the
Washington standard. In a moment
the scene of battle shifted there It
came down clutChed by half a dozen
men. who PLAYED tug-o-War with it up
and down a dozen feet of the crowded
aisle
Except for the angry looks and ges-
lures of the contestants. it would have
been merely amusing. The blue coats +.
stopped that. too.
That was about all of it so far as
the delegates themselves went They
were never were out of control and /
the convention leaders saw to it that
the great organ gave no aid or comfort /
to the attempted repeal STAMPEDE.
Chairman Garfield grew a bit angry
at the gallery noisemakers and showed /
1t BY sharply WoIded thrustS.
All the speakers on the winning side
were booed bit, Ogden Mills, the
Treasury Secretary. getting off best
Alter it was over. James Francis
Burke of Pennsylvania, with 40 years
of party and convention experience be-
hind him, said that IN the end. what
ever happened. we'll al be RepubH-
cans still" And it seemed that wav
when SHELLS gavel fell for adjourn
ment.