Evening star., 1932-06-28

were given to three button afternoon
coats and gray trousers, with here and
there a light suit, here and there
Smartly tailored woman, here and there
a delegates wife little overdressed.
But these Democrats are waving the
rainbow and flashing the aurora bore
alis along Michigan avenue with gaudy
clothes and giddy badges, gorgeous
banners and f1uttering flags, so bright
and festive that it looks like
some great municipal fair. Bands sud-
denly come ooZing out of the cracks OF
floors in the hotel lobbieS and begin
blaring Along come gangs singing.
Choruses chortle and quartets howl
through the days and make the nights
uneasy Yet it is sober crowd. Both
conventions were sober conventions, in
that there were few souses.
Compared with the conventions Of 80
or 40 years ago. this Democratic con-
vention. and naturally the eminently
respectable Republican convention look
like gatherings of the Christian En-
deavor There is casual drinking in
the rooms. Two of the hotels are said
TO have official bootleggers who tap
from door to door in the morning,
soliciting trade.
Buns" Are Rare.
1t IS not hard to get drink. Liquor
is fairly pure, but the drunk, the
sloppy, noisy, weeping statesman stag
gering under a bun is rare. The times
have improved. Liquor does not mean
SO much as it meant to the generation
that nominated Grover Cleveland and
Benjamin Harrison. Probably more men
talk more about booze and drink less
than their fathers.
At any rate these two conventions
have been sober conventions as ma
tional political conventions go.
The presence OF women probably has
helped. There seem to be more women
in the Democratic delegations on the
floor than the Republicans had But
possibly this is because the Democratic
call provided that at least half of the
delegates at large must be women.
Their influence is ciYiliZng. Whether
they affect the choice of candidates or
the formation OF the platform makes
little difference. They brighten Up the
crowds and give men something to
think about besides their sorrows, and
keep mems feet in fairly narrow path.
Now, it Is as necessary to convey
some idea Of the color and tone of this
convention as IL lS 10 TtROIJ Tie pre-
liminary intrigueS already tangling up
the delegates Probably some sort OF
caucus of opposition leaders will as
semble before these words find their
way into type. 1t seems hard to rally
around any leader. Smith, who refused
to pledge allegiance in advance to
Roosevelt, Is a belled cat. The others
are afraid of him. He can't take the
leadership and no one else has the
brains or power.
But the managers Of the presidential
candidates, the local bosses of State
and city politics In the great States like
Massachusetts, New Jersey. New York,
Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, CAL
ifornia and Texas will dhardly let the
opportunity pass without forming some
kind of a line against the conquering
Roosevelt army.
The spontaneous, devastating oppo-
sition to the abrogation OF the two
thirds rule that was manifest when the
delegates met for the first time has
given the opposition some hope-a hope
not to defeat Roosevelt, but q hope to
put him in his place; hope to restore
the untrammeled freedom of the un-
shackled Democracy OF Jefferson and
jackson.
The first fight now looms. 30 far 1t
has looked like a parade. The parade
ground seems to be fairly bumpy and
mined in places at the start-but now
the shooting will begin.