Evening star., 1936-06-25
ROBINSON GIVEN
R|0TOUS OVATION
Long and Noisy Carnival
Staged as Prelude to
Attack on G. o. P.
BY JAMES Z. CHINN.
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, June as
New Deal Democrats did everything
but wreck Philadelphia's massive
municipal auditorium last night with
q wild and frenzied demonstration for
Senator Robinson Of Arkansas, ma
jority leader Of the Senate, who now
Is about to relieve Postmaster Gen.
Farley as chairman Of the Democratic
Convention.
For nearly 80 minutes the scene
on the floor of the auditorium re-
sembled a riotous halloween party.
But no halloween party ever before
had as many participants or drew
its celebrants from such a wide area
as represented by the 5000 delegates
and alternates to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention who staged the
affair.
Like an unending serpentine chain,
these 5000 men and women marched.
hoped. skipped and jumped around
the big arena, singing, shouting, cheer
ing, whooping and whistling Bands,
horns, sirens and virtually every
known type Of noise maker added to
the deafening din.
Keeps Radio Appointment.
The demonstration came as prelude
to Senator Robinson's vicious attack
on the Republican PLATFORM speech
he had originally intended to make
as the conventions permanent chair
man. But the procrastinating
Credentials Committee interfered with
those plans, so the Senator went ahead
anyhow to accommodate the radio
net works that had stations stretch
ing into every Republican and Demo-
cratic hamlet in the country ready
to broadcast what he had to say. The
New Deal chieftains, Of course. didn't
want to pass up that opportunity or
disappoint the radio audience.
The Arkansas delegation itself set
off the bedlam. When Senator
Barkley of Kentucky. acting chair
man OF the convention, announced
that the failure of the Credentials
Committee to complete its work on
schedule prevented Senator Robinson
from being elected permanent chair
man in time to conform with the
broadcasting schedule. but that the
Senator would speak, members of the
Arkansas delegation jumped into the
aisle and started a parade. The
Texas and Louisiana delegations
Joined them and Tennessee followed.
A few minutes later every Democrat
who could make noise or walk was
contributing his utmost share to make
the demonstration bowling success.
Elliott Roosevelt. delegate to the
convention. took leading part In the
wild floor pageant. AS member of
the Texas delegation. he led the group
around the oval-shaped arena carry
ing the white State flag in one hand
and 10-gallon sombrero in the other.
Demand for Order Defied.
Twenty minutes passed and there
was no indication of any let-up in the
celebration. Senator Barkley pounded
the gavel nightly and demanded that
order be restored. Patiently he waited
several minutes before issuing a new
command for peace and tranquility.
Even then 10 minutes passed before it
was quiet enough for Senator Robin
son to begin his speech.
The Senator was cheered sporad-
ically throughout his long speech, but
when he predicted the nomination of
President Roosevelt to succeed himself
as the party's standard bearer. there
was another outburst of deafening
noise.
The speech. however, was obviously
too long for many of the spectators.
BY II o'clock. 40 minutes before the
Senator concluded. blocks of seats that
had been filled we're deserted.
The close of Senator Robinson's
attack on G. o. p was marked by an
other demonstration. But the dele
gates were tired and it was short lived.
Gov. Earle of Pennsylvania. who left