Evening star., 1948-07-25
BY NswboId Noyes, j.
s.ess% -

|
Party's presidential candidate de.
liver his acceptance speech In food
lighted shibe Park here tonight.
The crowd did not come out Of
curiosity. 1t was solidly behind the
proceedings. ALI night long, the
boos and cheers came in all the
right places. There was no discor-
dant note-and from the point Of
view Of the producers, anyway, the
show was an undoubted hit.
1t was even a financial success.
Before Mr.. Wallace and his running
mate, Senator Taylor of Idaho. ar
rived in the park, Radio Commen-
tator william Gailmor managed to
milk the crowd Of, at least sc, 1000
to buy radio time for the Wallace
campaign.
The audience was slow In arriving
and the program did not start until
40 minutes after the scheduled time.
Before the start, for half an hour.
a young man with a mandolin and
a rust-colored sports coat kept
things going with Wallace songs:
Great day--great day, the people
marching great day-we're
gonna build this country strong"
Girls Practice Cheer Leading.
! On the left field foul line, five
girls practiced cheer leading antics
jumping into the air for the benefit
of photographers.
| Outside the ball park, arriving
crowds could count eight newsboys
and one newsgirl selling the Com
munist newspaper, The Daily Work
er. in one short block on the ap-
proach to the main entrance.
/ The Progressive Party candidates
spoke from q square, canvas -cov-
cred platform at second base on the
diamond. From q red, white and
blue draped podium hung red
bordered nag marked founding con-
vention Of the new party" On their
right, between second and third
base, was a chorus of young Wal
laceites, who. helped lead the eve
ning's communal singing. The radio
and television people. together with
part Of the press corps. were on the
speakers left, toward first base.
In right field, blue on white
against the background of green
grass, stood large sign: "The
Time Is Now!" Behind it, Pro.
gressive Party banner, flanked by
two American flags, covered the
score board On the left field
bleachers, occupied by the Youth fol
wallace, al, orange-lettered stream
er proclaimed, wallace and Taylor
in 48-vote the Progressive PartyP
Stockade Protects Diamond.
The inner diamond itself was pro.
tected from the footprints Of the
multitude by D wire stockade.
Henry Wallace is the only candi-
date who could have filled park
like this on q night like this" one
speaker said. He was slightly inac-
curate: Mr.. Wallace just failed to
fill the stands of the Athletics and
Phillies home grounds. But the
gaps were not conspicuous.
Sam Wanamaker, the actor who
directed and co-starred with Ingrid
Bergman in the Broadway produc-
ton of Joan of Lorraine" served
as chairman OF the program. Fol-
lowing an invocation. the singing OF
the National! Anthem and q wal
lace song called The Same Merry
Go Round" - the latter featuring
-four trucks with silent caliopes
mounted on them-Mr. Wanamaker
introduced the first speaker, Num-
cipal Judge Joseph B. Rainey of
Philadelphia, president OF this city's
branch of the National Association
for the Advancement OF Colored
People. ~. .a -...' .,:es-.
On behalf of his race, Judge
Rainey declared: I'VE are tired of
being lynched-we are tired of being
segregated-we are tired of the two
OLD parties making promise after
promise"
Representative Marcantonio, of
the American Labor Party of New
York, next drew crashing cheers
from the stands with defense of
the CommuniE Party as an ally of
MI. Wallace's Pregressives.
Mr.. Marcantonio whipped up the
atmosphere with high pitched
rshrieks and failing gestures.
He said that If the people of Italy
and the people of Germany had
recognized the constitutional rights
of the Communist Party, there
would have been no Mussolini, no
Hitler, and no World War II. In
countries where the Communist
Party has been outlawed, he said,
the boundary line between fascism
and democracy has disappeared.
Defends Communist Rights.
We will not permit ourselves to
be divided, and we will not permit
ourselves to be intimidated, Mr..
Marcantonio declared, calling for
defense of the civil rights of Amer
ican Communists.
I'VE of the new party are carry.
ing on the political traditions Of
jefferson, of Jackson and of Frank
lin Roosevelt" Mr.. Marcantonio
said.
"* e we intend to win
| Paul Roberson's great voice rolled
out over the ball park. first In an
address, and then In song.
we need this, our new Progress
sive Party, guided by the wise, the
kindly Henry wallace, aided BY Glen
Taylor" he said.
He drew his biggest cheers. how.
evers when he sang what Is Amer.
Of the Republic"
Taylor Struts for Crowd.
Senator Taylor. who was intro.
duced by Mrs. Lawrence steefel oil
Minneapolis, co-chairman of Women
for wallace, mounted the speakers
platform like a prize.fighter enter.
ing the ring-a prize.fighter of the
MAX Baer school. His left hand
tastefully tucked In his coat pocket
he strutted about the stage for five
minutes, rewarding the crowd for
its applause by waving with the
other hand.
After his speech, Senator Taylor
introduced his family. It was 10:45
| "A -. II a