The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-07-30

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his abortive attempt to secure the
Democrat nomination for senator from
New Jersey, had the gall to show his
face at the founding convention The
poison pen artists were there, led by
Westbrook Pegler. The ladies of the
press whose pens are only slightly
less itriolic-Dorothy Thompson and
Rebecca West The latter used the
occasion to express the resentment of
the dwelling of privilege among the
British upper classes. l was disap-
pointed not to find the so-called CLAM
orous Glare there. If she was present
she did not choose to dress-up the
gathering with her presence. But
there were also objective reporters
present like Max Lerner of the N. Y.
Star (PM), Tom Stokes of the Chi
cago Sun and Sam Grafton of the
Post. | was very happy to meet Jen-
nings Perry of the Star, a slight, gen.
tie, little man, who was doubling as a
correspondent and delegate from Ten
nessee. Norman Thomas was impress
sive and dignified with his white hair
matching his summer suit. Then
there were the men and women rep
resenting the press of India, China,
Russia and the world in general. |
would have relished the privilege of
hearing their off the cuff impressions
of the three conventions.
"This is Something New"
During the seconding speeches for
Wallace | watched proceedings on
television in the press lounge over a
much appreciated beer, courtesy of
the Pennsylvania railroad and caves
dropped on the conversation of the
newspaper brethren around me- Many
of them were enthusiastic over the
new party but some of them seemed
resentful that they were unable to dis
miss the whole thing as another po-
litical circus. Wherever | went |
heard the word new" "This is
something new" This is something
new anyway" well, at least this is
something new around this place"
After listening to the old party con-
ventions, it is certainly apparent that
something new is in order, but that
something new should appear in the
same place in the same trappings in |
the same general composition a
party convention-had startling eff
feet on even the most cynical.
We heard the same phrase-"this is
new" - from taxi drivers,
from hotel attendants, from bartend-
ers all of them having a rather
stunned expression on their faces. l
expect they had thought they knew
all there was to know about conven-
tons and were confused to find that
they didn't. / expect they thought
they were in for another session of
the hard drinking, skirt chasing, and
of people who use the oc-
casion principly as a means of release
from inhibitions. The sober intent
ness of the new party people was GER
tainly new to them. There was no
so-called "caucusing" in the bars and
am sure that the purveyors of spirits
n Philadelphia can be expected to be
;olidly anti-Progressive from now on.
"a Universal Expression"
One of the aspects of the convention
which impressed people most was the
singing Some of the correspondents
attempted to pass this off as a symp-
ON of the revivalist spirit of America, I
tut they couldn't even convince them {
elves, for there was something very ]
leep, very fundamental in that singing (
which insisted on recognition. 1t was
he primitive impulse to sing of ones
lopes for the future, and with each
ession the respect for this impulse F
rev among the listeners. There ]
we're many things about the conven- n
ion which were additionally Amer r
can but the singing was a universal F
pression-something deeply a part c
f people wherever there are people. .
Another something new" was to be {
cen in the dining room of the Belle
ue Stratford, where the City of h
Love for once lived up to {
IS nickname. My digestion was
iJoJ ,,,;rbtil,y hxy tbo onno,.t,1pitu to Il-