Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-05

American groups manifest them
A Bikini-clad beauty in a c
cruises through the throngs in {
the pipe organ roars. the klaxC
A delegate gets knocked cole
gavel flies of its handle anC
catches him between the eyes.
A woman. too excited by thu
balloting to hunt for a pencil
keeps score with her lipstick.
A man applauding the be.
spangled ladies fife and drum
corps (this back in the old days,
swallows his "chaw-terbacker,
turns purple from choking, anC
needs the fire department resus'
citator.
Elephant Acts Up
A distinguished U. S. Senator
gingerly grasps the trunk Of &
baby elephant which. frightened
by fiashbulbs, rears back anc
knocks over a covey of delegates
frequently, too, there are fist
fights, fires and fluttering doves
raids on State Standards; care.
fully planned spontaneous
demonstrations, attempted STAN
pedes in the galleries, and once
a calico ball, 80 feet in diameter
rolling down the street. .4a
These Alice in Wonderland
antics spring from a uniquely
American institution, a political
organ without real counter
part anywhere on earth, the ma
tional presidential nominating
convention.
The convention season is al
most at hand. The Democrats
meet in Chicago August Is and
the Republicans in San Fran
cisco week later.
100 Years Old
The convention system is over
100 years old. but starting with
those in 1856, here are some sta
tistics for the century,:
/. Chicago is by all odds the
most popular site. The G. o. p
has gone there Is times. the
Democrats eight. Philadelphia
has seen seven conventions, st
Louis five, Baltimore four, Gin
cinnati three. Others were held
in Kansas City. Cleveland, Den
yer, Houston, Minneapolis,
Charleston and San Francisco.
2. The Republicans average
four ballots to nominate their
standard bearers. and have done
it Is times on the first ballot.
3. The Democrats, because
they used the two-thirds rule
for many years. have taken long
err. Some Democratic marathons
New York. 1924, 103 ballots and
IA days; Charleston and Balti-
more, 1860. 81 ballots and 10
days; Baltimore. 1912, as ballots
and nine days.
4. AS population grew, the del
egations increased from few
hundred to more than 1000. To-
day, there is a total Of 1872
votes in the Democratic conven-
ton t686l2 to elect but many
more delegates than that be-
cause States are allowed to give
one-half vote each to two peo-
pie, The G. o. P. has a total OF
1928 with 662 to elect, and no
half-votes permitted.
Business Serious
The business of a convention
is eminently serious-to nomi-
nate candidates for the Nations
highest Offices, and to spell out
the program they will take be-
fore the people.
But the convention also is de-
signed to get up a head Of steam
for the. start of the campaign.
And there is a tradition that
each nominating speech must be
the signal for a demonstration.
So the proceedings often take
on the atmosphere combining a
circus. a Fourth of July cele-
bration and a free-for-all. They
are embroidered with weird
stunts. calculated insanity which
takes place under a binding
blaze of light amid roaring
tornadoes of sound.
The girl in the canoe, for ex-
ample, appeared during the de-
monstration for Harold E. StaS-
sen in l948, What she was sup
posed to Symbolic is hard to
say.
II Minute Parade
In the hate-ridden Democratic
convention of 1924. Senator Will
liam G. McAdoo's supporters de-
monstrated for n minutes. pa
rading around the hall, snatch
ing State standards, getting into
brawls. When their turn came
Gov. Alfred E. Smiths hackers
deliberately kept their demon
stration going until it exceeded
n minutes.
In 1882. when he was first put
up as a candidate. the outburst
for Franklin D. Roosevelt lasted