A GREAT SHOW

Evening Star, Issue 23678, 11 September 1940, Page 9

A GREAT SHOW

PARTY CONVENTION NOMINATION OF ROOSEVELT THE AMERICAN WAY In November of every fourth year an election is held in the United States for the office of President, and this election is always preceded by party conventions, during which a candidate is selected, says a writer iu the Melbourne 4 Age.’ These conventions are unlike anything else in the world of politics. Delegates from all over the nation attend imbued with the carnival spirit, and there is much of the atmosphere of the circus in the whole performance. This is especially true of the Democratic conventions. Jhe delegates can always be depended upon to put on a more spectacular show than their staid Republican opponents. Probably the highlight of Democratic conventions was that held in 1932 in the city of Chicago. There was never a dull moment from the opening to the speech of acceptance made by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The roajority of the citizens of the nation had decided that they had had enough of the prohibition experiment and so, when the opening speaker advocated the repeal of the “ dry ” measure, the delegates immediately swung into action. A TWO-HOUR DEMONSTRATION. Jumping to their feet, they unfurled their banners and began to march up and down the aisles and around and around the huge stadium, all the while singing, shouting, and cheering. When the organist at the keyboard of the huge organ started to iplay some familiar melodies, the delegates, over a thousand in number, burst into song. Such popular songs, as ' Maryland,’ My Maryland,’ ‘ How Dry I Am,’ ‘ The Sidewalks of New York,’ ‘ Hail, Hail the Gang’s all Here.’ and ‘Happy Days' were enthusiastically, if not artistically, rendered. When the organist tired, two big bands (one at each end of. the stadium) took up the melodies and provided a musical background for the tumultuous scene. This went on for about two hours, until the delegates, exhausted by their efforts, drifted back to their seats. While all this was going- on before the eyes of the public in the galleries, the important work of the convention was being attended to behind the scenes. Campaign managers and friends of the various candidates were lining up all possible votes. Committees of strategy 'were planning ways and means to get the support of important delegations. After the opening ceremony came the official seating of the various delegations. Some States, in which the politicians were fighting among themselves, had as many as three groups claiming to lie representatives of the Democratic Party in their particular State. The decision as to which was the right group was therefore left to be fought out on the floor of the convention. HUEY LONG SUPPORTED. In the matter of the Louisiana delegation, the Roosevelt managers felt that the late Huey Long controlled the majority of votes, so they decided to rote for his group to he seated. Long was a spectacular political figure in those days and aroused violent likes and dislikes. But be controled the allimportant-; votes and- was sought after by all candidates. When the Roosevelt forcessucceeded in having Long and his delegation seated the Rooseveltians were condemned for supporting such a man as Long. However, as all the candidates had tried to win his support no notice was taken of this self-righteous posing. The first voting test of a convention, •ven though it may be over a minor matter, is often a good indication of how the final and all-important voting for the party nominee may result. In 1932 the Roosevelt forces won the first test easily on the delegate-seating issue. This was a warning to other candidates that they had a stiff battle on their hands if they wished to defeat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Governor of the State of New York. “ STOP ROOSEVELT.” Then camo the most important business of the convention—the election of a Democrat to represent his party in the November election for Presidency. There were many candidates, none of whom waited to have the position seek them, but, with the assistance of their forces, were leaving nothing undone to secure the nomination. The undercover struggle to gain the support of the delegations from the 48 States was carried on by all the strategems that human wit, ingenuity, and political experience could contrive. The Roosevelt managers struggled not only to hold their forces in lino, but also to win over the votes of those candidates who did not have a chance for the nomination. At the same time the opposition was assailing his candidacy at every possible point. Old and experienced in the ways of 'American politics, the Roosevelt opponents knew 'when to bo subtle, when to he daring, and when to dangle a tempting prize before the eyes of a prospective candidate. No thought was given to electing a man who would be the •best for the nation at large, each group, for selfish reasons, was striving to elect its man.

Governor Roosevelt, from the State mansion at Albany, New York, kept in touch with his campaign managers by telephone, and at times addressed groups of delegates over an amplified telephone. Special efforts were made by all nine candidates to gain the support of the delegations from California and also those from Texas. These totalled 90 votes, and the instructions were that they were to vote for the nomination of John Nance Garner. PROCESS OF EXHAUSTION. Although the convention had opened on a Monday morning, nominating speeches were still going on until 4.2 S o’clock on Friday morning. On the Thursday evening the convention hall was a steaming, yelling, cheering mass of humanity. The end of each speech was the signal for another parade of delegates around and around the stadium, singing and shouting to the music of the organ and bands. _ The galleries were crowded with visitors, and the powerful Klieg lights, installed for the benefit of the movie cameras, gave a touch of weirdness to the noisy, confusing scene. Many of the candidates who knew that they did not have a chance in the final voting wero momentarily made happy by the parades that wero held in their honour. It was all a part of the great show, with little or no influence on the ultimate result. By now the struggle for votes had become so intense that honest rivalry was giving way to bitterness and unfriendly feelings, in spite of the fact that all belonged to the same party. That such a condition could arise is a

good indication of the typo of politics practised in the United States. TIME FOR A BALLOT. At la'st the Roosevelt managers decided that it was time to insist upon a ballot being taken, and in order to do this it was necessary to stop the superfluous speeches. This proved to be difficult, as many of the orators wero reluctant to give up the opportunity to speak to a nation-wide audience. As the Roosevelt managers found out, a thorough-going Democrat will give you his support, his loyalty, his vote, his money—but never his radio time. Thus the move was a failure, and the speeches boomed on incessantly until 4.38 a.in. Friday, when the parade following the last speech was led by a ladies’ kilties band from Oklahoma. By now tho more than a thousand delegates wore weary and exhausted, petulant, and ill-humoured. Some were sound asleep, too tired to notice the constant shouting and babble that was going on all around them. It was a big job to rouse the delegates and get them to vote as their leaders dictated, but finally tins was accomplished, and after two hours it was announced that Roosevelt had polled 6661 votes —more than 450 better than his nearest rival. However, it was not a two-thirds majority, and so the whole weary business had to commence all over again. On the next ballot Roosevelt gained Hi more votes, but still not enough for victory. On the third ballot Roosevelt polled 630. Thus after six hours of voting no decision had been reached, and therefore at 9.15 a.m. on Friday the chairman announced a recess until the evening, and an army of dishevelled delegates, unwashed, unshaved, staggered out of the convention hall into the sunlight. DECISION AT LAST, While the rank and file could go to bed aud sleep, there was no rest for the campaign managers, as they had to watch the tactics of their opponents. By this time it was evident to the Roosevelt board of strategy that, in order to elect their man, they would have to have the support of the California and Texas delegations. As long as Roosevelt could not gain a twothirds majority there was a danger of a stalemate, and a compromise candidate would have to be accepted. 'lhe opponents of Roosevelt felt sure of being able to do this, and would have accomplished their purpose if Garner, when he saw he did not have a chance, gave orders to his managers to release the Texas and California delegations. But Garner told his managers that Roosevelt was the man to support, and eventually it was decided to_ give the votes of the two States to him. All this, of course, had taken place behind the scenes and was unknown to (Roosevelt’s opponents when the convention was reconvened. They were shouting “ We’ve got Roosevelt stopped, we’ve got Roosevelt stopped.” Consequently they were not prepared for the terrible shook when Senator M'Adoo rose in the convention and announced: "California votes for Governor Roosevelt.” Texas quickly followed suit, and the final vote was— Roosevelt 945, Alfred E. Smith 190 K GAVE HIM HIS START.

Ironically, it was Smith who gave Franklin t)elano Roosevelt his real start in the political world. Roosevelt had occupied a minor post in th.e Wilson Cabinet, and ran unsuccessfully for the Vice-Presidency on the Democratic ticket in 1920, hut not until Smith helped him to become the Governor of New York did he begin to_ become a national political figure. Smith’s defeat in 1932 by Roosevelt was a bitter blow to him, and one from which he has never recovered. If one man more than any other was responsible for Roosevelt winning, first, the Democratic nomination, and then the Presidency, it was James A. Farley, later the Postmaster-General in the Roosevelt Cabinet. Friends and opponents alike united in saying that Farley had proved himself to be the greatest campaign manager in the history of polities in the United States. The final chapter of the 1932 Democratic convention was written when Governor Roosevelt broke all precedents by flying to the convention to make his speech of acceptance. It is now history that he and John Nance Garner (tlie man who refused to help the " Stop Roosevelt ” forces) achieved an easy victory over the Republican nominees for the Presidency and VicePresidency in the United States in 1932, and again in 1936.