The Nomination

"If anyone has--any difficulty--in hearing me--in the remotest cor-rners of this hall--do not bla-ame it on Calif-o-ornia--but bla-ame it--on Ka-ansas.City."

The slow voice, a monster by itself, was amplified mechanically into a sonorous roar. A third of the grandstand seats were as yet unfilled. The shuffle of thousands of feet and the drone of thousands of excited conversations diminished slightly but by no means ceased. The voice paused a moment, and then intoned:

"Many ye-ears ago--I lost my hea-art--in California--but I have lost--my VOICE--in Kansas City!"

This facetiousness pleased the mob. Waves of laughter lapped back against the amplifiers. The seat-hunters shuffled on, craning to see what was causing such a great sound from the platform. The sputtering, hissing Klieg searchlights played down on a tall, dark, ministerial figure grasping the high lectern with both outstretched hands. Despite the speaker's height, his appearance was partly obscured by the three panels of aluminum microphones behind which all the convention speakers had to function. Chairs kept on scraping. Seats clacked up and down. The drone of conversation died away slowly as the Voice resumed:

"Califo-ornia's delegation--elected by six hundred thou-usand voters--in an uncontested pri-mary--present to you--for President of the Uni-ited States--America's gree-eatest administrator in human welfare--Her-r-rber-r-rt Hoo-oover!"

With an oratorical toss of the head, the tall, ministerial figure stepped back from the lectern like one whose duty is, for the moment, done. That was John L. McNab's idea of how to introduce his Palo Alto, Calif., neighbor to the country.

But the throng had been caught unready, unorganized, out of its seats. The growing noise lacked spontaneity. It was a rumble, then a roar. It in no way resembled an explosion. But Nominator Me Nab saw that everything was going to be all right so he left the lectern completely and walked back to stand and watch amongst the seated members of the National Committee.

After less than five minutes the demonstration was weakening when, to the rescue, in struggled tall young William H. Vanderbilt of Rhode Island with a thin, rectangular object some eight feet long and five feet wide.

"Ya-a-a-a-a-AY!" said the crowd. It was a no less than four-times-life-size portrait of the busy-beaverish cause of the demonstration.

Secretary Mellon got through the jam and reached his seat, 30 minutes late.

In the press stand, Writer H. L. Mencken took off his coat, revealing a cocoa-colored shirt and loud suspenders. Next to Writer Mencken, Publisher Alfred A. ("Borzoi") Knopf of the American Mercury climbed up on the desk and exposed several yards of film in his small cinema camera. Then, saving the film in case something else should happen, Publisher Knopf sat down again.

As the noise continued, Will Rogers' lower lip stuck farther out, Secretary Wilbur's cries of joy grew feebler, the Pennsylvanians (Mellon, Vare, Reed) had to huddle closer to talk, the band remembered to play The Gang's All Here, the hall filled up and became stifling hot. Last to quiet down was a quartet of harmonizers accompanied by a fat man with an accordion. The quartet was three-fourths fat, too, and sang (through megaphones): "Hoo-oo-ooo-ver! Hoo-ooo-ooo-ver! Hoo-oover! Hoo-oover! . . . etc., etc."

After 26 minutes, Nominator McNab got going again, but comparatively few people listened to him. "You'e said all you need to," shouted a New Hampshire delegate. Fans were going, handkerchiefs mopping, conversations resuming. The edge was off the evening, but Nominator McNab's basso syllables rolled on for 20 minutes and then there was another demonstration. At 8:20 (the session having begun at 7 p. m.) Chairman Moses began obtaining order for the placing-in-nomina-tion of other candidates.

Lowden. Chairman Moses introduced "the next Senator from Illinois," Delegate Otis F. Glenn,* who strode stiffly upon the platform in white trousers and form-fitting blue coat. Pride sat with anger upon his muscular red face, which was shaved to a shine. He startled his fellow Illinoisans and all others who had worked for the Farmers' Friend, by reading a statement of withdrawal signed by Candidate Lowden. The Lowden explanation was that he had not sought the nomination unless the Farm Problem were met "fully and fairly," and this, he said, the convention had failed to do. Others nominated were Candidates Watson, Curtis, Goff, Norris, and President Coolidge.

First Ballot. "Alabama, fifteen votes!" cried the secretary.

"Alabama, fifteen votes for Hoover," answered a sleepy voice from the rear of the hall, where most of the Negro delegates were placed.

"Arizona, nine votes!" "Arizona, nine votes for Hoover." And so on, without a break until Florida and Georgia each gave Curtis one vote and Illinois cast 13 votes for Coolidge, 24 for Hoover, 16 for Lowden, 4 for Watson, i for Dawes. The total non-Hoover votes were as follows:

Coolidge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Lowden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Norris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Goff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dawes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Not Voting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The balance of the 1089 votes went to Herbert Clark Hoover--837 votes, or 292 more than necessary to nominate.

* Mr. Glenn was nominated in the Illinois "reform" primary in April (TIME, April 23).