| Show Q JO he led a faction of delegates 60 the interstate commerce law convention and was refused admittance to convention mall chicago oct 26 preparations i were made early today by the aavo cates of tree speech to demand en ranee lo 10 tho interstate commerce aw convention which was scheduled to bo called in steinway hall at 10 facing the possibility ot beng denied admittance arrangements were made to hold a rump conven ion it necessary to protest against what the free speech partisans term gag rule matters were apparently n chaos among the regulars early n the day the opposition had developed such strength that the convention wa in assembling it was ald before the convention was called 0 order that the opposition which is said by ohp convention managers to represent the railroads were to bo denied admission tho so called railroad faction of the delegates to the convention met at the green room of the auditorium annex this morning to prepare for a conflict with the regulars at convention ball prior to the meeting at tho auditorium annex coal dealers who are identified with the railroad element met at the great northern hotel na after satisfying themselves that their credentials were satisfactory proceeded in a body to the annex where D M parry president of the national manufacturers association and other so called railroad delegates were assembled As soon as the coal delegates arrived the question of the mode ot procedure to ba adopted was raised mr parry mounted upon a table acted as chairman of the meeting with a cane as a gavel wo are advocates of free speech said parry and we demand our right to be heard I 1 understand that we are to be deprived of our right to be heard in the convention unless wa sign a or pledge what Is your pleasure W A leese of michigan moved that tho delegates go to the convention in a body and if refused admittance retire to studebaker ball where a second convention could bo held this motion wet ath some opposition and was tabled A motion that tha delegates go as individuals was mado and carried reading interstate law convention not commercial revolution were thereupon distributed tri buted wearing the badges conspicuously all the delegates at the auditorium annex meeting headed by D M parry and nobert lake ot michigan marched in a body to steinway hall where the go called bacon or regular delegates were assembled sem bled following the plan decided upon by an executive committee to avoid a clash with the dissenting or parry faction no delegates had been admitted to the convention except those who subscribed to what the officers of the organization called the creed and articles of faith endorsed dent Roosevel ts message asking enabling legislation by congress enlarging the powers of the interstate commerce commission so that it may regulate the freight rotes subject to judicial review in addition to police halt a dozen regular delegates guarded every door leading to the hall and all who had not signed the endorsement of president Roosevel ts message were denied admission among the farat delegates to subscribe to the principles of the convention and gain ad was L W noyes representing the illinois manufacturers ai tion mayor dunne also was an early arrival and be reinforced the officers of their decision to bar delegates charged with being in the railroads 1 I will see that you have all the policemen needed to hold your convention without interference from the railroad hobbyists lobbyists said mayor dunne among later arrivals were governor 0 iowa and former governor Laram lc of wyoming judge S H cowan received the fol telegram from washington juat before the convention was called to order judge 8 H cowan I 1 hope that the convention will resist to the utmost the admittance 0 any delegate who will not eign the proposed pledge let the railroad hired men exhibit their free parses and go home it they outnumber you by violence go elsewhere and hold a roosevelt convention ven tion signed W S chandler former united states senator from new hampshire the first disturbance was created by F J klesel ogden utah said to be a representative of tha railroad faction he entered the anteroom ante room of the ball and demanded that the statement jb delegates were asked to sign aloud the clerk in charge of the declined and delegate klesel shouted all in favor of my suggestion say i aye three voices responded then somebody asked for those oppose and there was a lusty shout of no from a score or more of delegates 1 I will surrender my rights as an citizen by putting my to aut book shouted delegate kiesel 1 I will not sign away my birthright followed by several friends klesel then lets the room in th absence of E 0 bacon chairman t tha executive committee who Is autlee S H cowan 0 texas called the convent lonto order J delegates fattu ar here will abide by the action of the executive committee and endorse tiro railroad rate regulation advocated by our great president theodore roosevelt said judge cowan we might have had more delegates had we the means to bring them here we paid our expenses and we have a thoroughly representative body present I 1 hope he convention will be peaceful and that its deliberations will result in much good the mention of president roose belts name was greeted with long continued applause R W of new york was chosen chairman of the convention meanwhile the parry procession of delegates had reached steinway hall the doorkeeper offered F H mason secretary of the buffalo chamber of commerce a pledge already prepared after looking at the pledge mason said 1 I am a regularly accredited delegate and I 1 ask to be admitted otter ing his credentials at the same time you must sign this to be admitted 1 I will not do ao returned mr mason H C elwood chairman of the buffalo delegation was refused admittance then one by one the other parry delegates went to the door and were refused when the last man had been refused admittance the parry party went in a body to studebaker hall where nearly 2000 delegates assembled for a fco called rump convention ven tion F J bradley ot haverhill Haver hlll mass was elected temporary chairman of the studebaker hall convention and made a brief speech advocating calm and dispassionate discussion of the matters under consideration when I 1 was elected a delegate I 1 came here with an open mind and uninstructed and I 1 did not intend bof bind myself to aar view without a hearing of the matter be sald T B aldrich of elect ed secretary y delegate W A characterized the meeting at steinway hall as A meeting ruled by two policemen and one anan J was sent as a delegate with the rights of an american citizen ot free speech and when I 1 refused to bind my self by signing a pledge I 1 was refused admittance |
