Oberlin College - Hi-O-Hi Yearbook (Oberlin, OH)

Page 16 text:

The special session of the Mock Convention called for lO A. M. on Saturday, May 9, was adjourned at l2:2O P. M., with the platform completely formulated. The League of Women Voters having rallied, aided in putting the con- vention on record as favoring birth control. Also backed were resolutions on federal anti- lynching legislation, Hawaiian statehood, free speech by students and teachers under the civil liberties clause, and fish conservation. Glen Jorgensen presided at this session, reliev- ing Carl Helms. At 7:00 P. M., National Chairman Carl Helms opened the final session of nineteenth quadriennial Oberlin Mock Con- vention. Attorney-General John W. Bricker, of Ohio, pre- sided as permanent chairman during the balloting for the Party's candidate for president and vice- president of the United States. Alf Landon, Frank Knox, and Senator Borah were among the leaders. A clever strategic campaign by the Vandenberg faction had boosted the unwilling Senator into a first-rate contender. In view of a four-cornered deadlock, a dark horse candidacy loomed strong. Of John G. Winant, said the Elephant, special newspaper of the convention, he is not doped to rate a great deal of support on successive roll- calls, but he is a possibility. The results of vote-trading, double-crossings, and threats, are seen by examining the ballot box. ln the seventh ballot, a dark horse, Winant, received the nomination. The nation's press hailed the choice as wise and indicative of the youth- ful spirit of the times. Among those nominated for Vice-Presi- dent were Gannet, Steiwer, and Mae West. Miss West received a great ovation when she was nominated by the Alaska delega- tion, Senator Steiwer, Oregon's native son, lacked the ovation but received the nomina- tion.

Page 15 text:

Now it seems to me if Ohio and New York will only swing to Landon after playing up their favorite . . . You know, I saw the duckiest red . . . Say, who's that talkin' up there now? 3 ' wi. X Here y'are! Getcha roasted, toasted, sugar-coated Califor- nia almonds . . . Getcha bal- loon on a stick, b'loon on a stick! Here y'are! Candy, choon gum, peanuts, popcorn, pop, peanuts . . . Here y'are . . . MOV 8, l936, 7:00 P. M., Carl Helms, national chairman, called the convention to order, National Secretary Richard Aszling issued the Call for the Convention. Mr. William lBilll Seaman extended a welcome to the delegates and 2,000 visitors. The response was made by Mr. Frank A. Stetson, chairman of the Republican Committee of Lorain. Three minutes of sustained cheering and applause greeted the honorable Gifford Pinchot, former governor of Pennsyl- vania, as he mounted the rostrum. Himself an Oberlin Mock Convention nominee for vice-president on the very liberal platform of l924, Pinchot clarioned for a revamped Re- publican party, and with his keynote sounded, speeded to ElYFia accompanied by a screaming motorcycle escort to catch an eastbound train. The remainderof the evening, until l:2O A. M., was devoted to a debate on fourteen of the twenty-two proposed Dlonks of the National Mock Republican platform. With little exception, all of the fourteen planks discussed were adopted with slight changes. Birth Control legislation was the only plank in the preliminary platform draft which failed to pass. Just as it was stricken from the record, a DOwer tube that had been worrying Chief Electrician Harvey Qave out and temporarily put an end to debate. Time and time again after the hour of midnight the Convention tried to adjourn, but the sleepy conventioneers persisted in trying to finish their job . . . at an early morning hour with the amplifying system on the blink, they decided to meet at ten that same morning to finish building 0 platform. The American people need- God knows how much they need -a generation of public rnen whose honor is clear, whose mo- tives are clean, and whose in- telligence is up to the level of their task. -Governor Pinchot.

Page 17 text:

Ballots Ist Znd 3rd 4th Sth 6th 7th Vandenberg 156 109 149 161 471 425 213 Winant 236 206 244 325 212 170 515 Landon 126 126 166 216 205 136 247 Borah 93 109 20 20 59 169 12 Knox 70 70 0 227 0 0 0 Meekins 37 82 0 0 0 0 0 Hoover 50 56 280 0 0 0 0 Mills 96 178 90 0 0 0 0 Taft 52 55 52 52 52 O 0 Dickinson 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nye 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 -nn in v--1 E-..'of '.-TA-1-.1 0 ln 1860 an Oberlin College Men's Literary Society, holding the first Mock Convention, started an idea which has blossomed every four years except once. The 1936 conven- tion was the first ever to rate a national hook-up. Oberlin alumni who remembered their mock conventions, held special parties from coast to coast, and listened to a half hour broadcast which lengthened into an hour as Winant delegates sweated under the big top to bring honor to the former New Hampshire governor. A crew of Columbia and WI-lK technicians cleared the wires to the Cleveland transmitter. Program director nn 1-.nm -numn --n-in mamma-mms mam ,,., ru-ummm .,,.J!! '-., -..,.. ' ' :. 2.... ' g-'SEL'-fag -. n s mann- Y- :E'?... .: -ff---- vt-usp-nd !'.Z .'9 wha- lust! nutqnnul uevlut ill Q.. . . .. 'ZY'q .3i',....... f'.'23'L 4-Q - . . .....:........-.......-..........,-......... .................... Alb- 5 2? , :Urn ii r ii ua nun 1 I sun ur'-1 'ann rn 'ln nuwuu ,ovinwu vii-nn.v I MS ounlfw mov lon sunt units sms ti A 'nr D 1 s P 'INN rou 151911 CY It K'-0 UUYQS , f vmvln MLHUR 'minus OBE nn .wal 'urine ll Din.unuvuounnrnuounnfnm.nauuuuu l Larry Roller of WHK proved to be an able cheerleader, and Bob Trout, ace CBS an- nouncer, just through with the Kentucky derby, found the Oberlin convention more exciting than a horse race.