Ring Lardner

San Francisco Examiner/July 5, 1924

NEW YORK, July 4. In honor of it being the 4th of July, the convention added a special feature at today’s session, namely the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Augustus Thomas. It was planned at first to have the reading done by one of the delegates, but they were unable to find one that could pronounce it.

According to the present schedule, John Emerson will read the Actors Equity agreement at convention at Labor Day and during the first week in October, results of the world’s serious games will be announced to the delegates at each evening session. Later on Tex Rickard will move the boxing ring back into the Garden and have a card of bouts once a week. Amongst those already engaged for wind-ups are Kid McAdoo and Battling Smith and Young Bryan and K. O. Taggart.

When the balloting was resumed members of the so-called active press stood out in the corridors or down in the press rooms where you can smoke, and recalled the happy times when political reporters spent their summers golfing, boating, swimming, playing tennis and etc.

“You would think,” said one of them, “that they would at least vote for an off day, on the 4th of July.”

“What do you mean, an off day?” said another who works for a neutral Republican paper in Vermont. “They’ve been off ever since they got here and the longer they stay, the further off they get.”

One suggestion by a visiting scribe was that giant firecrackers be lighted and tossed amongst the most stubborn delegations just as they was about to cast their vote, but it was pointed out that this would probably just make the ballot more scattering.

Personally, I was fortunate enough to encounter Delegate Caleb Vicks of Ohio, as I was leaving the hall.

“Well, Mr. Vicks,” I said, for it was he, “are you having a good time in New York?”

“I’m having a good long time,” replied Mr. Vicks.

“Have you enjoyed yourself, Mr. Vicks?” I asked him.

“Much more than I have enjoyed you,” replied Mr. Vicks.

I left Mr. Vicks at this junction as it looked like a few more words would lead to blows. My next encounter was with a prominent theatrical man from Broadway. He had just been in the garden and observed the number of vacant seats. He said in this part:

I think they are suckers to try and keep going unless they want to take their show on the road and brag about how long they run in New York.