PRAYER OF REV. JOHN TIMOTHY STONE, D.D.

Rev. John Timothy Stone, D.D., Pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Ill., offered the following prayer:

Most holy and eternal God, we bow before Thee with reverent hearts and thoughtful minds. Thou art our God; Thou art the God of all nations; Thou art the God of our nation; Thou hast been the God of our fathers. Thou hast been our Guide in times of peace and amid the perplexities of war. Thou hast given to us freedom, liberty, purpose and prosperity.

Although the immediate interests which now control our gathering together have reference to our own national issues, we would not forget the warring, suffering nations of the earth. We pray Thee to bring them speedily, if it be Thy holy will, to terms of peace and conditions of adjustment.

We bow before Thee, and pausing quietly, ask Thy blessing before entering upon the deliberations of this convention. As Thou dost order the affairs of men, so frame the doings of this great body. Save from all hasty and ill-spoken word. Control judgments, purposes, plans and platform, that all may have Thy pure mind of wisdom and strength. May the men of Thy choice be our choice, and may motive, method and result center in Thy sure laws of right and in Thy lasting victories of truth and righteousness.

"Direct, suggest, control, this day,
All we design, or do, or say;

That all our powers, with all their might,

In Thy full glory may unite."

We ask all in the name of our common Master and Lord. Amen.

PHOTOGRAPH OF CONVENTION

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.-The official Photographer of the Convention wishes at this time to take a picture of the Convention and I trust that all present will make an effort to face the camera as well as they can and be very quiet while the picture is being taken. Thereupon a photograph was taken of the Convention.

CALL FOR THE CONVENTION

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.-The Secretary of the Republican National Committee will read the Call for the Convention.

MR. JAMES B. REYNOLDS, of Massachusetts, Secretary of the Republican National Committee, read the call as follows:

To the Republican Electors of the United States:

In accordance with established custom and in obedience to instructions of the Republican National Convention of 1912, the Republican National Committee now directs that a National Convention of delegated representatives of the Republican Party be held in the City of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, at eleven o'clock A. M., on Wednesday, the 7th day of June, 1916, for the purpose of nominating candidates for President and Vice-Presidennt, to be voted for at the Presidential Election on Tuesday, November 7, 1916, and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before it.

The Republican electors of the several States and the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands, and all other electors without regard to past political affiiliations, who believe in the principles of the Republican Party and indorse its policies, are cordially invited to unite under this call in the selection of delegates to said Convention. Said National Convention shall consist of four Delegates at Large from each State, and two Delegates at Large for each Representative at Large in Congress; one Delegate from each Congressional District; an additional Delegate for each Congressional District in which the vote for any Republican elector in 1908, or for the Republican nominee for Congress in 1914, shall have been not less than 7,500; two Delegates each from the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands. All Delegates from any State may, however, be chosen from the State at large, in the event that the laws of the State in which the election occurs so provide. Alternate Delegates shall be elected to this Convention for each unit of representation equal to the number of Delegates elected therein. In the absence of any Delegate at Large or Delegate from a Congressional District, the roll of alternates for the State or the district shall be called in the order in which the names are placed upon the roll of the Convention.

Delegates at Large and their alternates, and Delegates from Congressional Districts and their alternates, shall be elected in the following manner:

(1) By primary elections, in accordance with the laws of the State in which the election occurs, in such States as require by law the election of Delegates to National Conventions of political parties by direct primaries; provided, that in any State in which Republican representation upon the board of judges or inspectors of elections for such primary election is denied by law, Delegates and alternates shall be elected as hereinafter provided.

(2) By Congressional, Territorial or State Conventions, as the case may be, to be called by the Congressional Territorial or State Committees, respectively. Notice of the call for such Conventions

shall be published in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in the District, Territory or State. In a Congressional District where there is no Republican Congressional Committee, the Republican State Committee shall issue the call and make said publication.

No Delegates or alternates shall be deemed eligible to participate in any Convention to elect Delegates to the National Convention who were elected prior to the adoption of this call.

Delegates presenting certificates of election from the Canvassing Boards or officer created or designated by State law to canvass the returns and issue certificates of election to delegates to the National Convention shall be placed upon the temporary roll of the Convention by this Committee.

The election of Delegates from the District of Columbia shall be held under the direction and supervision of an Election Board composed of Charles Linkins, Charles H. Bauman and Jesse H. Foster, of the District of Columbia. This Board shall have authority to fix the date of said Convention, subject to the provisions of this call, and to arrange all details incidental thereto; and shall provide for a registration of the votes cast, such registration to include the name and residence of each voter.

The delegates from Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands shall be elected in conformity with the rules and regulations adopted by this Committee, copies of which will be furnished to the Governing Comittee of the Republican Party in such Territory and insular possessions.

All Delegates and alternates shall be elected not earlier than thirty days after the date of this call, and not later than thirty days before the date of the meeting of the Republican National Convention, for which this call is issued, unless otherwise provided by the laws of the State in which the election occurs.

The credentials of each Delegate and alternate elected prior to May 24, 1916, must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Republican National Committee, at the office of the National Committee, Wilkins Building, Washington, D. C., promptly upon such election. The credentials of each Delegate or alternate elected after the 23d day of May, 1916, must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Republican National Committee, at Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois. Where more than the authorized number of Delegates is reported to the Secretary of the National Committee, a contest shall be deemed to exist, and the Secretary shall notify the several claimants so reported and shall submit all credentials and claims to the whole Committee for decision as to which claimants shall be placed upon the temporary roll of the Convention.

All notices of contest shall be submitted in writing accompanied