Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-06-19

ces Of his private secretary, Frederick
Carpenter, were thronged with mem
bers' of his family, intimate personal
and official friends, and newspaper
men.
Shortly before IL o'clock Mrs. Taft
arrived at the war department She
scanned carefully the bulletins which
had been received from the conven-
ton and manifested pleasure as the
result of the action of the convention
regarding the platform. She is a close
and accurate observer OF things po-
litical and is one of the best advisers
the secretary has had throughout the
preliminary campaign for the Presi-
dental nomination.
Mrs. Taft remained in the secretarys
private Office throughout the afternoon.
Accompanying her was the young
son of Sec. and Mrs. Taft, little
Charley, whose special function it was
to carry the bulletins received from the
convention from the telegrapher to the
secretary's desk. He was the busiest
person in the war department. While
awaiting the coming of the bulletins
he stood at the desk of the telegraph
operator, listening anxiously at the
ticking of the instrument
AS each bulletin came from the oper-
ator's typewriter, he scanned it quick
ly and rushed with it into his fathers
office.
1t was to Mrs. Taft that he present
ed to the bulletins rather than to Sec
Taft and he listened while his mamma
read the bulletins to the secretary.
Shortly after o'clock, before the
nominating speech of the Presidential
speech had been concluded, Miss Helen
Heron Taft, the secretarys daughter
joined the group in Mr.. Taft's private
office. The secretary laughingly ex-
planned that she probably would have
been there sooner if she had not been
too nervous to withstand the strain
Miss Taft was inclined to resent this
comment, but it was apparent that she
was infected with nerves." as We're
all others in the office.
Just before the beginning of the bal
loting in the convention Sec. Taft an
nounced that he had reached an agree
ment with Monsignor Ayers, the
Apostolic delegate to Cuba, providing
for the purchase of all the Catholic
church holdings by the government in
Santiago province, Cuba
One of the bulletins received from
the convention indicated that a speak
er. while nominating a candidate, had
been greeted with jeers. When Sec
Taft read it he frowned
Il am compassionate" he said, look
ing out of window of his office. to-
ward any one who goes through a
nominating experience in conven-
ton
The remark of the secretary was
sidelight on the man. He knew what
1T meant to pass through so gruellng
an experience as campaign for
Presidential nomination.
AS the balloting began in the con-
Vention the atmosphere in the two
rooms seemed to be surcharged with
excitement Scarcely word was
spoken. Men who are not ordinarily
affected by nerves. hung over the
instrument as if their lives depended
upon the words which the stolid tele-
graph operator was ticking out on his
typewriter
Something went wrong with the Of
fetal dispatches. The first announce
ment was that Massachusetts had cast
80 votes for Taft Then the announce
ment from Michigan was received with
it's one vote for Cannon.
At the moment Sec Carpenters
telephone jingled and William Pennell,
Sec. Taft's personal messenger. receiv-
ed a flash from The Associated Press
that Taft had been nominated. The in
formation. conveyed instantly to the
secretary created commotion. Mr.
Williams had the convon tion hall on
the long distance telephones but on
account Of the confusion in the Coli
scum was unable to confirm the news
A minute or so later another bulletin
from The Associated Press confirma-
tory of the first. was received and was
followed soon after by combinations
from other quarters.
Scarcely had this news been convey
ed to Sec. Taft, when over the official
wire came the flash Taft is nomi-
mated"
Mrs. Taft rose from her seat at the
band. vino was standing at her right.
1t was an eloquent hand clasp they
gave each other. Mrs Taft was bub-
bling over with happiness. All evidence
of the nervous strain which had been
in her face during the afternoon had
disappeared. The secretary laughed
with the JOY of a boy Around both
the secretary and Mrs. Taft their
friends crowded to offer their con-
gratulations. 1t was a happy scene, the
realization of months of labor and
tribulation.
Secretary Root was the first cabinet
officer to extend to Sec. and Mrs Taft
his congratulations on the nomination
He remarked, facetiously, to Sec. Taft.
while the latter was shaking hands
with some of his newspaper friends,
that he probably would find it difficult
to shake these men either during his
campaign our after his election
Secretary Taft responded that he had
no idea of shaking them at any time