The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-18
EAR KEPT CLOSE
TO THE GROUND
Taft in Touch With His Chi
cage Managers During Ex-
citing Moments.
RUSHED TO WHITE HOUSE
PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY
PROFESS SATISFACTION.

Washington, June 17.-After word had
been received at the White house that
the cheering for President Roosevelt in
r'the convention hall had continued for
forty-five minutes, Secretary Taft came
over 10 the White house and with his
usual good smile hurriedly went
into the presidents Office. Mr.. Roose-
Welt had been carefully reading all the
bulletins received at the White house.
and both he and Mr.. Taft were fully
Informed Of what was taking place IN
the convention hall.
One sentence in the presidents bull
letin impressed him very forcibly as
indicating that all the delegates were
not in fact carried away by the eX-
citement. That was a statement that
two-thirds of the delegates had re-
tanned their seats, but the confer ence
between the president and Mr. Taft
may result in some message being sent
10 the convention direct from the White
house in order TO restore normal cOndi-
tons there.
Taft Kept In Touch.
Secretary Taft was in communication
today with his managers in Chicago
and kept apaCe with the situation as
II developed from incident to incident.
Reports or the committees to the con-
vention, which had been forecasted in
the early private advices, were received
with satisfaction both by the secretary
and the president There we've import
ant exchanges between Secretary Taft
and his Chicago friends as TO the plat
form, and especially as TO the anti-in-
junction plank. The view here is that
the plank will be retained in the plat
form as il was agreed upon tentatively.
A rumOr was i'm circulation today
that if the plank should be eliminated.
Secretary Taft. in the event of his
nomination, might find later a way.
probably i'm his speech of acceptance, TO
announce authOTitatiVely his own views
on the subject. The report could not be
traced 10 an authoritative source, and
il was not possible, either at the White
house or at the war department, 10 con-
firm il in any degree.
Both Went Driving.
With every incident in the gathering
IN Chicago flashed TO them on direct
wires, President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Taft kept in constant touch today
with the Republican national COnVen-
ton. had a brief conference. and each
wound up the afternoon by driving in
10 the suburbs while the convention
was still in session. All day long the
wires brought news OF what was trans
piring in the convention. There were
direct telegraph circuits from the con-
ventiOn hall to the executive offices Of
the White house and the private office
of Secretary Taft, and a long-distanCe
telephone III Mr.. Tafts Office as well.
These permitted ready conversation
with the officers at the convention.
Showed Little Concern.
Apparently disinterested in the clos
ing hours of the days proceedings, the
president and Mrs Roosevelt drove
from the White house late in the aft
ernoOn 10 the vicinity of Rock creek
northwest Of the city, where they
mounted horses and cantered over the
smooth bride paths amid the wild seen
cry that characterizes that vicinity
They left just after the great ovation
10 Mr.. Roosevelt had exhausted itself
following fOrty-five minutes of COntin-
ued cheering.
The president received bulletins from
the convention while dressing for his
ride, and after Secretary Taft had come
10 see him while the excitement in the
Coliseum was at its height and had
gone back 10 the war department. Mr.
Taft also went driving without waiting
for the convention 10 adjourn.
Mrs. Taft manifested her keen inter
est in the proceedings at Chicago to-
day by joining the secretary in his pri-
vate Office and getting at first hand
the reports from Chicago She re-
manned throughout the session of the
convention and scanned all the dis
patches received.