New-York tribune., 1908-11-08
TOO MANY Committeeman.


Aside from the long hours and the impossibility
Of getting genuire rest train travelling often
sixty miles or more hour. the two greatest
sources OF Inconvenience, and exhaustion. to
the members OF the Taft party the INSULT
cheney OF police regulations and the superhuity
os local commtteerns N
'.Just take things easy. Every arrangement has
been made You VIII have no trouble getting into
the hall" This the invarable assurance OF
the local committeeman al each town where the
party left the train. The first carriage auto
mobile containing the candidate would draw up to
the stage door of the theatre hall the candi-
dste and those who rode with him would get into
the hall and the crowd would close IN around the
door and form a wall impossible 10 those who
rode in the vehicles that followed The men who
had ridden thousands OF miles to be on hand 20
write & report Of the meetings for their papers
would fnd themselves outside tho breastworks
A f-w such experiences taught the correspondents
never to take the word Of local committeeman
on the adequacy Of the arrangements. and after
that they developed sort OF wedge formation, with
th4 candidate al the apex and pursuing football
tactics, they went through those crowds with
ceIerity which amazed and at times infuriated the
Il. C's" as the local committeeman came to be
termed But such tactics in other than football
costume had their disadvantages and few MEM
bers Of the Taft party had either buttons On their
clothing or even IN their cuffs when the campRig7
neared the end frequently the stage door haS
snE been negotiated, another unreasonable crowd
vvould be encountered on the stage itself. and It
required herculanean efforts 20 gain place where
the candidate could be heard the crowd sized
up" snd adequate report gathered
Occasionally it became necessary for the entire
sarty to form Itself into bodyguard 10 protect
1he candidate from the crush Of an enthusiastic
mob which sought to shake his hand Such an
incident occurred at st. Paul Mr. Taft spoke from
8 stand erected IN the centre Of the huge audito-
rum il that city. When he had ended some one
conceived the idea that he would ike TO shake the
hand Of the next President OF the United States,
and rushed forward That started rush from
sn directions which little short Of a stampede,
The members Of the party formed around the
candidate, but before he could be got out Of the
docr the pressure became almost unbearable.
Many carried away bruises as mementos OF the
manner n which they resisted the pressure
Clothes we're torn ankles skinned and hats
crushed. II al good natured, but no HVeler
scrfulraaEe ever occurred Oh football field
Al Denver Mr.. Taft found himself entirely too
much the centre Of attraction as he expressed
f. Men and women fought TO get at him, to
Shake his hand. to touch lis clothing. Some tried
10 tear the buttons from his clothing as souFeh-
3rs and one woman. unable to reach his hands,
z,tscH were held by members Of his party In the
effort 70 get MIN unha-med through the crowd
PASSED her hands over his face. but tnrough II
sll he smiled and encouraged his bodyguard- II
was in q Kentucky town. Frankfort that man
sn his desire 10 stop the candidate and make him
shake hands grasped his waistcost and tore every
button from II
MR. TkFT'S FoRGETFULNESS.
Many were the nights when Mr.. Taft and his
party returned 10 the special train completely
exhausted. Unconsciously. but with the best In
feutions IN the world, Mr- Taft himself sometimes
made the work Of the correspondents difficult II
was al Lincoln that the most notable instance OF
this character occurred Before reaching that city
slr Taft prepared a carefully worded reply 10
Nr Bryan's argument regarding the publication OF
campaign contributions in advance Of the election.
This was an unusual procedure for the Repub-
Iicau candidate who has not had sufficient expert
eace as a candidate to know how best 10 utilize
the press and as Lincoln time is hour later
than New York there was rejoicing especially
among tie Eastern correspondents. that a part
OF the evening address could be teegraphed in
advance II was late when Mr.. Taft reached the
auditorium where he to address his fourth
Lincoln audience. Gradually he passed from one
.sue Of the campaign another without men
sssnipg campaign funds and the anxiety OF the
correspondents was indicated by the cold perspira-
.un which began start out on their faces
Finally there came the accustomed ending Gen
tlernen I thank you" and Mr.. Taft down. He
had completely forgotten his reply 20 Bryan
when he was reminded OF it he looked like
schoolboy who had been caught stealing apples.
and his regret was so obviously genuine that none
could cherish any resentment. But It meant
rash TO the telegraph Offices and series of wild
messages to night editors. saying. Use Tafts
reply 70 Bryan statement. He forgot TO
n ia his speech" followed by q rush to the train
which Colonel Daniel Ransdall was holding.
Again. later in the campaign, Mr.. Tan threw
his newspaper friends into a state Of panic. A
prominent capitalist had declared himself for the
Rer1s3icaa candidate an3 Mr. Bryan was using
tbs fact in an effort 10 prove that the trusts rec
ognized The Republican party as their friend Mr.
Taft was besiegsd with inquiries as TO whether
he would make any statement On the subject. and