The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-06-25
the remaining candidates we're placed

the remaining candidates were placed
in nomination.
1t was late in the afternoon before
the convention, now literally swelter-
ing in the intense heat and weary
after nearly seven hours of continuous
session, reached the end of the food
of eloquance and the decks were at
last cleared for the eliminating act.
But no, just as the last swell of ora
tory, the seconding speech for La
toilette. had died away, like a cyclone
from clear sky burst a LaFollette
demonstration which swept the con-
vention from it's very bearings. 1t was
the same deafening wave of sound
that had greeted Roosevelt Wednes-
day and Taft little while before, in
tense and maddening and with the
seemed as though Wisconsin had sud
denly peopled every foot of the gal
leries. The delegates sat calm and
waiting, except the frantic Wiscon-
sins, but the convention for the time
being was in the possession of the
galleries.
Now singular transformation &C.
Cured. Gradually the whirlwind
veered from LaFollette to Roosevelt.
A banner bearing the Roosevelt por-
trait and waved from the gallery was
the signal for the change, but in the
confused babel of voices there was no
distinguishing where the LaFoilette
cheers ended and those for Roosevelt
began.
Amid this pandemonium and with
the galleries in full control, Chairman
Lodge decided upon heroic action in
order again to make the convention
master of it's affairs. He ordered the
roll call of states to begin for the vote
on president. Such call, under such
circumstances of intense confusion
has probably never before occurred in
the history of national conventions
A ballot was taken to nominate can.
didate for president while the conven.
tions was cheering frantically for a
man whose name had not been pre-
sented to the convention. The votes
were being counted for Taft while the
people were shouting for Roosevelt
The delegates, however, cast theil
votes uninfuenced by the clamor Of
the crowd More than this, the first
states on the call, Alabama and Ar
kansas, had been relied upon by the
Roosevelt enthusiasts to start the STAN
pede for the president, but they helC
by their instructions, while the STAN
pede ragged all about them. The secre
tary was powerless to make his call Of
the states heard above the deafenina
clamor. Selling megaphone, BIZ
shouted the roll of states-Alabam
Arkansas-but his voice was swal
lowed up in the mad uproar. Gradual
ly, however, the curiosity of the multi
tude conquered their enthusiasm ant
they lapsed into silence to hear the
result of the roll call. A hush of eX
pectancy hung over the assembly a!
the call proceeded. Hasty summarize!
showed that Taft was far in advance
When New York was reached the Tai
column totalled 427. Ohio carried
the Taft total to 511, twenty more
than enough to nominate. Still, tn,
call went on till the final result wa
announced by Chairman Lodge: Fo
Theodore Roosevelt, 8 votes; for 10
seph B. Foraker of Ohio, 16 votes; TO
Charles w. Fairbanks of Indiana, 4
votes; for Joseph G. Cannon Of ill
nois, 81 votes; for Robert LaFollett'
of Wisconsin, rs votes; for Charles Z
Hughes of New York, 81 votes; TO
Philander c. Knox of Pennsylvania
6S votes, and for William H. Taft O
Ohio, 702 votes.
Nomination Is Made Unanimous.
A great shout went up as Lodge COZ
Guided his announcement, and wit
one accord the cohorts of Cannon an
Knox and Hughes and the other he
roes Joined in a common tribute 70
the candidate Of the party. Genera
Stewart L. Woodford, for Governo
Hughes, leaping upon a chair, move
to make the nomination of Taft unan
nous; Senator Penrose, for Knox, an
Boutell, for Cannon, and Henry {
Georgia, for Foraker, and Wisconsin
for LaFollette, seconded the mov'
ment for an unanimous vote. Tn
vote was given with a ringing chez:
SHERMAN FOR RUNNING MATE