The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-06-21
Roosevelt Really Defeated
At the Chicago Convention
Wanted Cummins for Vice, But Cannons Influence
Dominated-Many Pet Policies Ignored in
Drafting of Platform.
By ]. C. wELLIvER.

CHICAGO, June 2O.-The convention
aftermath is proving, If possible. even
more interesting than the proceedings
The notion that a cut and dried con
ventiJa must be devoid of edifying fea-
lures has been sadly disprovec. Now
that everything is over, certain conf
dences which were supposed to be secret
so long as results were uncertain nave
Eeen released.
II is the verdict OF the morning after,
that the conservatives. TO put It mildly
got pretty much everything in sight
When / said this TO a prominent Re
publican Senator. he promptly correct
ed me. and insisted that the term re
dictionary be used.
The Vice Presidency was the place
where the ultra-cOnservative rubbed it
in. and in order that the salt IN the
wounds should be sure 10 make Itself
felt. they brought Speaker Cannon up
from Danville TO second the nomination
Of member Of his House cabinet for
the second office on the ticket
The Speaker comes out Of this con-
ventiOn situation with an indorse-
mept Of which he can well feel proud.
The Speaker wanted no Rnu-injunc-
ton plank and on a compromise got
the Payne bill Endorsed, which prob
ably suited him even better than to
have no expression at all. for the
Payne bill sqUarely represents the
Cannon coterie in House management.
The Speaker wanted no campaign
publicity legislation. and that propO-
sition was squarely voted down by the
convention.
Cannon Dominated.
The Speaker and the other extreme
conservatives ali along have been
violently opposed to making a physical
valuation OF railroads. and tie chair
man OF the committee on II solutions
was appIauded when he advised that
such propositions in Socialism be
taken 70 Denver.
Yet Secretary Taft had placed him
self on record in favor OF Campaign
publicity before Mr.. Bryan got around
I, to it, the President had urged 1t. and
everybody recognizes 1t as a part Of
| the policies to which this convention
was presumed to be devoted, and in
favor Of which it Numbered in the in
dex, and then rejected when they were
| specifically proposed
For more than year the President
! has been on record in favor of a phys
| icaI valuation OF the railroads Thus.
4 It Is the consensus OF post-cOnventfOn
/ opinion today that conservatism
| achieved an immense victory. and that,
while Washington reports that the
! President is determined Cannon shall
not again be Speaker. the convention
has gone further toward indOrsing Can
nonism In detail and specification than
indoTsing RoOseveltism.
Fight on Vice.
The Vice Presidential fight developed
a remarkable view of this contest be-
tween conservatism and progressivism.
In the last analysis. at dawn of the last
day Of the convention. after conferences
had been in progress all night long al
both ends Of the telephone wire con-
Meeting Washington with Taft head
quarters in Chicago, Secretary Taft still
stood for the nomination OF Deliver
despite the fact that the Iowa delega-
ton had sent word that it would not
support DOlllver.
Apparently. the Secretary did not be
lieve the Iowans would go to the ex-
IRENE Of refusing To offer Deliver wheT
IL was known that DolIiver was more
than willing to accept, that he was tht
: first choice Of the convention and OF
the nom nee for President, and that 4
was necessary. in view Of the tendency
! Of the convention thus far. that som,
( sort Of sop be thrown 10 progressives-
Secretary Taft simply did not under
stand the Iowa situation so well as di,
some other people. He made the mis-
take Of believing that the Iowa fac
tlOnal row could be reConCiled If tn
b party interest demanded it. The tTUtl
was, and this the President was Wis
enough TO recognize. that tie auti-Cum
Minis faction in the iowa delegation
. was so bitter that it was even Willing
seriously to endanger the chance o
party success rather than adopt
3 course which could possibly inquire in
] to the political benefit of Cummins, AM
! this faction knew that to nominal
, either DOllive- or Cummins woul
- amount TO the political rehabilitation o
the latter.