The Lamar register., 1908-06-24

Chicago. For President OF the
United States, William H. Taft of Ohio
Taft on the first ballot, Taft by 7O2
votes. Taft by the unanimous choice OF
the convention.
Such is the record of the culminat-
ing day of the Republican national
convention of 1908, effected amid
scenes of tumultuous enthusiasm and
after nerve racking continuous SEES
sion lasting nearly eight hours.
The convention then adjourned until
10 o'clock Friday morning to complete
Its work by the nomination of vice
president.
The close of Mr.. Burtons speech OF
nomination was the signal for the long
pent-up feelings of the Taft legions.
Instantly the Ohio delegates were on
their feet, other Taft states following,
while the convention hosts in gallery
ana on floor broke into a mad demon.
stration.
For ten, fifteen. yes. twenty minutes,
this uproar continued. 1t was a repe-
tition of the scene of the day before
when the name of Roosevelt brought
the convention into a frenzy, repeated
in intensity and almost in duration.
II was late In the afternoon before
the convention, now literally swelter-
ing with the intense heat and weary
after nearly seven hours of continuous
session. reached the end of the flood of
eloquence and the decks were at last
cleared for the eliminating act.
But no; Just as the last swell of ora
tory, the second speech for La Toilette,
had died away. like a cyclone from q
clear sky burst La Toilette demon
stration which swept the convention
from its very bearings. 1t was tho
same deafening wave of sound that
had greeted Roosevelt Wednesday and
Taft little while before. intense and
maddening. and with the vital ring of
genuine enthusiasm. 1t seemed as
though Wisconsin had suddenly PEG
pied every foot of the galleries. The
delegates sat calm and waiting. except
the frantic Wisconsins, but the con
vention for the time being was in the
hands OF the galleries.
Now n singular transformation &C
Cured. Gradually the whirlwind
veerea from La Toilette 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 La Toilette
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 its affairs. He ordered the
roll call OF states to begin for the vote
on President.
Such call. under such circum-
CT hn III loT
Cured in the history of national con.
ventions.
A ballot was taken to nominate a
candidate for President while the con.
ventlon was cheering frantically for a
man whose name had not been pre-
scented to the convention. The vote S
were being counted for Taft while the
people were shouting for Roosevelt
The delegates, however, cast their
votes uninfuenced by the clamor of
the crowd.
More than this. the first states on
the call, Alabama and Arkansas, had
been relied upon by a few Roosevelt
enthusiasts TO start the stampede for
the President. but they held by their
instructions while the stampede ragged
all about them.
The secretary was powerless to
make his call of the states heard above
the deafening clamor. Selling q meg
aphone. he shouted the roll of states
Alabama" "Arkansas"-but his voice
was swallowed up in the mad uproar.
Gradually, however, the curiosity of
the multitude conquered their enthu-
siasm. and they lapsed into silence to
hear the result from call A hum of ex-
pectancy hung over the assembly as
the call proceeded. Hasty summaries
showed that Taft was far in advance.
When New York was reached the Taft
column totalled 427. Ohio carried the
Taft total to Gil. or 20 more thar
enough to nominate. Still the call
went on until the final result was an
nounced by Chairman Lodge:
For Theodore Roosevelt. 3 votes
For Joseph b. Foraker of Ohio, 16
votes.
For Charles w. Fairbanks of In
diana, 40 votes.
For Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois.
5S votes.
For Robert La Toilette of Wiscon-
sin. rs votes.
For Charles E. Hughes of New
York. ca votes.
For Philander C. Knox of Pennsyl-
vania, 6S votes.
For William II. Taft of Ohio. 7O2
votes" \
A great shout went up as Lodge con-
cludsd his announcement and with one
accord the adherents of Cannon and
Knox and Hughes and the other candi-
dates Joined in a common tribute for
the candidate of the party.
Gen. Stewart l.. Woodford. for Gov.
ernor Hughes. leaping upon chair
moved to make the nomination of Taft
unanimous: Senator Penrose for Knox
Boutell for Cannon, Henry of Georgia
for Foraker, and Wisconsin for L.
Toilette seconded the movement for q
unanimous vote to the candidate The
vote was given with ringing cheer
of exultation over the new candidate
The convention then adjourned until
10 a. M. Friday.
Naming Of Candidates. IlN
Chicago.-Speaker Cannon was tn,
first presidential candidate to b.
brought before the convention. 1mme
diately after the adoption Of the plat
form the roll of states was called fol
the presentation Of nominees for thu
presidency. When the reading clerl
reached the state of Illinois, Repre-
sentative Henry Sherman Boutell'