Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-06-25
Hon. T. B. Catron
Tells of Chicago
Convention
THE STATEHOOD PLANK
Inserted in National Platform
After Strenuous Work
by New Mexicans.

Hon. T, B. Catron who was mem
Der of the Republican delegation from
this territory to the Chicago Republl
can convention last week has return
ed and in an interview with a repre-
sentative Of the New Mexican gave
very interesting and graphic account
of the convention, its doings and some
Of its inside history.
"The convention" said Mr.. Catron.
was a great one and very well at
tended. A casual look at the delegates
showed that they represented the
great masses of intelligent voters and
that they understood what they were
there for and recognized the responsi-
bility that had been put upon them by
their constituents.
THE audience that crowded into
the Coliseum daily to witness the de
liberations of this great Republican
gathering was too dense and too great
Ito be comfortably accommodated in
1.-THE Coliseum which has a seating ca
|pacity of 11,000 people. At no time
were their less than eighteen to TWEEN
lty thousand lookers-on and this made
1t very uncomfortable. Many persons
who had tickets for seats could not
obtain them on account of the crush.
Upon whole the crowd was orderly
and we'll behaved, but 1t was too great
for comfort.
1T was very obvious that Sec
retary of War William II. Taft had
the convention and would be nomin.
ated on the first ballot by an over
whelming majority. The talk and the
stories that have appeared in mum
Der OF eastern newspapers to the ef
Ifecl that the Taft strength used ita
force numerically against contested
delegations from the South, were alb.
solutely untrue and based on nothing
except wind.
Committee on Credentials Acted
Fairly
"The committee on credentials was
absolutely fair, and as / was present
lat many of its sessions, I know where.
of speak. In the first place the mem.
jbers of the committee were of the
right stamp and would not have
stopped to anything inferior or dis
honest or underhanded in rendering
their decisions. The Allies and their
contested delegations had every pos
Isible chance to prove their cases and
no opportunity was lost that could
have redounded to their benefit. The
evidence was so clear that the re-
suits as they were announced were ex
pected from the commencement OF the
hearings. Despite some opposition on
account of local state politics and sup
|port of favorite sons, it was fully dem
lOnstrated that the convention-eight
out Of nine delegates-wanted Will
liam Howard Taft, although must ad-
nit that had their been the least In
clination on the part of President
Roosevelt under any circumstances, to
forego his resolution not to be the can
didate, in my opinion he would have
been nominated admist the greatest
enthusiasm on the first ballot. The
presidents firm stand gave no
chance for such demonstration and
Taft was known to be the man of the
hour, and the nomination went to him
II need not discuss his grand avail
ability and fitness for this, the high
est Office in the land. His record Is
! |too well known to need retiteration or
laudation. The reports which were cir
culated in Chicago and in some OF the
newspapers that the selection OF Con
. gressman James s. Sherman, OF Utica,
New York, was a makeshift at the last
hour is not borne out by facts In any
way, shape, manner or form. From
the moment of my arrival Mr.. Sher-
mans name was heard mentioned by
9 many Of the leading Republicans. =
Sherman Logical Man For Second
e Place.
g "The New York state delegation
# stayed by Governor Charles E. Hughes
!. until after IT was announced by friends
J. ,of the governor that under no circum,
e stances would he be the candidate for
y the vice-presidency. Then the Sher.
II man sentiment became very apparent
d and by Thursday night it had crystal,
r lized and attained such strength that
II lit was fully apparent that Friday
morning Congressman Sherman would
" 90 into the convention with clean
e majority of two to three hundred for
5, the position. Of course, the fact that
Ohio and New York together on the
Republican national ticket have been
very successful in the history OF the
r country was considered a most lucky