The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-19
TAFT HAD 7O2.
His Nomination for President
on the First Ballot.
Was Made Unanimous on Motion
Of His Opponents.
THEREFOR ROOSEVELT
Although His Name Was Not
Before the Convention.
Attempt at Stampede Checked
by Lodges Heroic Action.
STARTED ROLL CALL.
When MegaphOne WasNecessary
to Make Himself Heard.
Crowd subsidized in Order tol
Hear the Result.
Although His Name Was Not
Before the Convention.
Attempt at Stampede Checked
by Lodges Heroic Action.
STARTED ROLL CALL.
When MegaphOne WasNecessary
to Make Himself Heard.
Crowd subsidized in Order to
Hear the Result.

Chicago, June 19-William H. Taft
Of Ohio. received 702 votes out Of a
total of $50 on the first roll call OF
states for the nomination of president
and was declared the choice of the
convention. His nomination was al
once made unanimous.
Such is the record of the culminat-
ing day of the Republican national
convention of 1908 effected amid
scenes OF tumultuous enthusiasm and
after a nerve-racking continuous ses-
sion lasting nearly eight hours. Last
night the whole city was given over to
wild exultation in honor of the new
candidate whose name went echotng
through the country.
Just as the last swell of oratory,
the seconding speech for LaFollette
had died away. like cyclone from a
clear sky burst LaFollette demon
stration which swept the convention
from it's very bearings. 1t was the
same deafening wave of sound that
had greeted Roosevelt the day before
and Taft little while before, IN
tense and maddening and with the
vital ring of genuine enthusiasm. 1t
seemed as though Wisconsin had sud
denly peopled every foot of the gal
leries. The delegates sat calm and
waiting except the frantic Wiscon-
sinans but the convention for the time
being was in the possession of the gall
leries. Now a singular transformation
occurred-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 La
Toilette cheers ended and those for
Roosevelt begun.
Lodge Stopped Stampede.
Amid the deafening noise 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 a call, under such
circumstances has probably never be-
fore occurred in the history of ma
tional conventions.
A ballot was taken to nominate a
candidate for president while the
convention was cheering frantically
for a man whose name had not been
presented to the convention. The
votes were being counted for Taft
while the people were shouting for
Roosevelt. The delegates. however
cast their votes uninf1uenced 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 10 make
his call of the states heard above Che
deafening clamor. .Seizing a megaphone
he shouted the roll>of states-Alabama
Arkansas.-but his voice was swallow
ed up in the mad uproar. Gradually
however. the curiosity of the multitude
conquered their enthusiasm and they
lapsed into silence to hear the result
of the roll call
Ohio Settled 1t.
A hush of expectancy hung over the
assembly as the call proceeded. Hasty
summaries showed that Taft was fa1
in advance. When New York was
reached the Taft column totalled APT
Ohio carried the Taft total to 511. OF
20 more than enough to nominate. Still
the call went on until the final result,
was announced by Chairman Lodge.
William H. Taft, of Ohio, 7o2
Theodore Roosevelt. 8.
Joseph B. Foraker of Ohio, 49,
Charles w. Fairbanks of Indiana a.
Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois 81
Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin. %
Charles E. Hughes of New York Ga
Philander c. Knox of Pennsylvania
g.
A great shout went up as Lodge con
cluded his announcement and with ON
accord the cohorts of Cannon an,
Knox and Hughes and the other he
roes Joined in a common tribute TO
the candidate of the presidency.
General Steward L. Woodford fo
Governor Hughes, leaping upon a chat
moved to make the nomination of Tai
unanimous: Senator Penrose for Kno
and Boutell for Cannon and Henry g
Georgia for Foraker, and Visions
l1- ToT al InI
q unanimous vote to the candidate TIL
vote was given with a ringing chez
and then with shouts of exultatio
over the new candidate the conventio
.n6 al et.a IL