Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-19
TAFT IS OVERWHELMED
WITH CONGRATULATIONS
Family and Friends Received News
Of Nomination in His ONCE.

"Words do not md themselves at 0
time like this.
81 do not deny that I am very happy"
This was the response Of Secretary
William H. Taft last evening to a re-
quest for an expression Of his views Of
his nomination for the presidency The
sentence did not come easily.
Throughout the afternoon preceding the
announcement of the nomination. the
Secretary had been laboring under sup
pressed nervous tension. The atmos-
phere Of his Office was electric with ex-
element
Notwithstanding the great personal in
terest which he had in the proceedings
at Chicago. nearly thousand miles
away, Secretary Taft did not permit poll
tics to interfere for a moment with his
transaction of official business as Secre-
tary Of War. In the intermissions OF the
receipt of bulletins from the convention.
the Secretary disposed OF several i'm
portant department questions. When
his nomination for the presidency was
announced his desk practically vas clear
ed of inn ortant official business.
1nronS In dis Omce.
Throughout the afternoon the private
office of Secretary Taft and the ONCE of
his private secretary. Fred L. Carpenter.
were thronged with members of hts fami-
ly. intimate personal and Official friends
and newspaper men.
Early In the afternoon Mrs. Taft ar
rived at the War Department She
scanned carefully the bulletins which
frnv he
and distinctly manifested her pleasure at
the result Of the action Of the convention
regarding the platform. She Is a close
and accurate observer Of things political
and was one of the best advisers the Sec
rotary has had throughout the preiimi-
nary campaign for the presidential nomi-
nation.
Mrs. Taft remained in the Secretary's
private office throughout the afternoon.
She was attired in pure white and wore
adorned with seal brown and pale green
ostrich plumes
Accompanying her was the young son
OF the Secretary and Mrs. Taft-little
Charlie-whose proud privilege 1t was to
carry the bulletins received from the con-
vention from the telegraph operator to
the Secretary's desk. He was the busiest
person in the War Department
While awaiting the coming Of the bulle-
tins he stood at the desk Of the telegra oh
operator listening anxiously at the fatefuI
ticking Of the instrument. He wore a suit
of khaki knickerbockers. with a blue and
white striped waist. AS each bulletin
came from the operators typewriter he
his fathers Office.
1t was to Mrs. Taft ordinarily that he
presented the bulletins rather than to
Secretary Taft. He listened while his
mother read the bulletins to the Secre-
taEy's assembled guests.
Miss Taft Appears.
Shortly after 4 oclock-before the nomi-
mating speeches Of the presidential candi-
dates had concluded-Miss Helen Heron
Taft the Secretary's daughter. Joined the
group in Mr.. Taft's private ONCE.
The Secretary laushingly explained that
she probably would have been there
sooner II she had not been too nervous to
Withstand the strain. Miss Taft was in
ciined to resent this comment. but 1t was
apparent that she was infected with
nerves" as we'll as the others in the Of
flee.
Just before the beginning Of the ballot
ing in the convention Secretary Taft an
nounced he had reached an agreement
with Mgr. Aversa. the apostolic delegate
to Cuba. providing for the purchase Of all
the Catholic Church buildings by the gov
eminent in Santiago province. Cuba.
Gov Gen. Wood practically reached an
agreement several years ago for the pur-
chase Of these holdings for $685. 900. This
agreement was approved by the Palma
government. The matter has been hang
ing fire since that time.
The agreement reached yesterday by
Secretary Taft and Monseignor Aversa
needs only the approval Of President
Roosevelt to make it binding. 1t provides
-. H.
$3oO.OO and will finally settle matter
that has been pending between this gov
eminent and the vatican for several years.
Taft Shows Feeling.
One bulletin received from the conven-
ton indicated that a speaker. while nomi-
mating candidate. had been greeted with
jeers. When Secretary Taft read 1t he
frowned.
Il am compassionate" said he, looking
out of a window of his ONCE. toward
any one who goes through a nominating
experience in a convention"
The remark of the Secretary was a
sidelight on the man. He knew what it
meant to pass through so grueling an ex-
perience as a campaign for q presidential
nomination.
Secretary Taft had arranged to visit the
war college with Secretary Root at 5
o'clock. At the last moment he natur-
ally concluded to await the result of the
ballot which was about to be taken In
Chicago.
By this time the situation in the Secre-
tary's office had become tense. The door
between the Secretary's private office and
Private Secretary Carpenters ONCE was
thrown wide.
In the former sat Secretary Taft. sur
rounded by members Of his family and
personal and political friends Among
them were Mrs. Taft. Miss Helen Taft,
Master Charlie Taft. Assistant Secretary
of War Gen. Oliver. Assistant Secretary
Of the Navy Newberry. Gen. Bell, chief
of staff. and Mrs. Bell; Gen. Edwards,
chief Of the insular bureau: Gen. MUIR
ray, chief of artillery: Gen. Aleshire,
uuartermaster general: Gen. NOZZLE. Jo-
seph B. Bishop, secretary of the Panama
canal commission: Judge Charlton Gen.
Witherspoon and James I. Williams. one
of Mr.. Hitchcock's assistants in ting Sec
retary's campaign.
Newspapermen Watch Returns.
In the outer room. with Secretary Car
penter, were twenty-five or thirty Wash
,ington correspondents. each hanging on
every word that came from the tele-
graph instrument.
AS the balloting began in the conven-
ton the atmosphere of the two rooms
seemed to be surcharged with excitement.
Scarcely word was spoken Men who
ordinarily are not affected by nerves"
their lives depended upon the words which
the stolid teegrap her was ticking out on
his typewriter
Something went wrong with the official