The Washington herald., 1908-06-19
FINGERS WERE CROSSED
WHILE NAMING TAFT
The Convention Acts Only When the Signal from
Washington Is Receiped.


Roosevelt was concerned, it was magic
enough. but these Taft delegates had seen
all the political prosudig1tation that could
be offered. and they were rather bored by
any other shows.
The truth OF all this hUllabaloO is, as II
has been for some weeks, or months, that
Col Theodore Roosevelt Of New York,
decided to nominate William Howard
Taft for President. and he nominated the
said Taft. That is all there has been 20
it. There has been no uprising OF people
no loud and lns!stent demand for Taft
except on the part of Colonel Roosevelt.
but that was enough
Wanted by Roosevelt.
Nobody in this convention. with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Tafts numerous brothers
and the gentlemen who have been on the
pay roll. wanted TO nominate Mr.. Taft;
stin. Mr. Roosevelt wanted 20 nominate
him. and that was sufficient.
couple Of orators. notably Woodford
and Gov. Hanly. of Indiana. told the
convention Taft could not be elected II
he was nominated, which displayed a
nice. unanimous feeling.
I'VE are going home 10 work for the
the burden OF a number Of speeches,
and we'll do our durndest but don't
blame Us If he is licked" which was a
cheerful line OF enthusiasm 10 ladle out
TO those ardent Tafters down in front,
who had the votes. and voted them.
mostly with mental reservations.
The way the delegates handed In their
Taft votes was inspiring. We'll. darn il.
we've got 10 do Il, so here goes, was the
spirit followed by the announcement of
80 many votes for that tribune Of the
people, William II. Taft" The can had
been opened and the contents appo-tioned.
Three-fourths of the delegates had their
little slice. Get in" said the man in the
White House. and they got in.
The preliminaries were interesting. That
celebrated and convoluted statesman.
Henry A. Cooper. Of Wisconsin, hoped IN
with a minority report on the platform.
1t was 4 real minority report, too, for Mr..
Cooper who is an elderly statesman with
some sparse whiskers and an insatiate
ambition always TO be IN the exact spot
where the machine can roll over him. was
the only signer, leaving ffty-two other
members of the committee TO constitute
tho majority.
Looked Like n JuEEIer.
Mr. Cooper had a good stock Of views
which were embodied in various papers
he laid on the floor Of the rostrum. His
speech consisted mainly Of mad attempts
to keep his spectacles on his nose and
OF wild grabs for his documents on the
floor. He looked like a juggler doing
turn in a variety theater. Mr.. Cooper
net his usual fate. He was neatly and
other gentlemen VINO offered amendments
to the platform concerning physical val
uation of railroads. direct election of
United States Senators by the people,
and other pifiious matter. not in conso-
nance with the views of the platform
makers nor. as it seemed, embodying
any OF the tenets of the party
A sad and somber citizen named Hanly.
governor Of Indiana. clad in a long-tail
coat and much impressed with the seri-
BUSINESS Of his job, presented the name
OF Charles W. Fairbanks Mr.. Hanly
had a long and involved speech in his
system and determined to get il out.
After he had spoken for half an hour or
so. the spectators grew weary, and for
the next thirty minutes Mr.. Hanly was
not treated with that respect due the
governor Of a great State.
In fact, the convention played horse with
manly. He decided to get angry, and
then the convention hitched him up as
double team and played some more horse
with him. This was reprehensible. but
it was fun. When Mr.. Hanly. governor
Of Indiana, had finished. he went to his
seat with Il wilted collar. a wilted repu-
tation as an orator and the proud record
OF having been the most extensively
guyed patriot who has appeared before
national convention in years.
Stand I'D for n Moment.
They went ali down the line Hughes
was named in n burst Of confidence by
Gen. Woodford. Peletiah Webster Knox.
striking until the last armed foe expired.
was handed out by a rapid-fre person
named Murphy. Uncle Joe Cannon was
lauded as the peoples friend by Repre-
sentative Boutell. OF Illinois. and II was
shown that while Uncle Joe may be the
peoples friend he was on mighty poor
terms with the bulk Of the delegates
A tall and smiling young man named
Mccoy thought he must put up the name
of Senator Foraker He said he was go
ing to make the shortest nominating
speech Of the day. and was cheered. but
he made one Of the longest and was
booed. A negro delegate shouted for For
aker also. This was the only negro orator
of the day.
Then they introduced La Toilette into
the obsequies and the 'Roosevelt-psycho-
logical-moment affair was let loose. All
this time the Taft people had been sitting
sternly in their seats. waiting for the
chance 10 carry out their orders. When
Ohio was announced they had provided
the necessary enthusiasm. but they were
restive They wanted to get through with
II and out into the sunshine
It was perfect. Not a cog slipped. They
began with Taft in Alabama and ended
with Taft In Porto Rico. The other can
didates might as well be grouped as
scattering" They were scattered, at
any rate. scattered like the chaff before
the wind; scattered by the man in the
White House
1t was an Illuminating occasion, show
Ing that when a thick-set person In the
White House desires TO appoint an heir
apparent II IS just as we'll to allow him
to have his way, without any fuss
He'll have Il any way, so far as the ap-
pointing goes. There has never been a
chance. since Theodore Roosevelt took q