The San Francisco call., 1908-09-15
BIG STICK AIDS
| HUGHES IN NEW
YORK. BATTLE
Presidents Virtual Command
Insures denomination of
the Governor
Elihu Root Is Chairman OF the
Convention and Receives
an Ovation
Opposition to New York Execu-
tive Is Met by Counter Move
From Oyster Bay
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
SARATOGA, N. Y, Sept. IA
When the presidents message to Sec
retary Root and Congressman Cocks
was read to the republican leaders to-
day the bottom Immediately fell out of
the Hughes opposition. While the op-
position is still endeavoring to unite
on a candidate sufficiently strong to
oppose the governor, Congressman
Cocks, who is in close touch with
President Roosevelt, said tonight:
II expect to see Governor Hughes
nominated On the first ballot tomor-
| row. In my judgment, the opposition
has begun to break up, and the break
ing up process is well under way
In final effort TO get big man to
rally around, the leaders of the opposi-
ton asked Secretary Root late today if
| he would take the nomination. He re-
piled emphatically that he would not
COMMANDS RECONCILIATION
Secretary Root read to the leaders q
telegram he got from President Roose-
Welt practically commanding the re-
nomination of Governor Hughes. Root
backed up this telegram with force
full argument in which he declared that
/ failure to nominate Hughes would Sc
riousIy injure the republican national
ticket
As a result of the conference the
nomination of Hughes on the frst ball
| lot is regarded as practically certain
rtxf1 -frar1rl lnr
! belligerent and numerous as ever to-
/ day, their weakness lay in the fact that
they distrusted one another so heartily
that all efforts to unite them in solid
body failed.
The republican state convention be-
gan this afternoon the proceedings
which are to result in the nomination
OF a full state ticket and presidential
electors. A notable fact, commented on
by many, was that while pictures OF
Taft and Sherman lined the front OF the
i gallery, there appeared nowhere in the
hall as the convention opened any por-
| trait of President Roosevelt or Gov
! ernor Hughes.
ROOT RECEIVES OVATION
State Chairman Timothy L. Woodruff
called the convention to order and Elihu
Root was named for temporary chair
man. When Root was escorted to the
platform he was given rousing re-
i ception.
The convention effected temporary
| organization, heard the speech of Root
as temporary chairman and adjourned
until tomorrow afternoon al ? O'Clock.
The welcome accorded TO Secretary
| Root surpassed in enthusiasm if not in
! duration those which were accorded
upon the mention of the names of
/ President Roosevelt, Governor Hughes
or the presidential nominee, W. H.
i Taft. Secretary Root consumed a lit
tie. less than an hour and half in the
4 delivery of his speech. The great body
of delegates and alternates, numbering
in the galleries heard the speech with,
j evident approval. 1t dealt almost ex-
i clusively with national matters, but be-
1 gan with tribute to the work Of Gov
ernor Hughes and the state administra-
i tion in general
EPISODE Is AMUSING
An amusing episode during the.
l,speech occurred when Root repudiated
the inference which he attributed to
w. ]. Bryan that the enormous popular
majority accorded the republican ma
tional ticket in 1904 was obtained by
corrupt use of money. The convention
was heartily cheering this sentiment
J when the band broke out with the ia
miliar strains of 'Arrah Gowan, You're
Il Only Fooling." The crowd caught on
almost instantly and began to laugh
q Root evidently did not recognize the
! tune and seemed perplexed and even
4 annoyed by the general laughter 1t
/ quickly subsidized and he proceeded
without seeing the joke at ali.
PRESIDENT IN TOUCH
OYSTER BAY. n. Y. Sept. 14-Every
move made by the republicans at Sara
toga today was communicated to the
Executive offices here Secretary Loeb
kept his ear to the telephone almost
{ without letup the entire day, receiv-
ling advices from Congressman Cocks.
The secretary let it be known in his
II telephone talks thatethe president was
!. firm regarding the nomination OF Gov
i ernor Hughes.
In the evening Secretary Loeb kent
in touch with Saratoga over the tele-
phone from the Seawanhaka yacht club.
where he is staying. The president left
Sycamore hill. at IL in the morning
i with his family for a few days outing.
but he did not keep out of comnlunica-
ton with Secretary Loeb He rowed
across the bay and spent the day until
II 4 o'clock at point near L1oyds neck.
Frequent messages were sent to him
from the execut5ve of1ces.
The advice received BIZ the secretary
In his early conversations with Com
xressu,an Cocks was that Timothy l..
woodruff was most active in leading
the forces against the nomination OF
, Governor Hughes. and was stirring up
! <lconsfderable trouble. Loeb did not
rnince words in telling the congress-
imam what to do