The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-26

the convention.
Such IL the result of the eliminating
day Of the republican national conven-
tion OF 1908. effected amid scenes Of
nerve racking continuous session last
Ing nearly eight hours.
The picture within the walls OF the
lmphitheater as the presidential can
1idate was named was truly grandiose
in it's magnitude. In 'front.', to the right
Ind left. below and above, he billow-
''ng sea of humanity. restless after
hours of waiting. and stirred from one
emotion to another, was In q fever OF
expectancy for the eliminating vote.
The favortte son of other states had
been named except Knox and LaFol-
lette. and now on the roll call came
Ohio. AS the Buckeye state was reach
cd h tall, gaunt form of Theodore E.
Burton advanced to the platform to
nominate Ohio's candidate. He spoke
;ervently with the singing voice of ar
evangelist, which went ringing through
the great building.
Ohio Starts Things.
The close of his speech of nomination
was the signal for loosing the long pent
up feeling OF the Taft legions. Instant
ly the Ohio delegates were on their
feet, other Taft states following. while
the convention hosts in gallery and on
the floor broke into mad % Demonstration.
AoAkp Alll-V1. IL IL SdAAlS Al d
roar from the Ohioans. Megaphones
seemed to spring from concealed places
and swell the Taft tumult into thunder.
A huge blue silk banner bearing the
familiar features of the. statesman-sec-
rotary vas swung before the delegates.
awakening a fresh whirlwind of en-
thusiasm.
All semblance of order had been.
abandoned, and the delegates' arena
was a maelstrom of ~gesticuating men.
the guidons of the states were snatched
up by the Taft enthusiasts or borne
band was inaudiblera mere whisper
above the deafening volume OF sound.
For 10, Is. 20 minutes this uproar con-
tinued. It was q repetition Of the
scene of Wednesday when the name of
Roosevelt broke h convention into a
Frenzy. repeated In intensity and almost
In duration. But there is a limit to
the physical OF throat and
lung. and at last h tired voices died
down to a hoarse shout and then sub
sided.
This lull now gave the opportunity
for the speech seconding Taft's nomi-
nation by George A. knight. of Cali
fornia, his big round ACE beaming
forth on the sympathetic multitude
and his splendid baritone voice yelling
forth like the tones Of q great church
organ. CALIFORNIA; tribute to Taft was
brief and tervid.
Now there was another lull in the
Taft movement, while the remaining
candidates were placed in nomination.
1t was late in the afternoon before the
convention. now literally sweltering in
the intense heat and weary after near
ly seven hours of the session, reached
the end of the flood of eloquence and
the decks were at last cleared for the
elimination. But no. just as the last
swell Of oratory. the seconding speech
for LaFollette. q died ava like a
cyclone from a lee sky burst a La
Toilette demonstration which swept the
convention from its very bearings.
laFolletts, Then Roosevelt.
It was the same deafening wave Of
sound that had greeted Roosevelt and
Taft a little while before. intense and
maddening, n with the. vital ring of
genuine enthusiasm. 1t seemed as
though Wisconsin had suddenly peo-
delegates sat calm INC waiting, except
the frantic Wisconsins. but the conven-
ton for the time being was in the pos
session Of the gallery.
Now q singular transformation oc-
CURED. Gradually h whirlwind
banner bearing the Roosevelt portrait
and waved from the gallery wa the
signal for. the change, but in the con-
fused babel of voices there was no dis
tinguishtng where the LaFollette cheers
ended and hose for Roosevelt began.
Roll Call Starts.
Amid ths pandemonium and with the
galleries in full control, Chairman
Lodge decided upon heroic action in
order to again 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 of intense confusion has
probably eve occurred in the history
Of national conventions.
A ballot was taken to nominate a
candidate for president while the con-
vention was cheering frantically for q
man whose name had not heen pre-
scented to the convention. The votes
were being counted for Taft while the
people were shouting for Roosevelt.
The delegates. however. cast their votes
uninfiuenced by the clamor OF the
crowd. More than this, the first states
on the call. Alabama and Arkansas,
had been relied upon by the. Roosevelt
enthusiasm to start h stampede for
Roosevelt, but they held by their In
~structions while the stampede ragged
about them.
The secretary was powerless to
make his call OF the states heard above
the deafening clamor. SEEKING q meg
Rphone he shouted the roll Of states:
A Woman in che Chicken Yard.