The Washington herald., 1908-06-19
nr SAMUEL G. BLYTHE.

Chicago. June 1S.-SOmewhere the bands
are playing. somewhere the people shout.
but there is no joy In Chicago, for the
Republican party in national conversion
assembled has nominated William How
ard Taft for President, nominated him
with its multitudinous fingers crossed.
T. Roosevelt the originator OF the cele-
brated canned convention line OF goods,
opened his biggest can to-day.
The contents were in prime condition.
consisting as they did of one heir ap-
parent, well preserved and looking as
natural as life. The convention partook
freely, and while the delegates discov-
cred a trace of a slight acid taste, it was
not acidulous enough to detract ma
terially from the pleasure Of the repast.
Tonight everything is waiting orders
from the packing house at Washington,
10 see what Vice Presidential candidate
will be opened tomorrow. Then we are
all going home going home 70 relate the
wonderful story Of how almost a thou
sand men did what they did not give a
hoot about doing did il well. with neat
ness and dispatch. and TO praise the can
ned convention line Of specialties put out
with the T. r. brand.
Wait Psychological Moment.
Mr.. Roosevelt himself received three
votes I'm the convention-three votes from
men who would not feast themselves on
his canned goods, and cared more for the
Canner than for the cans. 1t had been
figured that these votes should be cast
ar ~ hf 7O1D
proper time to sway those stolid Taft
people from their allegiance and turn
them sky hooting and yammering for
Roosevelt.
The only trouble with the plan was
that the psychological moment had been
left at the post 1t had not Joined in the
procession Of the sixty golden Taft mo-
ments that were sweeping onward Taft
had been nominated before the psycholog-
ical moment was dragged from its con-
cealment and exposed to the full view Of
the audience. The Roosevelt boomers
were then expiring in horrible agonies,
superinduced by an overdose Of second
elective term.
As soon as the epigrammatic young man
who seconded La Follette's nomination
had finished, men stationed all around the
hall began to yell. -Four four years
more" and various flags with Roose-
velts picture on them, banners, and lith-
ographs were shown, while the specta-
tors, hankering for excitement, joined in
the tumult.
The fatuous Wisconsin people thought
the demonstration was for La Toilette
and went into Mysteries. They gave three
correspondence school yells several times.
II was a momentous occasion, about forty
moments, TO DO exact, before Taft was
nominated
Roll Cau Is Ordered.
As a great delegate-swaying demonstra-
tion It was a frost. Not a delegate trem-
bled even. to say nothing Of swaying.
Nobody on the floor was in the swaying
business. Pretty soon the suave and
gratifed Lodge ordered d call Of the roll.
The first few States voted for Taft while
the noise was noisiest
Then the psychological moment boys
decided it was up TO them to keep quiet.
so they might hear what was going on.
and what was going on went on namely.
the nomination Of that noble counte-
nance, William Howard Taft for Presi-
dent
OF all the sad things this convention
has produced, and it has had its full
need OF woe, the saddest was the Roose-
Welt stampede For several days there
have been whisperings of something tre-
mendous that was coming oGf-some
epoch-making affair that was TO be pro-
duced that would make Mr.. Roosevelt
the nominee.
And. while on the subject Of woe, the
next saddest thing was the boom OF
Charles Evans Hughes for President Mr.
Hughes refused to retire. so they let him
go in. although when Stewart l. Wood
ford made his nominating speech. he care
fully refrained from mentioning the man
for whom he was speaking, thus leaving
the delegation open to vote for any
statesman who filed his specifications.
New York was so enthusiastic for Hughes
that not a man Of the seventy-seven other
New York delegates could be induced to
second the nomination Of that peerless
and whiskered statesman.
Not Easy to Stampede.
AS has been pointed out in these dis
patches, it is easy enough to stampede a
gallery. but 1t is one OF the hardest prob
lens OF politics to stampede a bunch Of
delegates Gentlemen who are elected
delegates TO national conventions are an
unyielding lot. They are set in their ways
and have no imaginations. II Is hard to
get into conjunction with them by means
Of oratory
Old Mr.. John J. Demosthenes himself
could not have pulled that convention
away from Taft. 1t was one Of those
foreordained. prearranged affairs, with
the machinery all oiled. the sparker work
INK perfectly and no speed limitations in