Milford chronicle., 1912-06-21
SHnatOrROOt Elected
Chairman.

Inc uISL DuSlueS6 Vi tIlG udy - Tx
: motion of the Roosevelt forces to have
I their roll call take the place of the
i Taft delegates.
q Taft forces won the initial victory
II by electing Senator Elihu Root, Of
New York, temporary chairman over
Francis G. McGovern, of Wisconsin.
after a tumultuous session, in which
the Roosevelt forces lost every point
they attempted to make, preceding
the first test vote of strength.
The vote stood Root 55S, McGovern
502, with thirteen votes scattering, q
few absentees and two delegates
Root and McGovern-nOt voting.
Prior to the election of Senator
Root, Governor Hadley, of Missouri
the Roosevelt floor leader, attempted
to have a substitute roll of Roosevelt
delegates seated in the place of the
contested Taft delegates, but Chair
man Rosewater ruled the motion out
Of order, and after a short argument
the election of Senator Root was car
ried
The vote, called by individual dele.
gates, bore out the prediction of the
Taft men, who declared that Senator
Root would win, and also showed that
there had been few if any desertions
from the Taft ranks. The LaFOlletie
men divided their vote, thirteen going
to McGOvern, their home governor
and the others were cast for Walter
L. Houser, manager of the LaFollette .
campaign; Frank Lauder, of North Da,
kota, and Senator Gronna, of North
Dakota.
Francis J. Heney, of California, d
gtaunch Roosevelt supporter, also was
on his feet frequently, attacking the
seating of the contested Taft dele.
gates, and the action of the national
convention. and was cheered and
jeered intermittently.
Governor Johnson, of California, an.
other Roosevelt leader, announced
that he would cast the solid vote of
the California delegation for Roose
welt, but his protests were unavailing.
Chairman Rosewater raped for or
der several times during the argu
ments, and at one time threatened to
have all the nOisemakers elected from
the hall if quiet were not restored,
and in this he was successful, for the
cheers and yells thereafter.
Following his election, Temporary
Chairman Root was escorted to the
platform and in an address of welcome
thanked the delegates and predicted a
Republican victory at the fall cleo
ton. During his address Chairman
Root was interrupted with jeers, start.
ed and led by the Pennsylvania delega
ton, who were joined later by other
Roosevelt adherents.
Then followed the second motion OF
Governor Hadley to have the substi
tute roll call for the Roosevelt dele.
gates to take the place of the contest.
ed Taft delegates. This was allowed
to go over as unfinished business.
Policemen at every corner, at every
door and in every aisle were the dis
tinguishing feature of the scene at the
Coliseum in the early hours before
the doors were opened to the ticket
holders. {
The nervous tension due to general
expectation Of tumultuous scenes
from the drop of the hat" at the
opening of the convention was appar
ent on all sides. The police were as !
nervous as anybody else It was diff !
cult even for persons with proper tick. !
cts, i9cluding newspaper men, to gel Y
into the hall. .
Assistant sergeants-at-arms, door Z
keepers, ushers and other subordinate I
officials were so keenly alive to the 1
possibilities that their hands trembled o
as they took tickets, and the ushers I
showed persons to their seats with o
furtive glances about them, as if there d
were something explosive just under :
their feet q
No kind Of eloquence. no argument |,
no plausible story Of imperative bust e
ness on that side of the street was OF o
any avail. Every policeman had to
be Shown a ticket, the right kind OF s.
a ticket at the right door. There o
were Chicago politicians who had not s.
been able to get tickets, but who s.
thought they had pull" No sort OF p
pull-no sort Of local pull, at any rate, ci
was of any use. II
1t hardly seemed possible that the 81
hall, huge as it looked, could hold p
nearly $4,000 persons. Yet that is only Il
a few more than the total-other pub
lished figures to the contrary notwith. fc
standing-that the Coliseum will hold ei
as arranged for this convention. Seats, OF
platform, press benches, aisles, run N
ways, etc, are figured to held a total n;
of 1870 persons. This total includes ou
1920 in the body Of the hall, 1890 on 10
the platform, $50 sergeants-atarms, IT
500 policemen and 400 messengers, pi
ushers and pages. er
Five minutes later a thin procession
Of men in plain clothes came in al DC
one Of the entrances. Assistant ser nc
geants-atarms they were, but police m
pounced upon them as if they were a co
hostile army. dc
Colonel William F. Stone, sergeant. =