The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-06-27

lette. Up leaped the wisconsin rs
and, assisted by few scattered knots
Of shouters, they managed to make q
tremendous amount OF noise for SO
few people. But then the young
woman In the gallery helped i'm
mensely.
Taft FIaunted in His Face.
During Mr.. Olbrich's speech two
men made their way along the grid
ers of the roof and let down a banner
with Taft's picture upon 1t, so that
the worthy, president was staring the.
young orator in the face. The entire
gathering resented this discourtesy
loudly, but Chairman Root didn't mind
nearly SO much as he did the action of
some Roosevelt men who, earlier in
the day, flung from the north gallery
a placard reciting his opinion Of the
Penrose machine In Pennsylvania.
The latter manifesto was quickly re-
moved by virtuously indignant police
men.
Incidentally, Mr.. La Toilette took an
awful chance Saturday afternoon. He
sent to Chicago and had read to the
convention statement to the effect
that he did not approve the platform,
and II he were nominated for presi-
dent, he would not bind himself to
make the race standing upon all the
planks selected by the committee.
But Mr.. La Toilette was not nominal
ed
Thursday and Friday were not very
interesting days in the convention
hall. On those days the work was be-
ing done in committee rooms and ho-
tel conferences. Each night some rad
ical plan would be fixed up and the
next day 1t would be abandoned.
First 1t was a bolt of all the Roose-
welt delegates. Then it was q double
convention. And again 1t was pol
icy OF silent non-participation There
was no bolt; there was only one con-
ton; there was nothing that even re-
motely resembled silence except the
refusal to vote on the final ballots by
the .coionel's stanchest adherents.
Rosewater Prompt, But
Victor Rosewater, who as chairman
OF the national committee called the
convention to order. was only three
minutes late in pounding out with hts
gavel the announcement that the show
was about to begin. The Omaha man
looked pitifully small and weak, and
could not make himself heard ten feet
away from the platform. For fifteen
minutes confusion reigned, and the
chairman was unable to quell it. A
little later, when the Roosevelt adhcr-
ents were making their first fight by
seeking to substitute their own tenn
porary roll for that prepared by the
national committee, Mr.. Rosewater
piped feebly until some one shouted,
Speak up. little boy" Then he sue
cumbed to the roar Of laughter and let
clerk read his rulings.
1t was no easy job keeping the great
crowd in order, for while the dele
gates themselves were mostly grim
and tense, apparently imbued with the
idea that they were making history"
there were numerous skilfully placed
claQues In the galleries which inter-
rupted the speakers at frequent inter-
walls.
HadIey Commands Respect.
One man there was who was not
subject to ribald Interruptions and
jeers. That was Governor Hadley Of
Missouri, the Roosevelt field captain
Whenever he arose he was accorded
respectful attention and often hearty
applause. for even his political enc
mics couldn't think up weak spots in
his record with which to taunt him.
"Bilr Finn. another Roosevelt
fighter, was not so fortunate. but he
seemed to like the storm that ragged
about him and did not give an inch
until squelched by the gavel. Senator
Bradley of Kentucky, too, came in for
q share Of "boos" and Kisses and was
stirred to rage by many illusions to
the fact that he had voted IN favor OF
Lorimer.
eHeInIer cochems IN Action.
The little furry in the Wisconsin
delegation. csuse4 BY Mr. Houser's as
sertion THAI the delegation would not