The Washington herald., 1912-06-18
B0RAH PREDICTS
4 PEACEFUL DAY
Roosevelt Leader, While Sure His
Man win Win, Says Riot win
Not Be the Means.
TALKS OF WAR scAREs
AND LAUGHS AT RUMoRs
Root Arrives on Scene but Takes
Back Seat on His Platform
When Barnes Objects.
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.


parry. Borah was both optimistic and
noneommittal.
There is" said he. mo reason for
facing such a proposition. l assure you
n ali candor and honesty that Roosevelt
MI be easily the regular nominee
fMany.'' I urged, fear a riot on the
cenvention floor, and look for bloodshed
and broken heads"
f''Preposterous," exclaimed Borah.
There is absolutely no truth, no sense,
IN such talk. II is one Of the several
war scares which the opposition in the
heat Of fancy has been so fondly busy
getting up. You have seen earnest days
In House and Senate? The convention
will come no nearer actual riot and actual
5Ioodshed than did the House and Sen
lte on those several earnest occasions.
Looks Like Roosevelt.
To many friends who wire me for in
formation, let me say that It looks more
Ike Roosevelt. I came here feeling that
Roosevelt would win upon a principle
that any time and anywhere I would
back a warrior to win against a water
blister. Everything which has transpired
since my arrival in Chicago has strength
ened that impression Of a Roosevelt
triumph. The enthusiasm is all on the
side Of Roosevelt. There is none on the
side Of Taft. Where every one, and
a wedge. Shouting counts, enthuriasm
sounts, in a pinch like this. Thirty per
cent of the convention or over 800 OF
.he delegates. are Of a band wagon
feather. They want to land with the
winner For is the present convention
unusual in this respect This has ever
been so.
In their hunt for a winner, their search
for the band wagon, these band wagon
delegates are convinced by noise, uproar.
enthusiastic hullabaloo. Here as stated, It
Is wholly on the side Of Roosevelt.
All OF the Roosevelt people believe he
will win. Half Of the Taft people believe
Roosevelt will win. The other half fear
iJ-cannot conceal their fears. This of
itself is sufficient to mark Roosevelt as
the coming man in the popular belief
Already Has Advantage.
Also, to be thus marked, is enough
to make him winner Whether it be IN
a convention or at the polls. the man
whom everyone believes will win, does
win That general belief, since the big
band-wagon contingent never fails Of be-
ing nose-led by it. will make him win.
There is alreaedy great Roosevelt ad-
vantage. Roosevelt knows he has been
robbed. The Taft people know they have
robbed him.
The criminal is never courageous,
Roosevelt plans to force the battle from
tie very start, and that before Rose
water can get rid Of the gavel will call
a temporary chairman to take his place
to shoulder the dreadful responsibility.
MadIey will lead for Roosevelt. 1t is
here that tinid prophecy of riot comes
In. Like Borah, do not accept this
prophecy. My reasons are that the Taft
people, who being robbers feel like rob-
bers, will have no heart.
T. r. Ready to Take Chances.
Roosevelt, to steal a phrase from the
boxing ring of which he is so fond,
will outgame them. Roosevelt will take
the convention away from the Taft
forces, first, because he had a right to
it: second, because he possesses in
dominable win or die qualities which
make the desperate.
One desperate man will pull his guns
and drive the whole population of a
Western town into its many halls. That
is because he stands ready to take un-
limited chances on being killed.
The public which isn't ready to be kill
ed puts n so much time arranging for
its own safety that II hasn't any life to
kill the desperate. Roosevelt, dealing |
with what Taft convention forces have
pIundered him Of and bringing to bear |
upon the business his natural character ]
will have no trouble in driving the op- |
position hunting its own safety into |
hiding.
Genius for Action.
Roosevelt. too has a genius for action.
He knows when to shoot Some men |
shoot too soon Some men shoot too |
late. Roosevelt cracks OF his gun at |
the psychological moment With these
advantages on his side, there should be |
but one finish. Roosevelt will carry all |
convention things before him and with /
him as the landslide wine. Personally, I |
would prefer that Taft be regularly /
named and Roosevelt lead forth a bolt |
ing third ticket. One can't, however, !
have all one wants in this world. There |
will be but a single Republican ticket, |
with Roosevelt at the top. Both sides |
have money; both sides are using t.
One speculative person in the Congress
Hotel soberIv offered to wager 5000 that
OF the sixty-six colored delegates Taft
wouldn't get forty. II the speculative I
1900 profiigate was acting upon the
right information, then Taft is a gone
fawnskin, with never doubt Of it.
SuraEettes Busy.
Not the least busy are the suffragettes
At their meeting in the Illinois Theater
they came shriIly out for Roosevelt
Taft's essay favoring votes for women
delivered at the upripe age of fifteen.
failed to win them. Our spirited sisters,
knowing robbery when they see II, broke
forth revolutionary denunciation Of Mr.
Taft's National Committeeman who. work
the steam roller as ''thick-skulled, short
sighted thieves"
The denunciation was joyfully received
by the hydra-headed as adding the gayety
Of the hour-which is tumultuous
Root coming cat foot into camp brought
with him a platform from his friends.
Barnes insists that the Root platform
by its very length, is calculated to get
between the legs Of the Tsf prospects on
the convention floor and trip them up
He wants the platform short. Declares
that it should be confined to glittering
generalities.
Root, who likes a ruction about as dear
" as a cat likes water, has crept into
some unobserved. obscure corner. and
carried his platform with him. It Is an
even chance sIe he leaves town before
the crash. Root is built for Cabinets
rather than conventions, and present con-
ditions considered is as much a misft as
9 Richelieu in a prize ring.
To prevent water entering a swim
mer's ears, yet permitting him to hear,
there has been invented a rubber plug,
containing e. drum that transmits {