The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-19
Second Day Of Republican National Convention
is Presided Over BY Root With Taft Men
Still in Control.
AADLEY ACTING AS THE FIGHT LEADER
Taft Would Be Willing to Withdraw If Roose-
velt is Whipped and His Hat Kicked Clear
Out of the Ring.

tion OF dark horse was greater than
1t has been at any previous time dur
ing the convention.
1t takes $40 votes to nominate.
Root had 55S.
The Taft leaders, talking privately.
admit that Taft cannot get the full
Root strength on the first ballot. How
far he will fall short is problematical.
Eight Maryland delegates who voted
for Root are under Roosevelt instruc-
tions and will vote for him on the
first ballot. Seven Illinois delegates
are in the same position. There are
at least four or five scattered dele
gates who voted for Root who will
vote for Roosevelt.
Assuming that there are twenty all
told OF these Roosevelt votes, which
were needed to give Root 55S, Taft's
vote on the first ballot will fall two
short of the $40 necessary to nomi-
nate.
Hawaii cast Its six votes against
Root, but probably will throw them
to Taft on the nomination vote. This
would give Taft 544 or four more than
needed.
When the bitterness Of this Taft
Roosevelt feud and the almost super
human efforts by the ablest politicians
in the country to win over individual
delegates is considered, the narrow
paper margin by which the president
remains in the race is apparent.
/ While in a mix-up as complex as
this almost anything is possible. 1t is
generally conceded that about the
least likely possibility is Roosevelt's
nomination on the first ballot, if the
delegates who make UP the temporary
roll are seated by the credentials COM
mittee.
Should there be no bolt and should
the first ballot result in no nomination
I the contest from that time forward
will be anybody's fight.
One feature of the situation which
may have an important bearing on
/ the result is the growing feelins
among both Taft and Roosevelt dele
gates. who still cling to their party
/ loyalty, that the fight for supremacy
/ has gone to such lengths that the
4 nomination of either would result in
an absolutely fatal split of the parry
4 While on the surface Of things party
loyalty seems to be at pretty low ebb,
i the fact remains that aside from the
warning leaders the majority of the
i delegates-most of whom are office
holders-are at heart more interested
/ In party success than in the nomina-
ton of any particular candidate.
Root as Dark Horse.
I An interesting overnight develop
ment was the dark horse" talk for
i Elihu Root among the conservatives.
4 Roots speech as temporary chair
Il man was the effort of his life and
these who are close to him are saying
4 today that while he is loyal to Taft,
he realizes that the latter's nomination
i is at least a difficult proposition ano
that when he made his speech he was
i Inspired by the thought that his own
nomination might be won by 1t.
Yesterdays collapse of the Roose-
velt plan of battle came a few min
utes before the convention was called
to order due largely to absence from
the floor OF the ommander-in-chief Of
the progressiyes.
The Taft organization was complete
In every detail. Every move was
made as planned, and every move of
the Roosevelt forces was anticipated
even to q storming Of the stage by a
protesting army Of Roosevelt follow
ers.
The aisles, entrances and the space
before the stage were manned by uni
formed policemen, an army of plain
clothes men and secret servive Off
GERS.
| Part of the Roosevelt plan was to
rush Governor McGovern to the stage
the moment he got sol votes, and rec
4 ognize him as temporary chairman.
This was the number that made ma
jofity, If the delegates branded by
Roosevelt as fraudulent, were left out.
4 But that attempt was not made.
There was a hitch somewhere. and