The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-17
Convention to be Historic Will Open With Prayer by Catholic Clergyman at
 Noon Tomorrow
Warmest Convention Batt|e in the History ol
 Nation Will AlInost Immediately l, Begin
Virginia Whose Delegates Are For Taft Said to be Against Root For Chalman and Opposed to contestlng
 Delegates Voting on Own Seats

t'@r"
 Chicago, June 17.-The great con. vention which may mark the destruc. tion of the Republican party will open tomorrow After the formal open. ing, prayer, presentations and the like the struggle will immediately begin te prevent the acceptance of the tempo rary roll as made up by the national committee, with. the nsmes of more than 15o Taft delegates seated in con tests.
 The Roosevelt following will attempt to lay down the principle that con- testing delegates sshail not vote upon their own seats.
 It is asserted that the Virginia dele gates, which are for raft, have voted 10 support this principle, and also not to make Root temporary chairman.
 Chicago, June 17.-The actual for nal program for the convention, to- morrow, provides for opening of the coliseum at 10 a. m. While the ticket holders are filing in two bands will play. The program then provides for the following:
 Noon-The convention called to or- der by Chairman Rosewater, of the national committee. Prayer by the Rev. James F. Callahan, pastor of of the gavel from the Citizens Committee. Reading of the temporary roll. Fight on the temporary roll. Election of tenpor- ary chairman. Address by the tenn porary chairman. Election of tenn porary officers. Roll call of states for presentation of committee selec- tions. Adjournment.
 Four years ago, the opening session lasted two hours. This year the short est estimate is 10 hours, with an all night session as a distinct probability.
 Senator Dix, at noon today, issued a statement claiming Roosevet*s on the first ballot with margin of AZ votes. He also said the Roosevelt men will control a larger majority than that of organization of the convention.
 Five negro delegates from Georgia were injured, today, when Pennsyl- vania train from the south pulling in- to the Pennsylvania yards in this city, COll1OeQ WILL. duOluSI IIdlu. A. MI. of Argyll, Ga., one of the in- jured, was taken to the hospital suf- fering serious bruises and cuts and the others, Henry Johnson 2 Lincoln and Dr. w. F. Penn, of Atlanta, W. M. Jones, Statesboro, and w. J. Macon, were taken to the Hotel Washington not so seriously in- was hurt in the wreck but it was reported several other persons were among the injured.
 All talk of a compromise candidate upon whom the -progressives and the Taft mon could unite to heal the breach in the Republican party was shattered, today. The Taft leaders, after counting. noses, decided that they still hold the control. They ac- cepted the assurance of William Barnes, Jr., that he had enough votes to elect Elihu Root temporary chair man. Immediately they stiffened their lines and prepared to present a united front.
 Two conventions in the same hall seemed inevitable. The Roosevelt fighting men have decided to go with their program. They today, that they would go right ahead and nominate Roosevelt They declared they could do it in the face of the Taft delegates and they would protect themselves from strong arm" methods.
 They will fight, they said, to take the convention away from the nation al committee. Victor Rosewater, chairman of the committee, who, un- der the rules, calls the convention to order, has been in consultation with the Taft men on the committee. He has instructed Colonel Bill Stone, the sergeant-at-arms, that he will expect protection in the discharge of his duties. Stone has arranged for this He declined. today, to discuss what he had done.
 'This convention will be conduct ed so that the regular representatives of the Republican party in the na- tional convention can carry through their work" declared Stone.
 "Let those who wish make threats. All I wish to say is that the officers of this convention will be protected in carrying out the duties with which they are charged"
 It was learned, however, that Stone has secured what he considers ampls police protection. Through the Chi cago Citizens Committee he has had police officers detailed to obey his instructions and if an attempt is made to rush the platform, and one is anticipated, then Stone will keep it