The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-18

,ale to take chances.
Wisconsin entered the convention
hall with delegation divided over
the support OF Governor McGovern
,or temporary chairman.
"We shall decide our course on the
aoor." said Col John Hannah, Sena-
tor La Follette's secretary 1--WE may
decide not to vote on the chairman
ship at all.
I'm any event, our action will be
unanimous and we shall not aid
Roosevelt If we can help It."
Mammoth cameras, aimed at the
stage, were perched from every bal
cony rail-
Red Cross flags at several doorways
were grim reminder possibly of a
Two huge megaphones, an ice wa
ter tank and private telephone We're
the only ornaments of the speakers
stand.
More Policemen Arrive.
At 10:45 second squad OF Afty
policemen, most of them members Of
the traffic squad, filed into the hall.
They took places at the rear of the
platform SO that they commanded it
on all sides. Plain clothes officers
we're also scattered through the gal
leries, and some of them leaned
against the side walls where they
could command the delegate reserva-
ton. 1t was plain that they were
ready for anything that might come
up.
The New York delegation came in
at 10:40, headed by William Barnes.
Jr., and James w. Wadsworth. Barnes
was smiling as he took seat, which
he occupied only couple of minutes,
leaving it to circulate among the del
egates, and shake hands with dele
gates to whom he was introduced by
his chief lieutenants.
Victor Rosewater, chairman of the
national committee. about whom the
storm was expected to center, came
in at IL o'clock and took seat in
the rear of the platform. He had a
button hole bouquet and said that he
was confident that the Taft men
would control. Just as Rosewater
came onto the stage Kermit Roose-
velt strolled down the aisle of the
hall and stood for few minutes di.
rectly In front of the New York dele
cation. He did not seem to see any
one there that he cared to talk with
a and finally went over to the seats
! reserved for him in the lower bal
.fcony.
! There was much discussion abou
platform suggestions. Barnes in re
sponse to an inquiry regarding tn.
publication of what purported to BIZ
the official platform of the Taft mel
said:
There have been a number o.
rough drafts of the platform submit
4 ted, but none of them are official
AS a matter Of fact it will be impos
sible to say just what the platform
will contain until the resolutions
committee actually gets to work
Everything up to the present mus
Of necessity be a guess"
4 Platform Is Secret.
1 The same situation existed so fal
as the Roosevelt platform was con
cerned. There were only three copies
4 of this document in existence and the
! Roosevelt leaders declared that M
one could see them until some ques
tions in dispute are cleared up.
Some surprise was expressed be
cause of the LaFollette men showed
up among the early arrivals. 1t was
explained that they were holding ;
caucus to decide on a plan of actor
in connection with the temporar.
Craftsmanship.
i BY 11:10 a. m, the hall was more
than half filed, and fully two thirds
I of the delegates were in their seats
4 The aisles were jammed and the Chi
i cago fire marshal and his aides KEEP
officers busy clearing them.
4 The report was persistently circu
lated that a break to Roosevelt wa
imminent in the New York delegation
\ When State Chairman Barnes wa
asked about it he said:
There is absolutely no truth in tn
report. New York is now solid AL
of the Roosevelt defections have bee
; accounted for. The declaration tha
any New York delegates will deser
; the president is absolutely unfounded
When the Oklahoma delegates file
! into the hall they were headed by
tall ranchman carrying a buntin
decorated hoop with a battered son
brero In the center The that in tn
, ring caused no stir, the delegate
being too much interested in the a
rivals to care for buffoonery. TIL
big delegate, however, put the ha
under his chair for use later on.
Senator Penrose, when he wake
: down the platform to take his sea
, was greeted with derisive jeers b
: the Pennsylvania delegation that o.