The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-18
MORE EXCITING THAN An ELEPHANT
HUNT IN DARKEST AFRICAN JUNG[ES

his gavel at noon, the regular order
OF business provided for the opening
invocation by Rev. Father James r.
Callaghan. OF Chicago. Then came the
presentation Of the gavel by Fred w.
Upham, Chairman Of the Chicago Citl.
zens' committee, which arranged the
details for the convention. This was
followed by the reading Of the official
call for the convention by William
Hayward, secretary Of the nationarI
committee. Then the action was
scheduled which was expected to pro
cipitate the fight, the calling Of the
temporary roll of the convention as
made up by the national COMMITTEES.
A minority report compiled by Sena-
tor Borah was in his possession and
copy was In the pocket Of the floor
leader of the Roosevelt forces, Cover
nor Herbert s. Hadley, of Missouri.
This report was to be presented as a
minority one and the Roosevelt men
declared that they intended to see that
it was accepted II they mad TO Keep
the convention in session all summer.
Under the rules the next order of
business after the reading of the tenn,
porary roll is the selection OF the tenn
porary chairman. Rosewater was ex-
4 pected to announce that he had been
directed by the national committee to
present for temporary chairman the
name of United States Senator Root.
In opposition to Root the Roosevelt
! men planned to name Senator Will
liam 3. Borah, of Idaho. Just when
this would be reached was extremely
| problematical when the convention
met. The Roosevelt men insisted they
I, were entitled to roll call on every
question which would be participated
In by only those men whose right to
seat was unquestioned, while the
1 Taft men held that every delegate on
A the temporary roll was legally author
lied to vote on every question but the
I. legality Of his own standing.
4 Four years ago the convention wa:
Z in session only trifle more than twt
hours and this included the time con
l sumed by the key y-note speech Of til
temporary chairman. It did not seen
today however. that the speech of th'
4 temporary chairman would be reached
until late in the day.
!, With the temporary chairman cleo
-l ted, the regular order of business pro
, vided for the naming Of the temporar.
: secretaries and other officers of th'
J; convention, calling of the roll 0
T states for the naming of the commit
t tee assignments, after which recess
: until tomorrow was scheduled in or
/ der to permit the credentials, resolu
; tions and permanent organization
( committees to get down to work.
The Final Roundup.
There were more important confer
ences in the headquarters of the riva
factions prior to the assembling o
the convention. 1t was last round
up Of the leaders prior to the opening
of the fight. Both sides insisted tha
: they had the delegates and would vii
!. out Their claims so far as delegate
were concerned, were utterly unre
conciliable. The roll-call was neces
sary to determine who was to win
Certain delegates were claimed b.
both sides and until they Responded
; to their names their ultimate inten
tions were unknown.
:, Colonel Roosevelt arranged with hi
managers to keep him posted at al
times as to what was going on tn
! convention hall. The report that h
!, planned to lead his fight in person tn
!, moment such action became necessar.
was widely circulated. The Roosevelt
managers refused to affirm or deny.
Equally secretive We're the Taft fol
! lowers. Mckinley, Barnes, Hemer
/. way, Fairbanks. Hilles and score o
: lesser leaders We're scurryinI
around all morning previous to tn
opening of the convention. Delegate
: were button-holed and final direction
or word Of assurance given. Presiden
Taft was in constant touch wit
everything that was going on direc'
, ing his own fight In many instance
and his managers frequently COUNSEL
ed with him on knotty points.
Probably the most confident men i
Chicago were the managers Of Sena
tor Cummins and Senator LaFollette
: They believed that the convention wa
certain to deadlock and that when th
! break came it would be away from tn
q two leading candidates and to TIL
other man. They insisted that the