The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-06-20
WILLIAM 4. TAFT, Ohio
q by J. E. Purdy.
BY n. v. ANDREWS.
ABE Republican national conven.
Aso- - ,n7o xxr;lI ~ <ho ~rroo<

ton Of 1912 will be the great
est in point Of numbers in the
history of the party and, the
political prophets are agreed. the most
momentous since wartimes. It will
be the climax of a prenomination con-
test unexampled in the annals of the
United States, II not of the world
For anything like parallel it is nee
essary to go back to the Chicago con-
vention of 1880, when Conkling and
Garfield were the dashing leaders of
the opposing forces Of General Grant,
who had been put forth for third
term, and of John Sherman. Ohio's
Z choice for the nomination, while Blaine
doomed up Us q formidable comped-
tor. The faithful 3O6 delegates who
stood fast for Grant have become al
most as famous in American political
as the Balaklava COO are in British
military history. and from this con-
vention dated the fractional strife of
= ''stalwarts" and half breeds" that rent
the party and inspired the fanatic Gui.
] teau to take the life Of Garfield. who.
ras q dark horse" was the winner in
4 the convention.
Z Popularity Of "the P'umed Knight"
Barring Roosevelt in the zenith Of
his popularity, no Republican aspirant
for the presidency since Lincoln has
elected such enthusiasm from his sup
porters as James 6. Blaine. Cns'lc-
cessful in the conventions of 1876 and
1880, he secured the nomination in
1884, only to be defeated at the polls.
He refused to be considered as q can
didate in 1883. but in 1892. though
stricken with a mortal disease, he al
lowed his name to go before the con-
vention, where it evoked the most re-
markable demonstration Of enthusiasm
that Republican nominating assem-
blage had ever known. But the crowds
in the galleries could not vote, and the
delegates on the floor when the storm
Of cheering had passed named Harri-
son for the presidency.
Since 1902 the Republican conven-
tons have not been memorial BILE for hard
fought contests. Mckinley at st. Lou
Is in 1896 overcame all opposition on
the first ballot. He was renominated
without a contest at the Philadelphia
convention in 1900, when Roosevelt
was chosen to fill second place or the
ticket. The latters nomination in 1904
was foregone conclusion, and the
perfectly oiled machinery Of the 1908
convention accomplished the nomina'
ton of Taft without jar.
1t is safe to predict that. whatever
may happen. at the Chicago Coliseum
on June 10 and the days following, the
proceedings will be distinctly different
from those of any Republican conven-
ton of recent years. r.,
BEGINNING Of the Roosevelt Boom.
The Roosevelt boom may be said to
have started with the announcement
of 1.-The seven governors" that they had
summoned the colonel from his polit-
cal retirement to assume the leadership
of the, progressive" wing Of the party
and to propose himself for third term
as president. Having cast Ibis hat IN
the ring" the colonel delivered MS
def to the conservatives Tor the re
actionaries,'' as he prefers to call them)
. in bis Columbus speech, "A Charter OF
Democracy" before the Ohio constitu'
tional convention. This speech. intend
ed to be the keynote" Of the precon,
vention campaign" was chiefly re-
markable for III setting forth OF the
doctrine OF the recall Of judicial deci.
sions, which has ever since been one
of tue 6ghtjny lssnes OF the factional
contest. SPrSsids NJ Taft Tor rome time
refrained from aneweftng the attacks
made upon his adminjstrat don By ~