The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-06-27
Presidents Forces
!. Firm All Through
CONVENTION RESUME.
Colonel Personally Nominated
by Own Delegates.
<usxxa..a- ~
PLATFORM IS CONSERVATIVE.
1ading's Nomination Speech
a; =, lauds the President.
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
For President,
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
For Vice President,
JAMES schOoLCRAFT 6hER-
MAN.

Chicago, June 23.-The split has
come. Colonel Theodore RsoDevelt
withheld his name from the fifteenth
Republican national convention. He d.
1ected his delegates to remain intthe
convention, but not vote. He was in
dorsed by his followers to lead third
Iarty.
1t was bolt, yet not. bolt. Claim
ing the convention roll had not been
Durged Of alleged illegally seated Taft
delegates, the colonel would have moth
ing to do with it.
President Taft was renominated,
With Vice President Sherman.
Roosevelt's action in tossing his bat
into the ring" against his former
Hiend, the president, made the pri-
nary campaign remarkable. His with
dawal Of his delegates from voting,
when his last hope was gone. and his
announcement of leading q third party
Of progressives was still more remark
able in the annals Of Republican con-
ventions.
r. Nothing Like II Before.
: Nothing like this had ever happened
since the time Fremont was chosen for
president in the first convention Of the
Republican party, in 1856, in Philadei-
pAia. After years of easy going sue
cess, broken by the Cleveland terms,
The g. o. p. now faces the critical Pc
Tisd In its history. What WIN Rooals-
yelt's progressive bolt amount to2
What will tho Democrats now DO az
Baltimore? These are now the ques-
tons of the hour.
The Taft forces controlled the con-
vention from the start through favor
able decisions by the national commit
4ee and later by the credentials CON-
mittee. At no time did the Roosevelt
1sFces muster majority of the 1.O7S
delegates.
The Rooseveltians shouted Steam
roller" throughout.
The presidents forces shouted little.
but they elected their man. Their ma
chine worked smoothly.
The convention was not uninterest-
ing. Far from it. Everybody looked
Tor the bolt, the stampede, the strong
arm work at any moment. Roosevelt
was in the limelight until the last day.
All the "hurrah" settled around him.
1t was a fight to beat him more than
to nominate Taft
TAFT Controlled All Through.
Several test votes were taken during
the FIVE days the convention was in
session, the first over the temporary
chairmanshlp and the others over the
contested delegates. In all Taft main
tained a small majority. The first test
stood Taft, $50: Roosevelt, 5O2. The
necessary majority Of the convention
1or choice was $40. The highest test
vote for Taft was COS.
Barring Roosevelt no Republican as
pirant for the presidency since Lincoln
has ELECTED such enthusiasm from his
supporters as James G. Blaine. He
secured the nomination in 1884. only
% be defeated at the polls. He refused
- be considered as candidate in 1883,
hut in 1892 tried for the nomination.
But the crowds in the galleries could
not vote, and the delegates on the door
when the storm Of cheering had passed
named Harrison for the presidency.
Since 1892 the Republican conven-
lions have not been memorable for
hard fought contests. Mckinley at st.
Louis in 1896 overcame all opposition
on the first ballot. He was renominat-
ed without a contest at the Philadel-
phia convention in 1900, when Roose-
velt was chosen to ill second place on
the ticket. The latter's nomination in
1904 was foregone conclusion, and
Tie perfectly oiled machinery Of the
NOS convention accomplished the NOM
lnation Of TAFT without jar.
e WIN be recalled that Roosevelt,
- tie sponsee for Tart, ha1 bit
80 49, - neAinsry.