Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-20
F. Cochems, the former Wisconsin

F. Cochems, the former Wisconsin
university football star, who made
one of the most effective speeches OF
the convention four years ago, jumped
to the platform to nominate McGov-
ern, not as the Roosevelt, but as the
LaFollette candidate. Other second
ing speeches were made for both Nc
Govern and Root. Then Walter L.
Houser, Senator LaFollette's cam
paign manager, appearing as the last
speaker, caused the big sensation Of
the convention when he said Senator
LaFolletre absolutely repudiated the
action Of the Wisconsin men In NAM
ing McGovern as the man to conduct
a Roosevelt convention. Senator La
Toilette would not tolerate any com.
bination with Roosevelt, he said.
Cochems again took the stand to state
that he challenged any Wisconsin
delegate to vote for Root and then at
tempt to return to Wisconsin. Then
the roll call was begun and when 1t
closed about o'clock it was seen that
Root had 55S votes, McGovern 5O2 and
Walter L. Houser 49, Nine Of the La
Fcllette delegates voted for Houser,
the other fifteen for McGovern. The
Cummins ten in Iowa voted for Nc.
Govern North Dakota's LaFollette
delegation split by giving McGovern
nine and Houser~t three.
How Vote Stood.
This gave Root plurality of fifty.
six over McGovern. 1t showed that
the, Taft forces had eighteen more
votes than the $40 needed to nomin-
ate president, as had been fore
casted. SIS
The six Georgia delegates who an
nounced they would bolt their Taft
instructions and vote for Roosevelt,
voted yesterday against Root. The
Massachusetts twelve delegates at
large ignored their release by Roose,
welt and insisted on voting for his
candidate Tim Woodruff Of New
York, voted against Root, but he did
not take any of the Kings county
delegates with him. OF New Yorl1's
ninety Root, the Taft candidate, got
&c, and McGovern, Roosevelt's candi.
date got thirteen. The other south
err bolts did not materialize.
Everybody has his individual guess
as to what this means. The Taft peo-
pie are trimming over with confidence
today, secure in the knowledge that
with the temporary organization the
contesting Roosevelt delegates ousted
by the national committee cannot be
seated. The LaFollette leaders def
nitely announce that thirty-six votes
will be cast for LaFolIette on the first
ballot, and the Cummins ten will vote
for Cummins on that ballot. The Taft
nen are breathing easier, for they have
seen the southern delegates tested out
on a roll call and the promised STAN
pede did not materialize.
Cummns Men are Encouraged.
Despite the showing of Taft strength
air of the Roosevelt men the Cummns
managers displayed renewed conf |
dence today. Tables of the standing
on the first test vote and the confident |
of the candidates on the roll call for !
the nomination of president made out |,
at Cummins headquarters cuts Taft's
ma jority down below the dead line of |
$40 necessary to nominate. According |
to the views Of the Iowans Taft will |
lose strength in New York, Illinois, !
North Carolina. Michigan. Oregon and |
Pennsylvania, leaving him from ten to |
twenty votes short of the nomination ]
These gains will go to Roosevelt, but |
the Cumrlins managers say LaFollette
and Cummins strength will prevent
on the first ballot, and |
probably for several ballots. Cummins, I
they believe, will show increasing
as he is presented as can
didate who has been removed from the |
bitter three cornered fight of the pres