The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-18

Chicaxo June iR-When the gavel of Victor Roeewater, chairman of the Nakional Republican committee. fell at noon today for the Republican conven- tion, the most desperate fight in the histpry Of American politics had reached a criais. For weeks. Presi- dent Taft and Colonel Roosevelt have . been- battling for delegates. -
 The Taft men had hatly refused the demand Of the Huoosevelt forces that they agree to a proposition that no vote on the temporary organization be valid ,nless 1t received the affirma- < tive vote of so delegates Ca. majority6 whose right to seat was unQuestion- cd. Thjs was a novel program ana arx1nged af a session of the H00se- welt delegatss that lasted until nearly daylight today The Roosevelt plan . was pat forth in the interest of har- mony and also because 1t was desir- ed that the proceedings of the con veutiom be such that they would re- unite the party. The Taft men de cIarod fa,at the presentation, if adopt They insisted it would be impossa- ble to secure harmony and an a1Ilr- matfve vote from the 540. They also claimed that the real reason back or the suggestion was to secure delay.
 The Taft mon insisted that their original prJkrlsn was going through. They, declared they had the delegates Yhev also inAisted that. after conver- eation with their parliamentary ex- perts, they he'd found sthefe was no W1y5 whereby the demand of tho Rooesvelt forces that only the .uncon- s1utad Hele6nAes ahould vote on the wfslf1nin1ry fopositioae could be made se, Ts-esd sfs n.b .ssss1 1by tbs r.ft isaaers. TT H6od6v1lt men sent q proteet to
 S&ol1{nt 11lk and demanded that he j1teFfefe and compel h1s repfesenta- 1oooosvelt vropooation. The Taft lead- oFp insi1te& hoWsyer. shat the Presi- dent could not int6rfefe. They said 4hax 1t was not a matter for him to decdde, that it was one for the dele
 me crowd started for the coliseum early. The morning was cool. A hrfok breeze sweeping acroas the city from Lake Michigan tempered the or1anmer atmosphere and an overcaee s1ry made walking comfortable. It W1S warm in the great hall where the deIe1ates gathered, and 1t was admit ted on all sides before the call to -orler that the proceedings would be eo tUrrid to drive all thought of the weather from the minds of those pres ent
 Gxeate lines of uniformed policemen were scattered about the structure and u1aased at every entrance. Grouped W4fh them were 400 special deputy sherfffs, to rec that there was no dis order Piainclotheg mon were scaf- tered through the crowd Of curiosity seekefD that had noclled to the scene, hooefuI that the Roosevelt forces Would make good their threat and storm the entrances thus mainta1ning ray for all without tickets. Moth iuw had been overloolZed and nothing 1d[k undone to preserve order and in add3k1on to the police on the scene, reeefve squads were held in readiness u66r the coliseum with automob1ie uafrol wagons ready to rush to any nlace tlaSy might be needed.
 The formal program outlined-ai- tlouah certain to be changed as the result of- the dstermination of the TSooeetelt delegates to fiEht-was as
 The convention hall doors opened zt aa xsclock AS each ticket holder ap- Deared at the designated entrance his pasteboard was inspected first by a uniformed policeman If satisfactory door where a specially commissioned ticket taker was in readiness.
 In the balcony of the coliseum were maesed two bands and couple of eIse clubs who fined in the time from 1s o'clock until 12 o'clock. - -. proverbially slow in gathering. The
 hast known party men came early. They wanted to see what was going on and to be in position where they miRht be observed from Athe galleries T3.6 the old wheel horses of the par 4he men whose names are inti- .nae1v connected with its history, de- 1aved aS much as they could.
 A minority report compiled by Sem .tor Borah was in his possession and a copy was in the pocket of the floor leader of the Roosevelt forces, Gov crnor Hadley, of Missouri. This re- nort was to be presented as minor ifv one and the Roosevelt men de- eiared that they intended to see that it was accepted if they had to keep the convention in session all sum- mer. Under the rules, the next order of businees after the reading of the. tenn porary roll is the selection of a tenn 0orary chairman. Rosewater was ex- pected to announce that he had been present for temporary chairman the name of United States Senator Elihu Root. The Roosevelt men insisted they were entitled to roll call on every question which would be parti- cipated in by only those men whose tSe Taft men held that every dele rate on the temporary roll was legal lv authorfzed to vote on every ques- lion but the legality of his own
 Landing
 -Four years ago the convention was an oe4Dion the first day only four hours and this included the time con- nuraed by the keynote speech of the femnornry chairman. It did not seem, fod1y. however, that the speech of fhe femporary chairman would be Ireached until late in the day.
 VGifh the temporary chairman n1ecfed. the regular order of business provided for the naming of te1npor- ary secretaries and the calling of the ron of states for the naming of com-
 11ftee a0fgnments after which a re-
 nnn until tomorrow was scheduled in
 ue to permit the credentials, reso-
 k1oG6 n61 permanent organization