Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-07-19
Republicans In COUNSEL.

On Saturday afternoon last a soodl,
number of leading Republicans of the
county met in Rockville for the purpose Of
holding conference called by the State
Central Committee of their party, the OBJ
Ject OF which conference appears to have
been to take an inventory of whatever
prospects the party may have of holding
itself together at the election in November.
Among those who put in an appearance
were three or four prominent representa-
tives of the new sO-called Teddycratic.
Iheocrazy. Progressive or Bull Moose party,
said to be the personal property of third
term candidate for President of the United
States. There were present Messrs. D. W.
Baker, one-time U. S. District Attorney for
the District of Columbia; Galen L. TAFT,
an enthusiastic young Progressive states
man accredited to Bethesda District, and
Captain C. J. Fox. who resides near Rock
vile.
After the presiding officer had stated
the object Of the conference, Mr.. Baker was
the first to address the assemblage. He
bluntly stated that he had been invited to
be present and meet Mr. Waggaman, the
Republican candidate for Congress, but as
he did not see that gentleman present he
would take occasion to denounce the thiev-
ing method by which Mr. Taft had been
nominated for the presidency at CHICAGO.
This unexpected deliverance brought the
gathering to its feet in angry protest; the
speaker was promptly called to order, and
after brief period of wraneling. mainly
confined to the disturbing element, Mr..
Baker was suppressed. Mr.. TAFT was then
permitted to make ian exposition" of his
position, in order. he said. in effect, to show
that he was out of harmony with the spirit
OF the meeting. but had not presented
himself for the purpose of creating dis
turbance. Don't doit. then T. shouted one
of the faithful, with a fierce glare of warn
ing at the TheOprogressive statesman. The
man who delivered the warning had fire
in his eye and was about twice as big as
Mr.. TAFT It's no wonder the latter faltered
and glanced toward the open door, But
he soon recovered sufficiently to inform the
meeting abruptly that he expected, later
in the campaign. to have an acrimonious
debate" with his near and dear neighbor,
Mr. William Tyler Page; whereupon Mr..
Page arose and declared with Great earn
estness that Mr.. TAFT was reckoning with
out his host that he would be sadly dis
appointed in his expectation, and that il
he (Mr. Page ever consented to enter int
IAN acrimonious debate" with anybody, it
would be with his old friend, Mr.. D. W.
Baker, who is not so near and dear a neigh
Dor to him as is Mr.. TAFT. Everybody
laughed at this except Mr.. TAFT who seemed
deeply disappointed at Mr. Pages unacri-
monious attitude. Mr.. A. A. BraddOck,
however, offered partial consolation to Mr..
TAFT by assuring him that he (Mr. Brad
dock) would be glad to enter into an acri-
mOniOus debate with him at any time, on
u"J o"oJSNt' pioNiuCu thut hC AWts Dtdu-
docE were apprised beforehand of the
particular subject to be acrimonously de-
bated, and provided also that there were
no hard feelings about it.
Mr.. Baker and Mr.. TAFT then moved to
adjourn. but nobody paid any attention to
the motion. except that there was, on the
quiet, a general interchange of sentiment
to the effect that those two gentlemen were
at liberty to adjourn at their pleasure. but
must positively be in order and behave
themselves correctly so long as they re-
manned.
When a motion was later adopted in
dOrsing the nomination of Taft and Sher-
man, there was only one vote in the mega
tive, but that was mo" as loud and long
and fierce as the howl of frenzied bull
moose beneath the crushing weight of a
modern political steam roller.
When the Theoproeressive representa-
tives left the meeting they, too, bitterly
complained of having been fiattened out
by the ruthless method suggested by the
term steam roller"