The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-22
Taft WINS F|lsT ROUND.
ROOT ELECTED TEMPORARY
CHAIRMAN.
First Day Of Convention Was Filled
With Excitemcnt and Rooscvelt Men
Contested Every Point-Tat Lead
ers In Complete Control and steam
Roller Runs ON Schedule.

~"so' juno ie.-AgalnSt the
threats. charges and bitter invective
OF the Roosevelt forces. Taft sup
porters In the Republican national
convention today put through the first
portion OF their programme by elect
Ing Senator Ellhu Root Of New York
temporary chairman. In spite of the
fact that Victor Rosewater. chairman
OF the national committee, consistent
ly ruled out Of order every motion
made By the Roosevelt forces, II re-
Quired more than FIVE hours to reach
vote on the Temporary chairman
ship.
The roll call was beset with diff
culties. but at the end. when the tu-
multi had died away. Senator Root
was found TO have won by vote of
SIS to 5o2 for Gov. Francis e. Nc
Govern OF Wisconsin. with IA scat
tered votes and four not voting.
Tonight both the Taft and Roose-
welt forces are claiming this vote in
dicates that their candidate Is abso-
lutely sure to win. The advantage ap-
pears to be with .he president. how
ever. for while he q sure to lose some
Of the votes that were cast for Sena-
tor Root. II Is claimed he will gain. II
instructions are observed. Some of
the votes were independently cast for
McGovern.
Those leaders who have been urg-
Ing compromises candidate ever
since they arrived I'm Chicago. point
Ing To angles in the figures. claim
they show that II Is essential to
name a so-called dark horse" to save
the day for the Republican party.
While Mr.. Root was made chair
man today and managed to deliver
his keynote" speech. the fighting Is
to be renewed at IL o'clock tomorrow
when the motion of the Roosevelt
leaders to substitute a new list of
delegates for those credited to some
of the contested States Is to be taken
up as the unfinished business. No
committees were named tonight and
none will be until this motion to
purge" the convention OF "fraudu-
lent delegates Is disposed OF. Today
II was defeated on a point of order.
but the Roosevelt forces declare that
parliamentary practice will not bc
permitted ,c stand In thcir way "a.
morrow.
The Roosevelt people md tile Tat
people carried out their programme
as announced I'm advance almost to
the letter. The Roosevelt people said
tonight they are going to fight every
inch Of the way.
There were cries of boilers hurl-
ed at the Roosevelt delegates at
times during the session. but the
contingency OF bolt again tonight
seemed to be far distant.
California. under the leadership Of
GOV. Johnson. assumed a belligerent
altitude almost with the start OF the
FoIi call. when the two Roosevelt del
egates from the Fourth district. seat
II by the national committee. were
allowed to vote. But they soon found
heir protest of no effect upon the
vote for McGovern.
rhcre Is prospect OF even more
struggle tomorrow. when as "unfin-
ished business" the convention will
take up motion of Gov. Hadley of
Missouri to strike from the temporary
roll Of the convention as prepared by
the national committee the names Of
90 delegates seated by the national
committee In contested elections. and
sustitrte therefor Roosevelt con-
testants.
IL was I'm precisely this effort, that
the whole day was spent. The chap
lain had hardly finished his invoca-
tion of the divine blessing upon the
convention before Coy. IIadley was
on his feet objecting To- the personnel
OF the convention itself. This led To
long and Intricate parliamentary
argument.
Victor EOsewatcr. chairman of the
national committee, upon whose
shoulders had fallen the ordinarily
perfunctory duty Of calling the con-
Ncntion to order and presenting the
recommendations Of the committee
for temporary officers, found himself
with an able-bodled mans job OF pre-
siding over what seemed likely to
be a turbulent and passionate war Of
factions.
lie was not In good voice. and what