Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-04
0L.u,o Rauua~~A
orA 9nt5r1,,,a4s

TIME l9OS convention gave me my iirSt looksin
on republican president-choosing conclave
- and ! was there occupying a dual point Of
vantage. Having been, from the outset, active
in the movement in behalf OF the nomination OF
Taft had been chosen one OF the four delegates
at-large from Nebraska and had also been desg-
mated to serve the national committee IN place
Of the then committeeman Hon. {. Fl. Morrill,,
whose poor health prevented him from doing the
committee work even attending the convention
The committee met week ahead OF time to
take up the accumulated contests and make up
the temporary roll more than 200 seats beng
in question and stubbornly fought for between
the Taft side, which was also the Roosevelt side,
and the so-called allies" made up Of a combina-
ton OF favorite sons, including Cannon, Fair
banks, Foraker, Knox, and one or two others.
This was to me most valuable experience, open
ing up view into the political conditions and
methods prevailing in other states and, more
particularly, in the south extending my aequaint-
ance with prominent men all over the country
and bringing in close touch with the active
managers Of the Taft campaign, who were in
constant communication with the White House
Many amusing incidents occurred during the
hearing OF the contest cases, which were decided
as nearly on their merits confused and contra
dictory testimony would permit, While almost
all OF them resulted in seating the aft dele
gates but little bitter feeling was engcndercd
because the majority was so strong that the
allies" were hopelessly impotent regardless OF
the contests.
How carefully everything was checked up,
however, may be gathered from the fact that
Frank II. Hitchcock, in charge Of the Taft con-
vention campaign gave out public statement
Immediately on the adjournment Of the commit
tee meeting, announcing that the Taft vote on the
first ballot would be 704 when, as a matter OF
fact. the roll call as recorded few days later
showed the Taft column footing up exactly 702.
With this situation confronting the contend
ing forces before the gavel raped for order, the
chances OF sharp fighting in the convention were
almost eliminated and the proceedings proved to
be devoid of excitement, although full OF inter
est There were two or three demonstrations
IN the nature of attempts to start stampede for
Roosevelt but there was no stampede and the
strangest part OF it was that these demonstrations
were fomented and promoted by the allies, whose
opposition toTaft was presumed to be because he
was the creature of Roosevelt and too much like
Roosevelt ! happen to know that large parr
of the steam for this Roosevelt wave was fur
nished by the Indiana crowd there in the interest
OF Fairbanks whose managers, finding nothing
in prospect for the Fairbanks presidential boom,
started cry for "the old ticket" in the hope of
breaking down the Taft lines and again naming
Roosevelt and Fairbanks as the standard bearers,
at the same time taking long gamble on the
possibility Of Roosevelt refusing to accept and
thus opening the way to move Fairbanks up to
first place The plans and specifications for
this stratagem we'll laid and we'll supported
by the galleries but it fell down for lack OF votes
on the floor, delegates, by the way, being rule
the most immovable and Unconditional part OF the
convention attendance.