The Washington times., 1920-05-22
In I9OO-HeaUens, she pODders!
Presidents and Pies
An Interesting Account of Washington PEG.
pie of Yesterday and Today By the Wife
of the WelL.KnolDn Diplon,atist
BY Mrs. Larz Anderson

visit. President Taft was nearing
the end OF his term.
The Republican Convention OF
1912 was TO be held shortly in Chi
cago. so went out there, with
every hope of a second term for
him.
This time I stayed with friends
at the Blackstone Hotel and cabled
my husband in Brussels all the news
! could gather. Rumors were fly
ing about The Taft people felt
they had moro than enough votes,
but others declared that both sides
lacked twenty OF the requisite num-
Der. II was thought there might
be two conventions carried on in
the same hall. with the Roosevelt
supporters boiling.
Tuesday morning, June IS. we
went to the Coliseum for the first
opening session. There was no
marching nor singing. but sort
of grim silence. Nobody seemed to
know exactly what would happen.
Senator Borah who, they said.
wished 10 be Vice President made
a good opening speech, and matters
began to warm up.
actively for Roosevelt's interests, but
Hadley. the young Governor from
Missouri, proved his most success
ful supporter. The temporary chair
man was a clever little Jew, Victor
Rosewater, the son of a news
paper man Watson. OF Indiana, tall
and gaunt. making one somehow
think of Lincoln, directed affairs.
Various surprises occurred. Had
ley. not getting chairman that
suited his side-Roosevelt did not
want Root under any considera-
tion-switched suddenly to McGov-
ern. Of Wisconsin. Then La Fol
Iette refused to have anything TO
do with either Taft or Roosevelt!
voting was very close. but Root
won as permanent chairman after
stormy battle, and he made bril-
liant speech as he took the chair
Notwith standing all this. good
many felt at this juncture, not only
that Roosevelt might get the nomi-
nation, but also his third term. We
were rather discouraged. but kept
on singing Tafts campaign song:
Bill Taft IL the man to engineer his plan.
Valiant in word and In deed;
while he is ~ the helm no storm can
For he'll stand by the Ship in its need.
Shout then for Taft. he is on the safest
working for the right and for YoU,
Bull Moose" may blow. Woodrow Wilson
But Z Is Biliy put. tn. -old Ship
through
wild rumors were circulated that
there might be bloodshed. and prob
ably there would be a deadlock
The thousands OF people were or
Derby enough, "wednesday, though
perhaps the 400 police and ser
reants-at-arms who were rcmorse-
lessly on duty had something to
do with II. Every one was given
fair play. and the Roosevelt people
had a long rope in which they be-
came entangled and presently
hanged themselves. But meanwhile
the crowd was wildly enthusiastic
Whenever r. RS name was men
toned there ensued a pandemonium
Of cheers, whistles, beating OF
drums, changing OF cymbals, and
noisy roaring. A girl--as somebody
said, the undertsker's daughter
waved his portrait from the plat
form. One wild enthusiast declared
he was the greatest living Ameri-
can OF this age or any agel" As
George AIDE remarked. "The oratory
came down In Niagaras'
had night with a man from
Ohio who sat behind me; he ended
by patting me, saying bcnignantly
that he intended now to vote for
suffrage, and then he subsidized.
There was a suffragist among the
delegates. by the way, and IL hap
pened that her name also was
Isabel
Thursday I was not able to at.
tend the convention. But echoes OF
the excitement now at high pitch.
reached me. A band carrying T. RS
picture aloft played a funeral dirge
through the streets II was said
that New York would not stand for
Hughes. but some hoped II would.
as there was so little enthusiasm
for Taft.
tcopyrisht Ho.shtsr. Mn1fn OIL
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