Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-04
The Story Of Sixteen
G. o. P. Conventions
Fifteenth Convention
BY A. II. v-ANDENBERG

The fifteenth annual hePEo4.S1.
| Convention was the most turbulent,
Re mos ~spectacular. and the most
tragic of any on the list Early IN
| the year lines were tightly drawn
from coast TO coast between adher-
ents Of President Taft. seeking Q re-
nomination, and adherentS or Ineo-
! dore Roosevelt, seeking 10 prevent
this outcome The battle for dele
gates ragged violently in almost every
state. As a result. u otl.V'S seas
in the Convention. 254 were under
contest when the time came 10 make
the temporary Convention roll
The National Committee
IN Chicago June 6, 1912. and heard
these contests Until Jun Is. The bit
IterneSs displayed in these hearings
accentuaIed by the presence OF Rocse-
welt himself in Ch1cagO-clearly pro
phesied the ultimate breach which oc-
CURED a week later. And when the
National Committee assigned $50 OF
the 254 contested seats 10 Taft dele
gates. and only 10 10 Roosevelt, the
probability OF breach became a GER
tainty.
The Convention itself gathered IN
the Chicago Coliseum on Tuesday,
June IS. ls12-the 9th anniversary
OF the battle of Waterloo! The in
| !tial skirmish between the forces or
| the two chief political gladiators came
at once. The National Committee Of
fsred Elihu Root OF New York as
temporary chairman. The Roosevelt
forces nominated Governor Francis
E. McGovern of Wisconsin. After a
spectacular 5-hour battle, Root won
by a vote Of SIS TO 502, and five days
later was made permanent chairman
Of the Convention.
The next day, an attempt by the
Roosevelt forces 10 put upon the tenn
porary roll the names OF delegates
rejected by the National Committee,
was beaten by a vote of SEA to $40.
BY this time. the im~possibility of pac-
ihc union between the two ~contending
forces was so obvious that there was
much talk of effort to agree upon a
dark horse" and the names of Gov
ernor Hughes of New York and Gov
ernor Hadley of Missouri were freely
discussed. But the Convention was
destined to go to its bitter conclusion
along the lines originally drawn.
Two days were now consumed by
the Committee on Credentials listen
ling to arguments all over again in
connection with the 254 contested
iseats-with the same net result pre-
| viously recorded. But his time the
ftaIk of a Roosevelt bolt was open and
/ generally threatened. In the early
morning hours of June 20, Roosevelt
himself told his delegates mot to sub
NIT to a majority having no title in
law or morals" The Taft forces and
the National Committee, however-in-
sisted from first to last that they Were
strictly within their rights and equities
All of the preliminary skirmishing
was finally lone on Saturday morn
ling, June %, 1912. One of Roose-
lvelt's leaders rea O statement to the
Convention from Roosevelt himself,
fstating: II hope the men elected as
Roosevelt delegates will decline to
vote on any matter before the Con
Ivention."
Pursuant to this mandate further
fwar within the Convention itself SUBJ
[sided and the Conventions work was
lquickly finished. Mr.. Taft was re-
Nominated on a single ballot. He had
P561 votes-21 more than necessary to
nominate him. Roosevelt had 107
Senator Cummins of Iowa, II votes;
Senator LaFolette of Wisconsin. Al
Votes; Governor Hughes of New York
2 votes.
There were 344 delegates who fol-
lowed the Roosevelt instructions and
ibid not vote. Immediately thereafter.
Vice-President Sherman was renom-
mated on n single ballot. and the
Convention quickly adjourned.
That same night the Progressive
Party was born in the same city
Among the men prominent in 1926
Convention calculations who figured
} in h 1912 affair, are Senator Watson
of Indiana, who was convention foor
| manager for Taft; Senator Harding
lof Ohio. who made Taft's nominating
; speech; Governor Henry J.. Allen Of
7 kansas, who presented Roosevelt's
lhnal statement to the Convention ad
vising his delegates not to vote, and
; Senator Johnson OF California, VIII
was the head of the California dele
cation and active for Roosevelt iron
first to last, and who PROMINENT,
participated in the birth OF the new
parry.
Before the electoral college coul
meet. Vive-President Sherman daes
and the name of DIR. Nicholas Murra
Butler, President of Columbia Uni
versity of New York, was substitute
tby the National Committee. DIR. But
Ter also figures In 1920 prospects a
La possible recipient OF New York
preliminary convention votes.