The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-06-24

an adjournment. A roll call was again
demanded, but the demand was ignored
and an aye and no vote called for.
Both sides in the controversy exerted
all their lung power in an effort to en-
force their will on the chairman, but
after conference of senate leaders
on the speakers stand, the chair ruled
an adjournment had been voted.
Back to the council rooms went the
leaders, and to these rooms were sum-
moned the men who were directing
the fights Of the candidates. Efforts
were made TO bring about some sort
of a compromise that would result in
a nomination on Saturday morning.
But threats, promises and appeals in
the interests of party harmony were
all in vain. The three candidates
Wood, Lowden and Johnson. who
were leaders in the voting, refused to
give place to any one on whom the
senatorial leaders could agree. They
wanted to let the delegates fight it
out on the floor of the convection and
continue the balIoting until the dele
gates had expressed their choice for
the first place on the ticket without
any influence being exerted on the
part of the party leaders, and tempo
rarily they won.
When the first 6ai10S was taken
at the session OF Saturday morning
it showed but little change from those
of Friday night. Through the first
four ballots of Saturday General Wood
and Governor LOwden were running
neck and neck and on one ballot were
4So1
Again there came a demand for adj
jOurnment and again the Wood and
Lowden forces combined to prevent it,
but without result. After another
consultation at the back of the
speakers stand between half a dozen
senatorial leaders the session was adj
jOurned despite the protests of large
part of the delegares.
Leaders Take Control.
Almost instantly there flashed
through the great building the rumor
that the leaders had decided on Sen
ator Harding as the man if they could
force his nomination, and they were
going to try.
Could they do it7 Did the leaders
control enough delegates to name the
leader of the party ticket? The gen.
eral verdict was that they could;
that the uninstructed delegates would
do their bidding. Senator johnson
and General Wood refused to release
their instructed delegates, and on the
ninth ballot the Illinois delegation
stayed with Governor Lowden, the
Pennsylvania delegation stayed with
Governor Sproul, and the New York
delegation continued to split among
several candidates. At the end of
that ballot Senator Harding lacked
120 votes Of enough TO nominate him
and it was thought for a time the
leaders were going to fail, until Gov
ernor Sproul was known to have re-
leased the Pennsylvania delegation to
Harding, and with that the effort
to climb into the Harding wagon
| started on the tenth and final ballot.
In the end all instructed delegations
were released, but many of them de
clined to change their last registered
vote, and the final ballot was an
nOunced as given at the head of this
account. All through the balloting d
Wisconsin delegates had perSiStently
registered their votes for Senator La
Toilette, and when, after the last bal
lot had been announced it was moved
to make the nomination unanimous
these "a delegates voted against the
motion.
It took but a short time to select
| Governor Harding's running mate.
Governor Coolidge. Senator Lenroot
/ of Wisconsin, Senator Gronna OF
North Dakota, Governor Allen of Kan
sas, and Colonel Anderson of Rich
mOnd, Va, were named as candidates
for the place There was but one
ballot. Governor Coolidge receiving
676 votes, and the ticket was COM
plete- The Republican convention OF
1920 was thing Of the past.
, Part Played by Women.
One of the features for which the
convention just closed will long be
remembered was the participation Of
the women. It is doubtful if they had
any decisive part in the actual naming
| Of the candidate, other than the few
who were present as delegates. But
women figured prominently on the min
or committees, and they figured prom
| inently in the oratorical efforts, and
very AUCu 10 lIS1T circuit. AT least
| one woman seconded the nomination
of each of the candidates for the NOM
ination for the presidency, and their
| speeches appealed to the audience be-
cause they were short and to the point
| Women were active as workers around
the headquarters of every candidate.
They gave out red, blue and green
feathers for General Wood, badges and
pennants for Governor Lowden, served
tea and cakes for Herbert Hoover, and
did something OF a like service for
each Of the candidates.
At General Woods headquarters
Mrs. Wood and her daughter had a
handshake and a gracious word for
every caller. but they refused at all
| times TO talk politics. On the other
hand the daughter of Nicholas Muir
ray Butler was the real manager Of
| her father campaign.
Herbert Hoover at no time showed
any strength in the balloting. For the
| first niue ballots his total vote was
from four TO six. and on the tenth bal