The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-06-19

convention itself, issued instructions
from behind the scenes releasing his
instructed delegates. Senator Hard.
ing also was in the rear of the Coli
scum platform during the voting.
Almost as soon as the alphabetical
call of states began after the recess
the ground swell for Harding demon
strated that it could not be forestalled.
Connecticut, when its name was call.
ed, took thirteen of her fourteen votes
from LoWden and gave them to Hard
ing. In Florida he got seven from
Wood, and then Kentucky, almost
from the first a solid Lowden state,
Topped completely into the Harding
column.
Amid scenes of rising enthusiasm
other blocks of Lowden delegates fol-
lowed suit, while many of the routed
Wood supporters also went into the
Harding camp. BY the end OF the roll
call Senator Harding had rolled up
total of 374, putting him far into the
lead and several score of votes nearer
the nomination than any candidate
had been before.
LowdeE at tie end Of the ninth had
only 121 votes left out of the BOT with
which he ended the eighth and Gen.
eral Woods strength had fallen from
299 on the eighth to 249 on the ninth.
Johnson dropped from 81 to 81.
AS the tenth roll call began dele
gates quit LoWden. Wood and Johnson
right and left and state after state an
nounces accession to the Harding
standard. 1t was reserved for Penn
sylvania to add the browning touch
of enthusiasm. When the Keystone
State was reached the Ohio senator
needed 81 votes to nominate him and
Pennsylvania gave him CO.
1t was Governor Sproul himself, the
candidate of his state on every pre-
ceding ballot and mentioned many
times as possible dark horse 70
break the deadlock, who Gun0unced
the big Pennsylvania vote for lard.
ing
Entering the Coliseum floor for the
first time since the balloting began,
he made his way to the Pennsylvania
standard and, amid cheers, released
the delegation from longer supporting
him. Then he took a poll, got the
floor and threw in the winning Hard
ing votes.
When it was seen that a candidate
had been nominated the customary
changing of votes began with a half
dozen who had voted for other candi-
dates, switching over so as to appear
in the winning column on the last bal
lot. Most of Illinois deserted its gov
ernor and many of the Wood men,
too, asked to have their votes recorded
for Harding.
The final check-up showed 692 for
Harding, with only IL left supporting
Lowden, 157 for Wood and 80 for John
son. At their best, earlier in the day,
the Wood people had mustered 312
votes and the Lowden forces 311.
Johnson's high point was 14S, record
ed on the third ballot Friday.
A motion to make the nomination
unanimous was passed IN great Choir.
us of approval, but when opportunity
was given for negative votes there
were some noes" from Wisconsin,
whose delegation throughout, the had
had voted almost solidly for Senator
Robert M. LaFollette.
The plan to nominate Senator Len
root for the vice presidency had the
backing of many of the men who had
helped put Harding over. The name
of Governor Coolidge stirred the dele
gates and galleries to repeated cheer
| ing and he was swept into the second
place on the ticket before the first
roll call had gone two-thirds of its
length. Again it was Pennsylvania
which furnished the winning votes.
Governor Coolidge got STA votes to
146 for Senator Lenroot and 68 for
Governor Allen of Kansas. Several
others got scattering support without
being formally in nomination. The re-
suit was greeted with another demon
stration and there was renewed cheer.
ing few minutes later when the tired
delegates were told that their work
was done. 1t was early evening by
the time adjournment was reached,
but befire midnight hundreds had
checked out and were on their way.
There was no official total of the
final ballot. Near the close Of the bal.
lot there was q wholesale switching
Of votes to the Harding camp and then
motion to make 1t unanimous. This
motion failed because of the opposi-
ton Of the Wisconsin delegation.
L Something About Harding.
Warren G.. Harding has always been
resident of Ohio, which state he has
represented as United States senator
since 1914. In private business life
he is publisher OF the Marion, Ohio,
Star.
He was born on a farm, near the vii.
lage of Blooming Grove, Morrow
County, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1855, the eldest
of eight children. His father, George
T. Harding, was a country doctor
whose forbears came from Scotland.
Before going to Ohio the Hardings
were residents of Pennsylvania, where
some of them were massacred by In
dians. Others fought in the revolu-
tionary war. The mother Of Warren,
Mrs. Phoebe Dickerson, was desceded
from an oldtime Holland Dutch fam
lily, the Van Kinks.
In his youth Warren Harding lived
the life of a farmer boy attending the
village school until IA years Of age,
when he entered Ohio Central College
of Iberia, from which he was gradual.
ed. AS editor of the college paper he
first displayed talent for journalism.
He was obliged to stop school now
and then and earn the money with
which to pursue his college course. At
one time he cut corn, at another
painted barns and still another drove
a team and helped to grade the road
bed ola new railway. At II he taught
L 4 A. n