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Show ; TlNSIDE STORIES OF FAMOUS CONVENTIONS! 9 " Hy GIIjSOX GARDNER The Republican convention of 190S wa3 fixed for the nomination of Will-lam Will-lam Howard Taft. Roosevelt h.ad-flxed h.ad-flxed It. The- convention met to register this pre-determlnatlon. . Roosevelt had started the campaign cam-paign for Taft delegates six months before the convention met, and by the first of June the work was done The only doubt was among a few cynical politicians, who persisted it? disbelieving that Roosevelt meant what he said, and some members of Mr. Taft's family, who were openly skeptical up to the last minute. min-ute. ! The cynical politicians and the Taft relatives refused to believe that Roosevelt intendod to retire. How the convention was received by the Taft family is given by Joseph Jo-seph Eucklln Bishop, who was present. pres-ent. In a memorandum made at the time, he said: "1 remained with tho president till about 4 p. m., when 1 went to the War Department,, on personal invitation invi-tation of Secretary Taft. and was a admitted ad-mitted at once to his private office, in which he was sitting with his wife, daughter, younger son Charlie and a half dozen or more personal frionds. "Mrs. Taft Bat In her husband's chair at his desk in the center of the room, while he sat at one side in a group of friends. Bulletins were being received constantly from tho convention by telegraph and telephone. tele-phone. These were brought from the outer office by Charlie Taft and handed to his mother, who read them aloud. "Word soon came that the nora-natlng nora-natlng speeches had all been made, and the convention would proceed to ballot. There was a sigh of relief . from the little company, and a brief period of breathless eagerness followed. fol-lowed. "Then Charlie came In with a bulletin which ho handed to his mother. Her face went deathly white, and with visible effort, she read (I Quote from memory): 'A large portrait por-trait of Roosevelt had been displayed oil tho platform and the coriventlon has exploded.' "A silcnde as of death fell upon the room. Mrs. Taft 'sat white as marble and as motionless, Mr. Taft tapped with his fingers on the arm of his chair and whistled softly. "Charlie entered with another bulletin, which 'his mother read; 'A huge American flag with a Roosevelt Roose-velt portrait upon It Is bolng carried about tho hall, and the uproar continues con-tinues with Increased fury. "That awful sllenco continued for several minutes, which seemed endless, end-less, when again Charllo entered with a bulletin and which his mother, moth-er, almost leaping from her chair In , excltemont, read: 'Massachusetts gives 26 votes for Taft." ."Everybody was on his feet in a minute, asking, 'Why, how did tlvey get to Massachusetts?' Nobody could solve tho mystery, and it was not solved till the next day, when the reports of the convention proceedings pro-ceedings showed that Senator Lodgo. who was chairman, ordered tho roll-call roll-call to bogln In tho midst of tho uproar up-roar as the surest means of stopping the final effort for a Roosevelt stampede. stam-pede. "Quickly following tho Massachusetts Massachu-setts bulletin came others, and within with-in a few minutes the nomination was announced,, and Mr. and Mrs. Taft wer In the center of a swarm of congratulations. It is neodloss to add that MrH. Taft's faco had more than regained Its normal color. She was the personification of a proud and happy wife." |