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Show IlKIORfES OF FAMOUS CONVENTIONS"! Tho Chicago convention of 1912 Is the one convention in history most likely to servo as an example of what may happen at Chicago, between June S and Juno 13, 1020. This was the convention which staged the spectacular struggle between be-tween cx-Presldent Roosevelt and President Taft, tho former seeking the Republican nomination, the latter seeking to bo renominated for a second sec-ond term. It was tho convention which nominated Taft and "steam-rollered" Roosevelt, resulting In the hitter's bolt and tho- formation of the Progressive party, which, ' in the following election, elec-tion, polled 4,119,507 votes for Roosevelt, Roose-velt, as against 3.4S4.95C for Taft and 6,293,019 for Wilson. The convention of 1912 was fixed for Taft. The Republican national committee and tho Jlttlc group In control con-trol of the party machinery were for Taft. They were known as the "old guard." Tho delegates, chosen by presidential primaries, which woro tried out for the first time ln this contest, were for Roosevelt. According to a poll made by the New York Tribune, a Taft organ. Roosevelt had. when tho convention met (Instructed and pledged), 469 1-2 votes. Taft had. similarly committed, 454 1-2 votes. The total number of delegates were 107S. Xecesjary to a choice, 640. ' Roosevelt had about 30 votes to spare. But the national committee, acting through Boles Penrose, W. Murray Crane. William Barnes, Victor Rose-water. Rose-water. Archie Stevenson and others, announced contests on sevoral hundred hun-dred delegates and threw out ull tho Roosevelt delegates except six. Taft was given 233 of the contested dele- Thoro was no prctonsc of Judging the contests on their merits. The hearings hear-ings wero behind closed doors, and the results were prc-dctofmlncd. Dave Mulvano of the national committee, com-mittee, a friend of Taft, was nsked: "Whnt do you fellows Intend to do? You know you surely can't elect TafL To which Mulvanc responded! "Wo can't elect Taft, but wc aro going to hold on to the organization, and. when we get back four years from now, wo, will have It and not thoso d n Insurgents." j In his history of presidential nominations nom-inations and elections. Joseph B. Bishop says this about tho convention: "Until tho convention of 1912, prudent pru-dent regard for popular opinion led them (the party bosses) to exerclso their power as unostentatiously as possible, but tho Republican dossck ut Chicago. In 1912, threw off ull attompt at conconlment or disguise and assumed openly that the convention conven-tion had boon called together for tho purpose merely of registering their will and not tho will of tho people who had chosen the delegates. "The perfection to whfyh years ofj expert manipulation hadjbrought ihoi convention machinery made It easy for them to accomplish their purposes and cite party law and precedent for overy arrogant and arbitrary act, as they could also bo cited against evory such act. What they did, thor wero able to make a plausible claim to strict 'regularity.' " Tho 74 Relegates whose scats wero contested were permitted to vote on tho selection of temporary chairman chair-man (Ellhu Root), and this put tho Taft strength at 55$ to 501 for Roosevelt. Roose-velt. From the moment the contested delegates were allowed to voto on tho organization of the convention, It was decided In Roosevelt's mind that he would bolt. All also was a matter of ways and means. The writer was In Chicago Avatching erents for Roosevelt. After tho first sessions of the national committees for hearing contests, he wired Oyster Bay: "They Intend to count you out. If you hope to savo tho situation you had better come to Chicago." Roosevolt started on the next train. After various conferences It was dccldod that tho Roosevelt dolegatcs should refuse to vote or take any part In the convention. Thus, It hap-ponod hap-ponod that on the final roll-call Taft received 5G1: Roosevelt, 107; La Fol-lette. Fol-lette. 41; Cummins, 17; Hughes, 2, I while thoso present and not voting were 3 ID. Within 4 8 hours another convention was held at Music Hall, "where stops were taken to organize the "bolt" Into a new party. In the Republican convention of 1920 tho machine control Is represented repre-sented by . tho candidacies of Wood, Lowdcn. Harding and the rest, with Senator Hiram Johnson, ex-Progrcs-slve, tho favorite of the primaries, and almost threatening the same kind of action taken In 1912 by RoosevelL |