REPUBLICAN NEWS-ITEM
Published by C. K DAI'BERMAX, Lessee
LAPORTE PA.
Cheer up once more. Soon will come
the freckle harvest
The fool who rocks the boat kills
more than the icebergs do.
What's the proper Scotch word for
the blowing up of a golf bail?
If every day were Sunday, think of
all the money there would be in base
ball.
The political bosses are faring
•worse this year than even the um
pires.
Stfll. before frying an egg by wire
less it is of course necessary to catch
the egg.
The unslnkable boat and the aero
plane that will not fall are still to be
achieved.
The sleeping porch i*" located first
nowadays and then a house is built
around it.
New York has a society burglar,
which shows how easy it is to break
into society.
Washington is a city of magnificent
distances. Also it is magnificently
distant for many an aspiring states
man.
New York now has a special force of
policemen to guard shoppers, but even
that w". not prevent bargain counter
rushes.
A woman in Philadelphia was lately
convicted of being a common scold.
But why single out a single poor
woman?
News of an elopement of ft yonng
school girl in Atlantic City corrobo
rates the report that mariage Is still
prevalent.
The meanest husband has been dis
covered In New York. He wanted his
wife's alimony cut down because she
had gone to work.
Tarring and feathering anarchists
is not the best way to demonstrate
that all the fools and misguided peo
ple are anarchists.
Stuffed humming birds are now up
against potted English sparrows.. Ev
erybody is invited to eat sparrows,
the more the better.
Now it is a German aviator to be
tilled. At the present rate there '•£
no danger of accumulalirg a surplus
population of airmen.
Maybe the iceman will come down
from his lofty perch when he hears
that a machine has been invented for
making ice In the home.
One of the beauties of the sleeping
porch at this time of the year is that
one can enjoy a shower bath without
arising from one's couch.
A rich California girl has Just brok
en her engagement with a European
nobleman. This is infinitely better
than repenting at leisure.
England planted its first settlement
in this country 305 years ago, but to
day American millionaires are making
settlements on the English.
An eastern housewife has discov
ered a way to make jam out of spin
ach. Perhaps she'll make shredded
wheat out of sideburns next.
A Philadelphia man has gone to
Brazil to take moving pictures of the
boa constrictor. Imagine asking a boa
constrictor to look pleasant!
Two brothers have been brought to
gether, after many years of separation,
by means of a tattoo mark—which is
the only excuse for tattooing.
With baseball and presidential cam
paigns going on simultaneously, con
gress is one of the dullest institutions
on this justly celebrated earth.
Boston is to try using a "jointed
snake" car on its crooked streets,
showing that the Hub's versatility is
equa- to its classic picturesqueness.
A machine has been perfected by
which the three dollar investor draws
out five dollars. It's a fine machine,
but the inventor has been arrested.
Cornell scientists put radium, wire
less, the telephone and antitoxins
among the seven modern wonders of
the world. But why overlook the
kitchenette?
Some Chicago bachelors would like
to adopt sons, but object to wives. This
shows to what depth of desperation
the prevailing styles of feminine garb
will drive particular men.
It is a wise man who urges his
friends to move into the suburbs; for
then he may visit them and enjoy all
the pleasures and delights of suburban
life without any expense other than
car fare.
A Pittsburgh woman has a dog
which swallowed lately n half-dollar
and later on, probably stimulated by
this taste of wealth, swallowed a S4OO
diamond ring. As the owner of this
dog of luxurious diet is not on the
stage, it seems a great W'aste of busi
ness possibilities.
REPUBLICAN HOSTS THRONG
THE CONVENTION CITY
Lines Tightened at Chicago When It Became Apparent
That the Race Between Taft and Roosevelt
Was Neck and Neck.
STRONG COMPROMISE TALK IS HEARD ON ALL SIDES
Chicago.—Theodore Roosevelt's in
vasion of Chicago bore fruit the first
day; first, there were a half dozen
short conferences between Itoosevelt
and his leaders, and then things began
to drop. Flinn saw the Colonel first.
Then came Dixon. Moore of Pitts
burgh made the next entry. Beveridge
followed, and then, like a clap of thun
der, came the announcement of a
break in the Southern delegates from
the Taft ranks. CJeorgia flopped first,
with five and "more to come!" Then
Mississippi put five over the plate.
When this news was digested the Col
onel said he was ready to see newspa
per men.
Theodore RoosA - elt chaacterized as
"nonsense" reports that the Roosevelt
men would bolt the Republican Na
tional Convention if they were unable
to overturn tho decisions of the na
tional committee on Texas, Washing
ton and other contests by action of the
committee on credentials or appeal to
the convention itself.
Out of a chaos of claims and counter
claims, reports of a "break" to Roose
velt from the Taft ranks and a declara
tion by the Taft managers that Colon
el Roosevelt's attempts to "steal"
their delegates had met with failure,
there came the frank statement by
Roosevelt leaders that regardless of
what the final round-up of delegates
may show Colonel Roosevelt will
leave Chicago a nominee.
Disquieting stories which found
their way to the committee on ar
rangements for the convention led to
representatives calling on Mayor Car
ter Harrison to seek the strongest de
tail of police possible during the con
vention days.
There have been innumerable ru
mors, for some of which the campaign
managers were responsible, or more
or less to be attributed to one enthusi
astic Roosevelt man that fifty-six Taft
delegates had swung over to the col
onel, but on investigation it was found
that what Senator Dixon had told this
enthusiast was that "five or six" dele
gates had swung over.
When Elihu Root was selected by
the Republican leaders as their choice
for chairman of the convention it was
with )he expectation, on life part 01
Mr. Barnes at ieast, thai possibly
there might be a deadlock in the con
vention and Presidential lightning
would strike Mr. Root.
Representative Sereno E. Payne of
Auburn, N. Y., delegate to the conven
tion from thu Thirty-sixth Congress
district, speaking of the general situa
tion. said:
"This situation is different from any
that has ever appeared in a Republi
can convention. A fight is to be ex
pected on the contested election cases
on the floor of the convention and that
will take up a lot of time, and there
will be more debate than ever before
on such matters. There is liable to
be a hot tight on these cases, and also
on the report of the committee on re
solutions.
"There will be, of course, a minority
report of that committee, on which a
GOVERNOR STUBBS
V. £' J* J
fight will be made. So you see 1 don't
look for balloting until t » t is ended."
Observant people at iue Congress
hotel were amazed when they saw
Victor Rosewater, who presided over
the lively deliberations of the national
committee, and who lost no opportuni
ty to smite Roosevelt delegates over
the head, emerge from the rooms of
the Colonel.
Colonel Roosevelt has spent his time
sending for men whom he believed
susceptible to a personal appeal and
seeking to persuade them that the in
terests of the great common people de
pend on his nomination and election.
I Both campaign managers issued
• various statements, each claiming
everything in sight, and most of which
will probably be taken with some de
gree of allowance.
i Following the example of the mem
bers of the Roosevelt family, who
came to Chicago to see the show, the
two Taft boys, Henry and Charlie, ar
rived and took up quarters at the
Blackstone. far from the madding
Roosevelt in the lobby of the Con-
I gress.
Charles Warren Fairbanks, who had
a lingering hope that the lightning
would hit the tallest man first, also
arrived and went to the Blackstone,
as did Nicholas Murray Butler, who
has come to line up the highbrows.
Senator Agnew, of New York, arriv
ed with a vest-pocket Hughes boom,
which he took out and exhibited to a
number of delegates.
With the arrival of Senator Root the
Taft Republicans turned their atten
tion to the framing of the platform.
Both the Taft and Roosevelt platform
drafts had been outlined, and both
were putin shape for submission to
the committee on resolutions on short
notice. Most of the work on the
Roosevelt declarations was completed
prior to Mr. Roosevelt's arrival in Chi
cago, while the formal meeting over
the Taft pronouncement was held in
Senator Crane's rooms.
DISCUSSING PLANS AND PROSPECTS
()ur photograph shows Congressman \V. Is. McKinley manager of Presi
dent Taft's campaign, conferring wiih Charles B.Hilles, secretary to the
president, who went to Chicago to take part in managing the contests before
the national committee.
The Taft meeting was attended by
Senators Root and Crane, Pr. Nicholas
Murray Hutler, Secretary Hilles, Rep
resentative McKinley, manager of the
Taft bureau; Representative Law
rence, of Massachusetts, and Mr.
Barnes, of New York.
The discussion involved for the most
part only the general policy to be fol
lowed in the party statement. The
Taft platform is brief. Attention is
centred generally upon the issues
raised by the present campaign. Tariff
revision, with the aid of a tariff com
mission, and a declaration upholding
the courts, are included.
Headed by "Dynamite Ed" Perry,
chairman, tho Oklahoma delegation
arrived. The delegates and their
friends traveled in three special trains.
More than six hundred are in the par
ty, and headed by a brass band, march
ed through the streets to their hotel,
waving Roosevelt banners and singing
a Roosevelt "houn" dawg" song.
The New Jersey delegation also
paraded behind a band when it ar
rived. It swung down the street sing
ing:
'• Rah! rah! 'rah! Who are we?
We are the delegates from New Jer
see.
Are we in it? Just you wait
Till we give Teddy twenty-eight
straight!"
The delegation came into town al
ready organized. Borden D. Whiting
was named for national committee
man, and as members of committees
the following were chosen:
Resolutions, George L. Record; cre
dentials, J. Boyd Avis; rules. James G.
Blauvelt. and permanent organizaticn,
William G. Lord.
The rival delegations from Massa
chusetts came in, and each opened
headquartiirs in the same hotel. The
Roosevelt half of the delegation held
a meeting in the evenirv with a pur
pose to "harmonize things" as to the
selection of members for the conven
tion committees.
Roosevelt delegates stated that
there would be no change in the com
plexion of the Massachusetts delega
tion as to support of the rival candi
dates.
The Connecticut Taft delegation of
fourteen arrived, bringing with them
nearly a hundred enthusiasts, includ
ing the alternates. Republican state
lenders and visitors to the"convention.
Governor Robert P. Bass of New
Hampshire, a supporter of Roosevelt,
accompanied the Taft delegation from
that state, which arrived in a special
car.
The Nevada delegation elected some
of its committeemen while en route,
and on arrival announced them as fol
lows:
Chairman, E. E .Roberta; platform
and resolutions, H. V. Moorehouse;
credentials, E. E. Roberts; national
committeeman, H. B. Maxon.
In addition to the La Follette forces
was the North Dakota delegation, a
solid ten votes, they say, for La Fol
lette from the first to the last ballot.
William Jennings Bryan was a centre
of attraction in the pre-convention
scene, and, although appearing at the
headquarters of leaders of a rival par
ly as a newspaper reporter, had a de
monstration from the throng of visi
tors and delegates.
Mr. Bryan had a personal chat with
Theodore Roosevelt, after he had talk
ed with Senator Dixon, the Rooseveit
campaign director, and Representative
McKinley, managing director of the
Taft bureau.
As he entered the hotel lobby, el
bowing his way through the crowd,
some one shouted, "Hurrah for
Bryan!" and the Nebraskan received
a demonstrative welcome. «
At a meeting of woman suffragists
resolutions were adopted that all wom
en in the six States which have equal
suffrage be advised to vote against
the party which shall not have a plank
in its platform favoring votes for
women. Fifty-two organizations were
represented, and the organizzation
was affected with Mrs. Harriet Tread
well as president.
I
ALL COMFORTS IN COLISEUM.
Convention Hall Contains a Hospital
and Police Headquarters.
I Chicago.—Near-by cities have been
called upon to send their most expert
i thief catchers here, and ten of them
j have responded. These men are al
, ready patroling the hotels, pushing
| their way through the crowds, and
watching the hotels where the outlaw
class would be likely to stop.
Around the convention hall was
stretched a rope, making a clear in
closure in front of the six entrances
to the Coliseum. After passing this
inclosure the bearers of tickets had
to undergo another scrutiny by the
door-keepers, who had an ample guard
of police to keep out those not entitled
to admission. A curious feature of the
situation is that Mayor Harrison re
ceived requests for police protection
from both the Taft and the Roosevelt
representatives. Each side admitted
possession of a great fear that the
other side had resolved to do some
desperate thing.
The task of physical preparation for
the convention was finished on time
by the hundreds of carpenters, arti
sans, and executives in whose hands
! the Chicago Coliseum had been for
more than a month. Monday morning
there assembled at the building the
scores of ushers, messengers, pages,
doorkeepers, and assistant Sergeants
at Arm to receive the necessary'train-
I ing and instruction in their important
duties.
A complete inner structure had
been reared within the Coliseum and
; its adjoining annex and anteroom.
|j WILLIAM FLINN
SI
Every chair of the 11,188 to accommo
date the delegates, alternates, candi
dates, correspondents, and the few
favored private citizens was number
ed. The hall is draped with colors.
Harry S. New of Indianapolis, Wil
liam F. Stone of Baltimore, and Ed
win Thayer of Indianapolis are the
men who hnve directed the activity
during the weeks just past. As Chair
man of the Sub-Committee on Ar
rangements, all business has passed
through Col. New's hands.
As Sergeant at Arms. Mr. Stone has
been the directing force in the or
ganization of the motive power that
handle the delegates and the public.
Col. Thayer as chief assistant Ser
geant at Arms, is charged with the
task of running things.
Back of the Coliseum hall, in the
GOVERNOR HADLEY
basement -f the annex, were the
scores of telegraph instruments. Two
telephone exchanges were installed on
the main floor of the annex; a tempor
ary hospital, with a full surgical equip
ment, was constructed within easy
reach of the convention auditorium,
and police headquarters was opened
iu the rear of the hall.
On Monday there were three gath
erings of convention crews for instruc
tion and drill. The ushers met with
William B. Austin of Chicago, Presi- !
dent of the Hamilton Club and chief
usher for convention week. The dep
uty Sergeants at Arms, pages, and
messengers, numbering several hun
dred more, met with Col. Thayer to
learn their stations, duties, and pow
ers of control over the audience. At
an uptown hotel at the same time, La- |
fayette F. Gleason of New York, met '
tli' l secretaries, reaOing
clerks, and tally clerks to instruct l
them in their duties and apportion the \
work for the week.
Iron girders have been used to
strengthen the floors and galleries of
the Coliseum so that in case of a real
stampede the old structure will be
able to withstand the strain. It is evi
dent. both from the manner in which
the Coliseum's ancient timbers are be
ing strengthen *d and the precautions
to police the meeting place, that noth
MRS. W. E. BORAH
i.ig short of an uproar is
during the convention.
I Requests were made for many more
| police than it was originally intended
jto assign to the Coliseum. The Na
tional Committee also arranged for
the appointment of many sergAnts
at-arms. These were selected entirely
with au eye to the physical propor
tions and prowess of the individuals
assigned to "fixed posts" throughout
the meeting place. In former years,
persons not fortunate enough to ob
tain tickets for the convention were
passed in on sergeant-at-arms badges.
This policy has been abandoned now
and there is expected to be real need
for "two-fisted men" ns one of the
1 aft managers expressed It.
The threats of the third term men
to force the Presidential electors to
' vote for the third term candidate, even
if Mr. Taft Is renominated, are being
reiterated.
ROItiVELT GETS
WILD WELCOME
Colonel's Spectacular Arrival
Causes Excitement in Ch cage.
HOT SPEECH FROM BALCONY
Tells Crcwd in Street That the Rob
bers Won't Win—Meets Mob in
Station —Police Swept Off
their Feet by Throng.
Chicago.—Four thousand persons
Jammed the LaSalle Street Station
when Roosevelt's train plowed into
the shed. Despite the boulder on the
track near Tarrytown, which delayed
his train an hour, Roosevelt luck held
good and the train pulled in one minute
ahead of time. As the Colonel, wear
ing his new fighting hat, a cc%promi6o
between the sombrero and a rough
rider's headgear, appeared, he was
cheered by the crowd of his support
ers and admirers. The hat was in the
air throughout the automobile ride
from the station to the Congress Ho
tel. Alexander Revell, Roosevelt cam
paign worker, was the first to shake
the Colonel s hand. Then Sei.'ator
Dixon, Roosevelt manager, was given
a double handshake by his chief, and
they walked down the trainslied arm
in arm, guarded in front and rear by
squads of police.
Mrs. Roosevelt was lost in the shuf
fle at the station. Wlie became separ
ated from the main party, escorted
only by former Governor Po.st, of l'or
to Rico. They secured the last of the
automobiles and went up a back street
to the hotel.
Colonel Roosevelt appeared to be in
fine fettle and to thoroughly enjoy be
ing on the battle ground in person. It
was frankly acknowledged that long
distance telephoning and telegraphing
had tried the candidate's patience.
His reception here was all that he
could have desired. The streets from
the station to the hotel were lined
with people and many hundreds of the
more enthusiastic among the admirers
crowded about the automobile, making
progress both alow and dangerous to
the unheeding pedestrians. Colonel
Roosevelt stood up in his machine dur
ing the entire distance, waving his hat
and smiling in characteristic fashion
to the right and left.
The ex-President had not been in the
building 10 minutes before he deliver
ed a speech l'rom the balcony of the
hotel to the expectant thousands be
low him. One burst of applause after
another followed iiiu thitidis. lf»vsaid
again that he was leading the peojWf'o
fight and that the only hope of the
country lay in him.
"Theft won't win." That was the
burden of the address.
The speech lasted 10 or 15 minutes.
That was long enough to show the
candidate that the crowd was with
him, whoever the convention might be
for.
It was undoubtedly a triumphal en
try which the candidate made into the
convention city. .Just how the people
could have more emphatically express
ed their preference is hard to see.
With all the contests before the na
tional committee decided, the most
authoritative statements of the
strength of the candidates before the
balloting began, was as follows:
Taft, 547; Roosevelt, 479; La Toi
lette, 36; Cummins, 10; Hughes, 4;
Lincoln, 2.
The National Committee finished
with the contests involving the seats
of 254 delegates, giving 26 in Texas,
20 in Virginia. 14 in Washington and
2 in the District of Columbia to Taft
and 4 in Texas and 2 in North Caro- v
lina to Roosevelt. In all Taft got 234
delegates and Roosevelt 20.
The Roosevelt managers are con
ducting a vigorous campaign to swing
the sixty-six Southern negro delegates
who hold the balance of power from
Taft to the Colonel.
The greatest speakers of the negro
race are exerting all their powers of
eloquence at mass meetings in Roose
velt's behalf andthe Colonel is gaining
strength hourly.
Charles W. Anderson, colored, of
New York, internal revenue collector
is in Chicago working for Taft among
the negro delegates.
Taft's friends claimed 555 delegates
sure for the President. Conservative
Roosevelt men conceded 535 to Taft.
Advices received from Washington
say that Sherman is willing to accept
renomination as Vice President on the
Taft ticket.
In the event of the split of the col
ored delegates, the balance of power
is in the hauds of Robert M. La Kol
lette, who controls twenty-six votes
ifisolutely.
Ten delegates, five from Georgia
and five from Mississippi, flopped to
Roosevelt, making a difference of
twenty votes iu the estimates of ma
jorities.
Scores of delegations arrived in
special trains and streets and hotels
filled with excited throngs accom
panied by bands and quartets.
Governors of five states and repre
sentatives of eight others gave what
is considered a practical notice that
their organizations will bolt Taft.
William H. Hotchkiss, former Super
intendent of Insurance iu New York,
appeared in Chicago to boost the sen
timent for Justice Hughes.
Two women, the first to sit in na
tional political conventions, arrived
from California, clothed with full pow
er as delegates.