PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 20 June 1912, Page 5

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

* THE CONVENTION AT CHICAGO.

ELECTING A CHAIRMAN. BT CABLE— PBBSB ASSOCIATION-f'OI'VB'UH . CHICAGO, June 19. The Convention was held in the Coliseum. Fourteen hundred people were present. The building has a floor area of two acres and a gallery of half an acre, and it was crowded. Police were stationed in every corner and every aisle. Forty members of the committee were on the platform, and a thousand journalists on either side. As each State delegation arrived, bearing huge banners and accompanied by bands, applause and yells of dissent drowned the music. Many Western delegates were provided with megaphones. Mr Roosevelt meanwhile was installed in his hotel 3 and a private telephone enabled him to personally com^ mand his forces at the Convention. Bishop McGavic, Catholic Bishop of Chicago, opened the proceedings with prayer, and the Assembly rose and re peated the Lord's prayer' Then Governor Hadley, standing on a chair, moved that the roll be amend-' ed by the removal of eighty names of latt s delegates, substituting those of Roosevelt, whom he claimed was really elected. He was constantly interrupted by shouting from the galleries. Mr Watson, Taft's floor leader, replied. Mr Rose-water, the chairman, rejected Mr Hadley's motion. There were renewed disturbances when the Taftites discovered that the Rooseveltites had transferred their support for the chairmanship from Governor McGovern, who was the nominee of La Fayette's party, to Elihu Root, the <ther nominee. A lone series of humorous speeches oh the merits of the rival candidates concluded by the delegates being called individually. The uproar was renewed as questionable vote was called. The count resulted: Root 558, Mc-Go'-prn 002. The election closer] amid a pandemonium of chep>-inn; and band-playing. Many left thnbuilding. Mr Root annealed to the Convention to postpone personal differences. He recited the achievements Taft's administration, particularly his trust prosecutions. The Convention then adjourned. The rKsnositi'on of the negro delegates continues doubtful.