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nd 5 persons did not vote。 Senator Root； therefore； won his election by 38 votes over the combined opposition； but his plurality was secured by the votes of the 72 whose seats were contested。
During the three following days the Roosevelt men fought desperately to secure what they believed to be justice。 They challenged every delegate； they demanded a roll…call on the slightest excuse； they deluged the Regulars with alternate showers of sarcasm and anger。 But it availed them nothing。 They soon perceived that victory lay with the Republican National Committee； which had the organization of the Convention and the framing of the rules of procedure。 The Taft people； the Regulars； controlled the National Committee； and they knew that the rules would do the rest； especially since； the Chairman of the Convention； Senator Root； was the interpreter of the rules。
At no other National Convention in American history did a Chairman keep his head and his temper so admirably as did Mr。 Root on this occasion。 His intellect； burning with a cold； white light；illumined every point； but betrayed no heat of passion。 He applied the rules as impartially as if they were theorems of algebra。 Time after time the Rooseveltians protested against the holders of contested seats to vote； but he was unmoved because the rule prescribed that the person had a right to vote。 When the contests were taken up； the Taft men always won； the Roosevelt men always lost。 The Machine went as if by clock…work or like the guillotine。 More than once some Rooseveltian leader； like Governor Hadley； stung by a particularly shocking display of overbearing injustice； taunted the majority with shouts of 〃Robbers〃 and 〃Theft。〃 Roars of passion swept through the hall。 The derision of the minority was countered by the majority with equal vigor； but the majority did not always feel； in spite of its truculent manner； confident of the outcome。
By what now seems shameless theft； the Credentials Committee approved the seating of two Taft delegates from California； in spite of the fact that the proper officials of that State had certified that its twenty…six delegates were all for Roosevelt； and had been elected by a majority of 76；000 votes。 Chairman Root put the question to the Convention； however； and those two discredited delegates were admitted for Taft by a vote of 542 to 529。 This indicates how close the Convention then stood； when a change of seven votes would have given Roosevelt a majority of one and have added to his list the two California delegates who were counted out。 Had such a change taken place； those who watched the Convention believed there would have been a 〃landslide〃 to Roosevelt。 But the Republican Committee's sorely tested rules held。 After that； the Rooseveltians saw no gleam of hope。
On Saturday； June 22d； the list of delegates to the Convention having been drawn up as the Republican Machine intended； Mr。 Taft was nominated by a vote of 561； Roosevelt received 107； La Follette 41； Cummins 17； Hughes 2； 344 delegates did not vote。 The last were all Roosevelt men； but they had been requested by Roosevelt to refuse to vote。 Through Mr。 Henry J。 Allen； of Kansas； he sent this message：
'The Convention has now declined to purge the roll of the fraudulent delegates placed thereon by the defunct National Committee； and the majority which thus endorsed fraud was made a majority only because it included the fraudulent delegates themselves； who all sat as judges on one another's cases。 If these fraudulent votes had not thus been cast and counted the Convention would have been purged of their presence。 This action makes the Convention in no proper sense any longer a Republican Convention representing the real Republican Party。 Therefore； I hope the men elected as Roosevelt delegates will now decline to vote on any matter before the Convention。 I do not release any delegate from his honorable obligation to vote for me if he votes at all； but under the actual conditions I hope that he will not vote at all。 The Convention as now composed has no claim to represent the voters of the Republican Party。 It represents nothing but successful fraud in overriding the will of the rank and file of the party。 Any man nominated by the Convention as now constituted would be merely the beneficiary of this successful fraud； it would be deeply discreditable to any man to accept the Convention's nomination under these circumstances； and any man thus accepting it would have no claim to the support of any Republican on party grounds； and would have forfeited the right to ask the support of any honest man of any party on moral grounds。'
Mr。 Allen concluded with these words of his own：
'We do not bolt。 We merely insist that you； not we； are making the record。 And we refuse to be bound by it。 We have pleaded with you ten days。 We have fought with you five days for a square deal。 We fight no more； we plead no longer。 We shall sit in protest and the people who sent us here shall judge us。
'Gentlemen； you accuse us of being radical。 Let me tell you that no radical in the ranks of radicalism ever did so radical a thing as to come to a National Convention of the great Republican Party and secure through fraud the nomination of a man whom they knew could not be elected。'*
* Fifteenth Republican National Convention （New York； 1912）； 333； 335。
Every night during that momentous week the Roosevelt delegates met in the Congress Hotel； talked over the day's proceedings； gave vent to their indignation； confirmed each other's resolution； and took a decision as to their future action。 The powerful Hiram Johnson； Governor of California； led them； and through his eloquence he persuaded all but 107 of them to stand by Roosevelt whether he were nominated by the Convention or not。
And this they did。 For when the vote for the nomination was taken at the Convention only 107 of the Roosevelt men cast their ballots。 They favored Roosevelt； but they were not prepared to quit the Republican Party。 During the roll…call the Roosevelt delegates from Massachusetts refused to vote。 Thereupon； Mr。 Root； the Chairman； ruled that they must vote； to which Frederick Fosdick replied； when his name was read again； 〃Present； and not voting。 I defy the Convention to make me vote for any man〃； and seventeen other Roosevelt delegates refrained。 Mr。 Root then called up the alternates of these abstainers and three of them recorded their votes for Taft； but there was such a demonstration against this ruling that Mr。 Root thought better of it and proceeded in it no farther。 Many of his Republican associates at the time thought this action high…handed and unjustified； and many more agree in this opinion today。
Except for this grave error； Mr。 Root's rulings were strictly according to the precedents and directions of the Republican National Committee； and we may believe that even he saw the sardonic humor of his unvarying application of them at the expense of the Rooseveltians。 Before the first day's session was over； the process was popularly called the 〃steam roller。〃 Late in the week； a delegate rose to a point of order； and on being recognized by the Chairman； he shouted that he wished to call the attention of