decided that, as a matter of courtesy, the other candidates ought
to be consulted and accordingly the hour for the convening of the
convention found the candidates for Governor assembling in the
Governor's private office in the armory building. All were pres-
ent except Mr. Deneen, who was represented by his campaign
manager, Roy O. \\'est. Colonel Warner was the only one who
at all objected to a recess. The uncertain condition of things
evidently had led him to believe that his own opportunity was near
at hand. Finally, however, he withdrew his objections and the
proposed recess was unanimously agreed upon. The candidates
then went out into the convention hall.
Aleanwhile the convention had been called to order by Chair-
man Cannon at 10:10, and as the candidates entered they found
the fifty-eighth ballot in progress. This ballot, which showed no
changes from the fifty-seventh except in the distribution of the
complimentary votes, resulted as follows :
Yates, 483; Lowden, 3921/2; Deneen, 385^; Hamlin, 113; Warner,
53 ; Sherman, 46 ; Pierce, 29.
When the result of the fifty-eighth ballot had been announced,
State Senator C. P. Gardner of La Salle arose and moved that
the convention take a recess until 2 o'clock p.m. on the 31st of
Alay. There were a few protesting shouts of " no, no." Chair-
man Cannon put the motion to a viva voce vote ; but the result
was so uncertain that after a moment's hesitation he said :
" The Chair is unable to decide. The clerk will call the roll."
The roll-call was commenced and as soon as the delegates
generally understood that a recess had been agreed upon by the
304 THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCK.
candidates the opposition disappeared and the motion for a recess
was carried by a vote of 1414 to 88.
At 10:50 the convention was declared in recess until May 31.
Delegates and spectators had commenced a noisy stampede for
the exits as soon as the roll-call had gotten well under way, and
when it was completed the hall was almost deserted. Delegates
exchanged good-bys and then hurried off to their trains, home-
ward-bound.
Thus ended the " first epoch," as the first part of the conven-
tion came to be called. The afternoon trains took all of the can-
didates out of town with the exception of the two who resided in
Springfield — Governor Yates and Attorney-General Hamlin.
Within three hours after the adjournment the Leland hotel — for
two weeks the scene of greatest activity — where the delegates
had daily gathered and jostled one another in the dense crowd —
where candidates and lieutenants had held scores of mysterious
conferences — the place that had been the chief news center of
the State and to a large extent of the entire country — was as
quiet and deserted as a country tavern.
DELEGATES HOMEWARD-BOUND.
As the delegates settled down on their trains that afternoon
on their homeward journey they pondered over the remarkable
character of the convention and guessed when and how it would
end. No such State Convention had ever been known before.
The actual sessions had covered eight days, and there had been
seven days of balloting ; and there was nobody who could see
that a nomination was any nearer then than it had been on the
first day, when Chairman Cannon had made the hopeful prophecy
that the convention would get through its work by midnight.
The convention had been remarkable, too, for the good feeling
which had existed between the delegates, between the rival fac-
tions, and between the candidates personally. The selection of
Speaker Cannon as chairman of the convention had been fortunate.
Had a bitter partisan been placed in the chair — one willing to
use the gavel to promote the interests of the candidate whose cause
he championed — it is impossible to say what might have hap-
pened. One may readily imagine that the convention proceedings
would have been storm\-, producing scenes more boisterous and
PART TWO: THE COXVENTIOX
305
wny IT li PAFA ArTc^ all:
BACK FROM THE SIEGE ON THE SANGAMON.
Cartoon by M. Alesliire. Reproduced from the Chicago Inter Ocean of May 2\.
20
306 THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCK.
sensational than any before witnessed in a similar assemblage.
Under such conditions, rioting" and bloodshed would have been
almost certain.
But the selection of Mr. Cannon for chairman gave everybody
the assurance of a " square deal." Whatever might be his prefer-
ence — and one of his pronounced character could hardly be
expected to be without an opinion or a preference — nobody
supposed for a moment that he would use his gavel to promote
or to defeat any possible candidacy ; and in this expectation there
was no disappointment. "Uncle Joe " wielded the gavel with
eminent fairness and impartiality. He made no ruling that was
not satisfactory to all of the candidates ; for it was sure to have
a solid foundation in equity and in that exalted common sense
which had distinguished the chairman throughout his long career.
The good feeling that had prevailed was thus described in a
newspaper dispatch, which appeared the day before the recess
was taken :
Throughout tlic long contest the best of good feeling has prevailed
among the candidates. Governor Yates and Attorney-General Hamlin
have met personally and exchanged good-natured repartee. Frank O.
Lowden is personally popular with delegates and candidates, and Mr.
Deneen, ex-Speaker Sherman, Mr. Hamlin and John H. Pierce frequently
meet in friendly conversation.
Colonel Lowden and James Pease were the center of a crowd this
afternoon in the rear of the convention hall during a tedious roll-call.
They talked politics, joked about the deadlock, and facetiously proposed
the names of three friends for new candidates.
" I have more friends and fewer delegates in your wards than in
any place in Chicago," said Lowden to Pease.
" And I have fewer friends and more delegates," added Pease.
" You're all right, Frank, but Fm with the other fellow."
" I favor you for a new candidate," said Lowden, as Pease turned
to go.
In the convention hall no quarrels or fights have occurred among the
delegates. They have pelted eacli (Hhcr with newspapers, thrown placards,
pie-plates and lunch-boxes at each other, and knocked off each other's hats,
but all in good temper. Occasionally a Deneen delegate has punched a
hole with his cane or umbrella in a Lowden picture, or torn down his
banner, but the ofifense was paid off by a return joke instead of a resort
to the prize ring.
Jokes have been played on members of the same delegation as freely
as wnth an opponent. A delegate in Kane county went to sleep to-day.
His neighbors covered his head with his overcoat and piled a bundle
of papers on it.
The Deneen people introduced a cow-bcll adjunct to their lungs and
a Lowden man purloined it.
All the jokes have been harmless, though, and were the result of
attempts to relieve the monotony of the long roll-calls.
" It is a friendly fight," said a Lowden follower this afternoon. " We
will be with the winner."
PART TWO: THE CONVENTIOX. 307
â– â– If Yates can't win, we are for Lowden or Deneen," said one of the
Governor's friends. '"But we are in the fight to stay, just the same."
It is agreed all around that the deadlock has not created any antag-
onisms that did not exist before the convention, and that none of the
unsuccessful competitors will sulk in liis tent during the campaign. —
Chicago Inter Ocean, JMay 19.
TALKING THINGS OVER.
The men who were last in leaving the convention hall that
morning were Judge Hanecy, Mr. Lorimer, A. Hanby Jones and
John J. Brown. After the delegates had gone and there remained
onlv the vacant seats, the clicking telegraph instrument and the
imaginary echoes of fifty-eight roll-calls, these four men sitting
together not far from the chairman's platform talked long and
earnestly. They represented two of the leading candidates —
Yates and Lowden. As they sat there. Governor Yates and a
number of his advisers were in conference in the Governor's
private office in the opposite end of the building. The little con-
ference on the convention floor lasted for perhaps forty minutes.
Then Jones and Brown joined the Yates conference; but they
carried with them but little light on the situation. They appeared
to be impressed with the belief that during the recess a desperate
effort would be made to get enough recruits to nominate Colonel
Lowden as soon as the convention reconvened on the 31st of May.
But between then and the 31st of May ten days must pass
and no one could foresee the possible developments. The prac-
tical question that first had to be met was, what would the candi-
dates do in the interim ? All of them with one exception decided
to devote their attention mainly to keeping their delegates
together, not neglecting, of course, to gain recruits wherever
possible. Governor Yates decided not only to do this much, but
he went farther and determined to make a short speech-making
campaign in Chicago.
Of course there was only a forlorn hope that he could accom-
plish anything there ; but he argued that he had nothing to lose
by a Chicago campaign, but on the other hand might gain some-
thing; and at any rate he would in a measure prepare Chicago
delegates for a possible alliance with one of the two Chicago
candidates that might result in the Governor's renomination.
Accordingly on ^Monday, Tuesday and AVednesday of the recess
week Governor Yates made speeches in Chicago, holding noon-day
308 THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCK.
meetings at Mc\'icker's Theater and speaking elsewhere in the
evening, covering each of the three general divisions of the city.
He found crowded houses everywhere and his audiences were
responsive, sympathetic and enthusiastic. In his speeches he
admitted that he was talking not so much to delegates, but to
those who had made the delegates ; it was his evident purpose to
create a friendly sentiment among the people, the constituents of
the delegates.
The possibility that the deadlock would continue for some
weeks was generally apparent. During the session of the conven-
tion on Friday morning, the 20th, Chairman Cannon had received
a telegram from Lewistown, signed by J. H. De Wolf, reading as
follow^s :
" By request of Hearst Democratic Club of Fulton county, I
have iDeen authorized to notify you to vacate convention hall by
June 14" — that being the date set for the Democratic State
Convention.
YATES, HAMLIN AND SHERMAN CONFER.
The recess brought only one definite attempt on the part of
candidates to get together in an alliance. Prior to that time
Governor Yates had had conferences at some time during the
deadlock with all of the candidates with the exception of Judge
Sherman. The campaign preceding the convention had made
two general divisions among the delegates — the " organization "
and the " anti-organization." In the latter were classed the
forces of Deneen, Hamlin and Sherman, and these three candi-
dates were more closely in touch with one another than any of
the others. They were in conference every day during the dead-
lock. They had cooperated with each other, and all of them
sometimes with Yates, in the convention procedings — on ques-
tions of adjournment and like matters. Every candidate, how-
ever, had proceeded with a view to promoting his own interests,
and the recess promised little in the way of promoting combina-
tions.
A new proposition was brought out, however, during the
recess week. Of the 1,502 delegates in the convention the
country — that is, the territory outside of Cook county — had a
trifle less than two-thirds. The greater part of the strength of
Deneen and Lowden was concentrated in Cook county. If, by
PART TWO: THE CONVENTION. 309
some means, the country vote could be consolidated and cast for
one man, that would mean the end of the deadlock. By this time
the relations between the candidates had become such and the
contest had reached such a stage that almost any combination
was possible.
Governor Yates took the initiative in an attempt to bring about
a country combination. On Wednesday, the 25th of May, he and
Judge Hamlin and Judge Sherman had a meeting at the Welling-
ton hotel in Chicago, at which they alone were present. The
question discussed was whether or not a successful combination
between them could be made. The combined Yates-Hamlin-
Sherman vote, as it had been disclosed on the balloting, was
about 650. It required 752 to nominate ; but it was argued that
if one 'of the three could secure as many as 650 votes the remain-
ing 102 would be readily forthcoming from other sources. The
great difficulty, however, was that no candidate felt in a position
to influence his entire force to vote for either of the other candi-
dates. Thus the scheme for- a " country alliance " fell through
and the three candidates returned to their homes to take up the
fight where they had left off.
LOWDEN PLANS FOR
A STAMPEDE TO HIS
BAND WAGON TODAY
His Leaders Expect to Win a Number of
Southern Counties from Yates, Besides
Capturing \^otes of DeKalb, Kane, Will,
Fulton, and Grundy Delegates.
CLIMAX OF THEIR EFFORTS TO
BE RESERVED FOR TOMORROW
His Managers Do Missionar}^ Work Among Gov-
ernor's Supporters from Lower Pare of vState
and Assert They Meet with Success — They
Argue That "Organization Candidate'' Should
Be Nominated — They Fear, Though, That "Last
Ditch'-' Yates Men Mav Turn to Deencn.
By a St'aff Correspondent.
SPRINGFIELD, II!.. May 30.— Colonel Frank 0. Lou.len'.s friend.' are making arj Ag-
gressive campaign for their candidate here tonight. Thrir program i.s to swing ennugtt-
delegaLts lO him to .start a band wagon siani pede to him In the Republican state conven-
tion tomorrow or Wednesday.
The plan and hope of the I.owden m.'nagers is lo win a imniber of Yates delegates
In Ibe Eouthcru counties; to add lo them Ihe voles from counties which have divided
their vole, on previous ballots; to get l)e Kalb, Kane. Will, and possibly Fulton ard
Grundy counties, and to have ;lie support i,I L. Y. Sherman and his friends in the con-
vention.
How far this program can be carried out remains to be .seen^ It Is ndniii led that an at-
tcnipl will be made to force njaliers in the session of the convention tomorrow, althongli
It is claimed that Lowden will makemalerinl gains in the roll calls tomorrow afternoon.
But it is understood thai the climax in the I.owdeu effort is to be reserved for Wednesday.
Colonel Lowden, John C. Ames, Sol Bothc:i, C P. Hitch, William Lorimer, and
others of the Lowden managers have been here since ye.sterday. A nnmbt-r oC south-
ern Illinois men who have been voting for Yates arrived this afternoon. Among these
Ihe I.owden men did missionary work. Thu Yates men Were invited lo rooms where the
Lowdcii managers held torih or wefe interviewed in the hotel lobbies by the Lo>V(;ea
leadct^s.
A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE.
Reproduced from the Chicago Inter Ocean of May 31, 1904.
PART TWO: THE CONVENTION 311
CHAPTER XIV.
TUESDAY, MAY 31 — DEATH CASTS A SHADOW — LOWDEN
MEN AGGRESSIVE AND CONFIDENT
When the delegates returned to Springfield on ^Monday, May
30, nothing had developed that gave any positive assurance that
the end of the deadlock was near ; but the general feeling was
one of optimism. While nobody could advance any good reason
for such an opinion, except that " delegates were getting tired,"
or that " to further prolong the deadlock would hurt the party,"
the belief was quite general that the convention was entering
upon its last week. Many thought it would be all over the next
day, while others, with less audacity, named Thursday as the day
for the culmination of the contest. Stories of about the usual
number and variety were floating about the hotel — one of them
representing Yates and Lowden as having made an agreement to
unite upon a third man. But the events of the past three weeks
had made the delegates skeptical. Mere rumors, unless they
could be traced to some source fairly reliable, were received
dubiously. The day of the " dope " peddler and the " fake "
prophet was nearing its end.
The most noticeable feature of the situation on ^Monday, the
30th, was the aggressiveness of the Lowden campaign managers.
Colonel Lowden had returned to Springfield on Sunday, arriving
in advance of all the other candidates. All day Monday the
atmosphere was filled with the talk of the Lowden boomers.
Late in the afternoon a special train arrived from Chicago carry-
ing nearly five hundred Lowden delegates and shouters. They
made an imposing procession as, headed by a band, each man
carrying a flag bearing the name of the candidate, they marched
from the Illinois Central railroad station down Sixth street to the
Leland hotel. All evening the Lowden band paraded the streets
and strong-lunged men shouted for Lowden. A look over the
town gave one the impression that Lowden had captured it com-
pletely. Over across the street, opposite the Leland hotel, the
storeroom that had been occupied through the first part of the
312 THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCK.
convention by the Yates people as a sort of rendezvous and
general headquarters, was in the possession of the Lowden men,
and across its front was stretched a banner bearing the words
'â– Lowden Headquarters " in letters big enough to be read easily
half a mile away.
The air of confidence which was in evidence in the Lowden
camp was so strong that more or less uneasiness was felt by most
of the candidates. The general belief Monday night was that a
Lowden stampede would be attempted next day, though it might
• be postponed until a day or two later.
Two deaths that had occurred during the recess had given the
deadlock a touch of the tragic. Col. Robert B. Fort, of Lacon,
one of the candidates for Lieutenant-Governor, had died sud-
denly at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, on the morning of
Saturday, May 21. His death was due to pneumonia, said to
have been contracted during the fir^t days of the convention. A
week later, Arthur W. Pulver, General Attorney for the Chicago
& X'orth-Western Railway, died at his home in Chicago. His
malady also was pneumonia, and it was traced to the same source
— the convention. Before final adjournment, the convention, as
will appear later, adopted appropriate resolutions of respect aijd
condolence.
CONVENTION RESUMES BUSINESS.
The convention was to reconvene at 2 o'clock, Tuesday after-
noon, May 31, and shortly after i o'clock delegates and spectators
began assembling. Precisely at 2 o'clock the Lowden delegates,
who had marched over from the Leland hotel in a body, entered
the hall carrying flags. Governor Yates entered at 2 109 and was
received with cheers. It was evident, however, that the conven-
tion was without the life and vigor which had characterized its
earlier days.
At 2:13 Chairman Cannon called the convention to order, and
directed the secretary to read Rule 7 of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, which, among other things, prohibited smo-
king.
Chairman Cannon : Gentlemen, you have adopted that among other
rules. The Chair, during former sittings of the convention, did not see
that it was practicable to enforce the rule against smoking, and can not
do so now without the cooperation of the delegates composing this con-
PART TWO: THE CONVENTION.
313
To the DELEGATES
Col. Waincr's iioiiiination wouhl add
St I'd I Lit 1 1, not onlv \o \\w Slate I'ickcl. Imt to
(ho local lii-k('f> in cxcrv couiilv in the Slate.
This is iniportaiil. especial! v in the eio.>e eoim-
ties, and in tlie u'eneral i*e>ull. His points of
exeeHenee as a eaiuiidale sniiui'si themselves
jo yoii. Think ol iheinl
Hetm'nini»,' I'ront tlu^ >olenin services of
^leniorial Day. jei iis ?'es|)on(l to this last call
ol the li\ inii' and lionor this battlo-scarred vet-
eran, statesman and patriot, and lie will lead
us to certain victory. DELEGATIi
A WARNER HANDBILL.
THIS WAS DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE DELEGATES WHEN THE CONVENTION RECONVENED
MAY 31, AFTER THE ELEVEN-DAY RECESS.
314 THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCK.
vention ; and the Chair desires to know what the will of the convention
is. All those who are in favor of the enforcement of that rule literally,
everywhere in the hall, during the sessions of the convention, will rise.
Practically all of the delegates rose to their feet. When the
negative vote was called for, only about half a dozen delegates
stood up.
Chairman Cannon : It is unanimous. There are not enough of you
opposed to call the yeas and nays. Now, the Chair desires to say that
he will instruct the sergeant-at-arms and his assistants, which includes all
of the assistants, both the police and the deputy sheriffs, when they dis-
cover any delegate smoking to request him to cease; and if he does
not cease, to report him to the Chair for the action of the convention.
And the Chair further instructs the -sergeant-at-arms that any individual
in this hall, not a delegate, who is found smoking, shall be admonished and,
if he does not cease, he shall be put out of the hall and kept out of the hall.
A delegate: How about chewing?
Chairman Cannon: The rule is silent on chewing. [Laughter.]
The Chair desires to say to the convention further that a request was
made of him about the time of the last adjournment of this convention
for a verification or exemplification of the minutes of the convention.
Under the rules, after such adjournment, on the reassembling of the
House of Representatives — and that also governs here — the minutes or
journal should be read, corrected if necessary, and approved. The
Chair asked the secretary to prepare the minutes, and is assured by the
secretary that tliey have been correctly prepared. The Chair has made a
hasty examination and is of the opinion that .tligy^have correctly recorded
the proceedings of this convention through ils'' Various sessions; and, if
there is no objection, without a reading, or with a reading if the conven-
tion desires, the minutes will be considered approved. The Chair hears
no objection. The last ballot failed to make a choice of a candidate for
Governor, and under the rules it is now in order to call the roll, and the
secretary will call the first county.
The roll was then called for the fifty-ninth ballot.
On the calling of the fifty-ninth ballot, when the county of
Bureau was reached, the vote was announced " 7 Lowden, 5
Deneen, i Hamlin, i Pierce." The vote was challenged. C. E.
Dalzell, of the Bureau delegation, said : " The gentleman who
challenges this vote is neither an alternate nor a delegate."
Chairman Cannon gaveled for order and asked : " Is there
anybody from Bureau that challenges the vote?" Mr. Dalzell
said : " The gentleman challenging the vote is neither a dele-
gate nor an alternate and has no right in this convention."
Chairman Cannon — Is there no other challenge? (No
reply.) Does the gentleman admit he is not a member of the
convention ?
The delegate who had challenged the vote, C. P. Lovejoy,
replied : " My name is on the list. I have the list signed by the
PART TWO: THE CONTENTION. 315
chairman and secretary of our county convention. I would like
to present it."
Chairman Cannon : The Chair will call for the roll. The Chair
will find out who is on the roll. What is the name of the gentleman that
challenges the vote?
" C. P. Lovejoy," was the answer.
Chairman Cannon : The Chair finds on the roll which was reported
from the Committee on Credentials and adopted by the convention, and
which is the official roll, and which alone is the guide to the Chair as
to the membership of the convention, the name, among others, of C. P.
Lovejoy. [Applause.] Is that the gentleman who challenges the vote?
]\Ir. Lovejoy: Yes, sir. I desire my one vote to be recorded for
Richard Yates.
Chairman Cannon: The gentleman will restrain his zeal and we will
proceed under the rules. The clerk will call the roll of the delegates
from Bureau county.
The secretary called the name of Henry Stamburger. The
response was " Lowden, one."
" Stamburger is not here," Mr. Dalzell interrupted ; " this is
his alternate, Air. Max."
" There are no alternates upon this roll," said Chairman
Cannon.
On the poll of the delegation, 3 delegates voted for Lowden,
3 for Deneen, i for Hamlin and i for Yates.
Chairman Cannon then said :
There are six absentees. The Bureau delegates present who have
answered to their names will proceed at once among themselves to deter-