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I40 LAW AND LOCAL POLITICS
own state and of my interest in Republican success, I was extremely anxious that there be no such split as he seemed to forecast.
As we all know, the break which resulted in the actual formation of the third party came during the Republican National Convention in Chicago in June 191 2. The two issues involved were, of course, Taft and Roosevelt. The idea had been growing rapidly for several days that an injustice was being done to those favoring the colonel by the so-called ''steamroller" tactics of the National Committee. The fact that Taft was nominated on the first ballot by no means indicated the harmony that one would expect. The men who were fighting for both the leading candidates knew no bounds of loyalty to either. But, sitting through that convention, I went through some bitter hours as I realized what was happening. I had known since January that we were in for a fight when Ed Lee, chairman of the Indiana State Republican Central Committee, came out for Roosevelt. I was chairman of the Second District Convention, which had endorsed Taft's administration and renomination. Furthermore, I had been elected vice-chairman of the State Committee when Fred Sims was elected chairman to succeed Lee. The minute Roosevelt threw his hat in the ring we knew that the National Convention was headed for a bitter contest.
Both as district chairman and state vice-chairman, my own position was clear: unless I resigned these two offices I could take no side in the matter of candidates, for I fully agreed with the state organization that its function was to elect the party nominees and not to nominate men for office. We were working for party success and not promoting a particular personality, whether for road supervisor or President, no matter who it might be. We were well aware that all our strength would be needed to put any nominee in office, even under the normal competition of the two-party system. We hesitated even to think of the weakening that a third party would cause.
At our State Convention in March 191 2 the Taft forces had a strong majority. In my own Second District, delegates named to the National Convention were not instructed, but the fact that the Roosevelt ticket was defeated proved the current Taft sentiment.
And so things went until the eve of the Chicago convention. Then the air was filled with bitter disputes over rival Taft or Roosevelt delegations which sought to be seated. Practically every contest was decided in favor of Taft, so that his nomination was all but fore-ordained. The complete lack of harmony in the convention was tragically evidenced by the fact that after announcement of the decisive vote, 344 deeply disappointed Roosevelt supporters bolted the convention in the Coliseum, proceeded to Orchestra Hall, formed the Progressive party, and nominated Theodore Roosevelt as their standard-bearer. In the light of the facts, there can be no question that these supporters felt that a great