The memoirs of Will H. Hays (1955)

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1 04 LAWANDLOCALPOLITICS instead of by merely the election of a Republican president." This question took on special significance because of our belief, based on pre-election estimates, that the government would remain Democratic if Indiana were lost. Our confidence in Fairbanks had been confirmed when Bull Moosers and Republicans at home agreed on him without a shade of difference in their enthusiasm. We naturally felt that if we had found a candidate so successful in healing the political breach in Indiana, his appeal would bring about the same effect elsewhere. Certainly confidence and enthusiasm pervaded Fairbanks' headquarters. We felt we had something so good that we wanted everybody else to share it. Any familiarity with national conventions proves that this feeling is shared by many states. There were almost a score of reasonably strong prospects for the nomination, and ten names were put before the convention. It is simple history now that Charles Evans Hughes was nominated on the third ballot, with Fairbanks named as his vice-presidential running mate. Though he was not completely pleased, the vice-presidential nomination was a real honor for Fairbanks, for the party, and for Indiana. It had been spontaneous and would have been impossible to stop. Here, once more, in accepting, Fairbanks was motivated by a sense of loyalty to the party. Judged by developments in 1920, it was significant that Senator Harding was made both temporary and permanent chairman of the convention. His popularity on this occasion was certainly a definite factor in his nomination four years later, when I was serving as national chairman. An unsuccessful attempt was made by the Progressive party, simultaneously in Chicago, to get together with us on a nominee. A strong joint committee was appointed to seek a presidential candidate on whom we could both agree, but no agreement was found. It was reported that Colonel Roosevelt made that peace parley possible, though it was unsuccessful. When the colonel refused to run, the Progressive ticket ceased to exist. As far as our action was concerned, the Progressives were apparently not too pleased with the nomination of Charles Evans Hughes. One unusual aspect of the Indiana delegation to the Republican convention was that it had been Fred Sims's humorous idea to increase it to thirty-one members— the thirty-first delegate being Will H. Hays, Jr., then six months old. As to this "mascot delegate," one newspaper report stated: "The youngster was not present to express his appreciation of the most unusual distinction ever accorded an Indiana Republican who had not been a regularly elected delegate to the National Convention." Continuing the by-play, the Sullivan Elks later had a little fun