t　both　of　us　were　very　old　personal　friends　of　the　Colonel；　and　for　five　hours　we　three　talked　with　the　utmost　frankness。　He　knew　that　he　could　trust　us；　and；　I　think；　he　planned　to　get　the　views　of　non…partisan　friends　before　announcing　his　final　decision。　Three　days　earlier；　at　Columbus；　Ohio；　he　gave　a　great　speech；　in　which　he　proclaimed　a　new　charter　for　Democracy　and　vigorously　advocated　the　Initiative；　Referendum；　and　Recall。　We　discussed　these　from　every　side；　he　got　the　Outlook　in　which　his　speech　was　printed　and　read　to　us　passages　which　he　thought　corrected　popular　misunderstanding　of　it。　When　I　objected　to　the　platform　in　general；　because　it　would　tend　to　destroy　representative　government　and　substitute　therefor　the　whims　of　the　populace　at　the　moment；　he　replied　that　we　had　no　representative　government。　〃I　can　name　forty…six　Senators；〃　he　said；　〃who　secured　their　seats　and　hold　them　by　the　favor　of　a　Wall　Street　magnate　and　his　associates；　in　all　parts　of　the　country。　Do　you　call　that　popular；　representative　government？〃　he　asked。
  The　evening　wore　on；　and　in　similar　fashion　he　parried　all　our　criticism。　We　urged　him　not　to　be　a　candidate；　because；　we　said；　we　thought　that　the　public　ought　to　be　reined　in　and　disciplined；　instead　of　being　encouraged　to　be　more　lawless　and　self…willed。　I　defended　our　judiciary　system　and　said　that　the　American　people　needed　most　of　all　to　be　taught　respect　for　the　Courts。　He　explained　that　his　Recall　of　Judicial　Decisions　did　not　mean；　as　the　Opposition　alleged；　the　Recall　of　Judges。　Then　we　urged　him；　for　the　sake　of　his　own　future；　not　to　engage　in　a　factional　strife　which　might　end　his　usefulness　to　the　country；　but　he　brushed　aside　every　argument　based　on　his　selfish　advantage。　〃I　wish；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃to　draw　into　one　dominant　stream　all　the　intelligent　and　patriotic　elements；　in　order　to　prepare　against　the　social　upheaval　which　will　other　wise　overwhelm　us。〃　〃A　great　Central　Party；　such　as　Cavour　founded　for　the　liberation　of　Italy？〃　said　I。　〃Exactly；〃　said　he。
  The　thing　which　mainly　struck　me　at　the　time；　and　which　I　still　vividly　remember；　was　the　Colonel's　composure　throughout　all　this　debate。　Vehement　he　wasbecause　he　could　not　describe　even　a　butterfly　without　vividness　which　easily　passed　into　vehemence…　…but　he　was　in　no　sense　mentally　overwrought；　nor　did　he　continually　return　to　one　subject　like　a　man　with　an　obsession。　His　humor　flashed　out；　even　at　his　own　expense；　but　he　had　throughout　the　underlying　gravity　of　one　who　knows　that　he　is　about　to　make　a　very　important　decision。　I　mention　these　facts　because　at　the　time；　and　afterward；　Roosevelt's　enemies　circulated　the　assertion　that　his　mind　was　unbalanced；　and　that　this　fact　accounted　for　his　break　with　the　regular　Republicans。　I　have　in　my　hand　a　printed　circular；　issued　by　a　Chicago　lawyer；　offering　five　thousand　dollars　apiece　to　each　of　several　hospitals　and　other　charitable　institutions；　if　Roosevelt　would　allow　himself　to　be　examined　by　competent　alienists　and　they　did　not　pronounce　him　to　be　a　〃madman〃！　No！　he　was　not　mad；　but　he　had　the　fervor；　the　courage；　the　impatience　of　a　Crusader　about　to　undergo　ordeal　by　battle。
  》From　notes　of　the　conversation　Judge　Grant　made　at　the　time　I　quote　the　following。　Judge　Grant　asked：
  〃Will　any　of　the　party　leaders　support　you？〃
  〃No；〃　he　said；　〃none　of　them；　not　even　Lodge；　I　think。　I　don't　see　how　he　can。　My　support　will　come　from　the　people；　officered　by　a　few　lieutenantsyoung　men　principally　like　Governor　Bass；　of　New　Hampshire。〃　He　said　that　he　realized　that　the　probabilities　were　all　against　his　nomination；　that　a　President　in　office　had　all　the　machinery　on　his　side；　but　that　of　course　it　wouldn't　do　to　admit　outside　that　he　expected　to　lose；　that　if　he　could　reach　the　popular　vote　through　direct　primaries；　he　could　hope　to　win。　It　was　manifest　that　he　believed　that　it　was　indispensable　for　the　future　good　of　the　Republican　Party　that　he　should　make　the　breach。　When　he　said　as　much；　I　asked；　〃But　the　situation　is　complex；　I　suppose？　You　would　like　to　be　President？〃　〃You　are　right；〃　he　replied。　〃It　is　complex。　I　like　power；　but　I　care　nothing　to　be　President　as　President。　I　am　interested　in　these　ideas　of　mine　and　I　want　to　carry　them　through；　and　feel　that　I　am　the　one　to　carry　them　through。〃　He　said　that　he　believed　the　most　important　questions　today　were　the　humanitarian　and　economic　problems；　and　intimated　that　the　will　of　the　people　had　been　thwarted　in　these　ways；　especially　by　the　courts　on　constitutional　grounds；　and　that　reforms　were　urgent。
  As　I　went　out　into　the　midnight；　I　felt　sad；　as　one　might　after　bidding　farewell　to　a　friend　who　has　volunteered　to　lead　a　forlorn　hope。　I　did　not　realize　then　the　moral　depth　from　which　Roosevelt's　resolve　came；　or　that　he　would　rather　die　for　that　cause　than　be　victorious　in　any　other。
  The　next　day；　Monday；　February　26th；　he　announced　to　the　country　that　he　was　a　candidate　for　the　Republican　nomination。
  CHAPTER　XXII。　THE　TWO　CONVENTIONS
  During　the　weeks　while　Roosevelt　had　been　deliberating　over　〃throwing　his　hat　into　the　ring；〃　his　opponents　had　been　busily　gathering　delegates。　By　this　delay　they　gained　a　strategic　advantage。　According　to　the　unholy　custom　which　gave　to　the　Republicans　in　the　Southern　States　a　quota　of　delegates　proportioned　to　the　population　and　not　to　the　number　of　Republican　voters；　a　large　Southern　delegation　was　pledged　for　Mr。　Taft　very　early。　Most　of　the　few　Southern　Republicans　were　either　office…holders　or　negroes；　the　former　naturally　supported　the　Administration　on　which　their　living　depended；　the　latter；　whose　votes　were　not　counted；　also　supported　the　President　from　whom　alone　they　might　expect　favors。　The　former　slave　States　elected　216　delegates；　nearly　all　of　whom　went　to　President　Taft；　making　a　very　good　start　for　him。　In　the　Northern；　Western；　and　Pacific　States；　however；　Roosevelt　secured　a　large　proportion　of　the　delegates。　In　the　system　of　direct　primaries；　by　which　the　people　indicated　their　preference　instead　of　having　the　candidates　chosen　in　the　State　Conventions；　which　were　controlled　by　the　Machine；　the　Progressives　came　out　far　ahead。　Thus；　in　North　Dakota；　President　Taft　had　less　than　4000　votes　out　of　48；000　cast；　the　rest　going　to　Roosevelt　and　La　Follette。　In　several　of　the　great　States　he　carried　everything　before　him。　In　Illinois；　his　majority　was　139；000　over　Taft's；　in　Pennsylvania；　67　of　the　76　delegates　went　to　him。　In　Ohio；　the　President's　own　State；　the　Taft　forces　were　〃snowed　under〃；　in　California；　a　stronghold　of　Progressivism；　Roosevelt　had　a　large　plurality。　Nevertheless；　wherever　the　Regulars　controlled　the　voting；　they　usually　brought　President　Taft　to　the　front。　Even　when　they　could　not　produce　the　votes；　they　managed　to　send　out　contesting　delegations。
  On　looking　back；　it　appears　indisputable　that　if　the　Republicans　could　then　have　cast　their　ballots　they　would　have　been　overwhelmingly　for　Roosevelt；　and　if　the　Roosevelt　delegates　to　the　Convention　had　not　been　hampered　in　voting；　they　too　would　have　nominated　him。　But　the　elections　had　been　so　artfully　manipulated　that；　when　the　Convention　met；　there　were　220　contests。　Everybody　understood　that　the　final　result　hung　on　the　way　in　which　these　should　be　decided。
  The　Convention　assembled　in　the　great　Coliseum　Hall　at　Chicago　on　June　18；　1912。　But　for　ten　days　the　hosts　had　been　coming　in；　one　delegation　after　another；　the　hotels　were　packed；　each　committee　had　its　special　quarters；　crowds　of　sight…seers；　shouters；　and　supporters　swelled　the　multitude。　The　Republican　National　Committee　met；　the　managers　of　each　candidate　met。　The　committees；　which　had　not　yet　an　official　standing；　conferred　unofficially。　Rumors　floated　from　every　room；　there　were　secret　conferences；　attempts　to　win　over　delegates；　promises　to　trade　votes；　and　even　efforts　at　conciliation。　Night　and　day　this　wild　torrent　of　excitement　rushed　on。
  A　spectator　from　Mars　might　have　remarked：　〃But　for　so　important　a　business　as　the　choice　of　a　candidate　who　may　become　President　of　the　United　States；　you　ought　to　have　quiet；　deliberation；　free　play；　not　for　those　who　can　shout　loudest；　but　for　those　who　can　speak　wisest。〃　And　to　this　remark；　the　howling　and　whirling　dervishes　who　attended　the　Convention　would　have　replied；　if　they　had　waited　long　enough　to　hear　it　through；　by　yelling；
  〃Hail！　Hail！　the　gang's　all　here！　What　the　hell　do　we　care？　What　the　hell　do　we　care？〃
  and　would　have　darted　off　to　catch　up　with　their　fellow　Bacchanals。　A　smell　of　cocktails　and　of　whiskey　was　ubiquitous；　a　dense　pall　of　tobacco　smoke　pervaded　the　committee…rooms；　and　out　of　doors　the　clang　of　brass　bands　drowned　even　the　incessant　noise　of　the　throngs。　There　was　no　night；　for　the　myriads　of　electric　lights　made　shadows　but　no　darkness；　and　you　wondered　when　these　strange　creatures　slept。
  Such　Saturnalia　did　not　begin　with　the　Convention　of　1912。　Most　of　those　who　took　part　in　them　hardly　thought　it　a　paradox　that　these　should　be　the　conditions　under　which　the　Americans　nominated　their　candidates　for　President。
  Roosevelt　had　not　intended　to　appear　at　the　Convention；　but　when　he　discovered　that　the　long　distance　telepho