Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/227

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT 187 the governors of seven states in which the insurgent spirit was particularly strong united in a formal appeal that he would consent to their use of his name, and he agreed. To Mr. Taft, who had already committed him self to run for reelection, this news came with a painful surprise, but he refused to make any com ment on it which could impair his personal relations with his old friend, and issued an order to his political lieutenants that in all their public utter ances they were to treat Mr. Roosevelt with respect. This rule he continued in force till within two months of the date set for the national convention, when, Mr. Roosevelt having taken the open field with a series of speeches reflecting on his conduct and motives, he broke silence with an address at Boston in which, taking his stand as the head of a great party, he met every charge with an answer and a counter-charge. From that point a warfare of personalities went on till about the middle of October, when Mr. Roosevelt s activities were sud denly cut short by a lunatic s attempt on his life, and all the asperities of the campaign were for gotten in the nation-wide outburst of horror. Meanwhile the republican convention had met at Chicago on June 18, and remained in session five days. It was a scene of turmoil from first to last. The Roosevelt spokesmen on the floor con tested the admission of delegation after delegation,