Give the man room : $b The story of Gutzon BorglumCasey, Robert J. (Robert Joseph)
General
Give the man room : $b The story of Gutzon Borglum
Casey, Robert J. (Robert Joseph)
Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941
The sculptor, putting all this together, continued his report to General
Wood. Here is part of that revealing document:
Before three o’clock the next morning (Friday) I was awakened by
’phone call telling me that the favorite-son group had over 518
votes and that they did not need the colonel. That was the first
definite rebuke, and my telegram of Thursday indicates my feeling
at the time. I am of course bearing in mind what I learned months
ago, and I cannot understand why Progressive leaders do not know
it, or why the colonel did not know it--that he never had a chance
in Chicago. When I found that he was not willing, or that his
agents in Chicago were not willing to risk their ability on the
floor of the convention against the favorite sons, I felt, and many
felt, that they were simply playing poker with the threat of an
independent Progressive convention back of them.
Thursday night I sat with a number of gentlemen at Union League
Club. We went over the entire situation regarding the colonel’s
candidacy. There were in this group men representing three states
that had favorite sons. Finally, after their declination to
consider the colonel on any terms, I urged upon them your
availability. I pointed out to them the colonel’s friendship for
you and his _absolute faithfulness_ to the friendship, and I urged
upon them the desirability of nominating you directly. They replied
that they would be glad to do this and that in ordinary
circumstances it would be done, but, because of their relation to
the favorite-sons group, such a step would be considered disloyal
and would endanger the whole situation.
They further said that your great value as a candidate was the
colonel’s loyalty to your lifelong friendship and that your
nomination would secure the colonel’s support of the old
organization. After considerable debate I proposed sending a
telegram to the colonel. This telegram was duly approved and
Speaker Cannon remarked, “If the colonel answers that in the right
spirit, we will know that he is sincere. And if he doesn’t----” Mr.
Cannon shrugged his shoulders. Here is the telegram:
“Colonel Roosevelt, Oyster Bay, New York, Thursday, June 8, 1916, 2
A.M.
“Please send me a line confirming your approval of Wood. Powerful
members of Old Guard approve and ask your approval. They say he can
be nominated. Address me, Union League Club.”
I sent this telegram and, as you see, it contained my address and asked
for a reply. I waited twelve hours, until about 2 o’clock in the
afternoon. Having promised a reply to these Old Guard gentlemen, I was
extremely anxious. I called the colonel on the phone and succeeded in
getting him. The day was wet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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