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
After two in the morning, quick and definite plans were made for the
Saturday-morning session and wholly without consideration of Oyster Bay.
What happened at Perkins’ headquarters I do not know. But results came
quickly and everybody soon knew that a great harmonious plan, each group
compromising for the common interest, had failed, and the cause of its
failure was at Oyster Bay.
The Central States had the key, and they had the moral courage to
sacrifice personal advantage for the larger good. At 2 o’clock they took
the bull by the horns and turned sharply to Hughes. Illinois and Indiana
were from the beginning the brain and the power of that convention, and
it was this powerful group that wished to work with the colonel and who
favored you. When forced to follow another leader they showed their
wisdom by selecting McCormick, a late Progressive, to announce the move
of Illinois toward Hughes--which swung the whole convention into line
behind them.
The reading of the colonel’s message was unfortunate. It came too late.
It was too long. In naming Lodge, it was as disappointing a thing as
could be contributed by the colonel’s worst enemy. It was met without
applause of any sort. All Roosevelt interest died then and there.
Regarding your name at the Convention, it rose head and shoulders above
the names of other candidates, and I heard nothing but praise of you,
such as would most gratify a sincere man. Some fear of a military man
was expressed, but I heard no one among the influential inner group of
Republicans who did not always say, “Wood has a record. We can elect him
if the colonel will work with us.”
Several years later Gutzon learned, from inside sources not to be
doubted, several items of information which threw light on the
bewildering events of the last night of the convention. In relation to
that urgent telegram to the colonel that was never answered, he learned
that someone at Progressive headquarters had tapped the line to Oyster
Bay; that Gutzon’s message, which had been endorsed by Republican
leaders who anxiously awaited the answer, was instantly followed by a
message from Progressive headquarters saying that Borglum was all wrong,
the author or victim of a “frame-up,” and that the colonel would surely
be nominated by acclamation on Saturday morning. It was presented that
he, Roosevelt, should withdraw and nominate Senator Lodge, who would
refuse by agreement, and the convention would then turn immediately to
the colonel.
Another item was that Nicholas Murray Butler had likewise talked to
Colonel Roosevelt on that fateful Saturday at early dawn and in answer
to a query about Leonard Wood’s chances had shaken his head.
“Impossible,” he said. “At this juncture in the international situation
it would be suicide for us to nominate a military man.” This was told to
Gutzon by Herman Hagedorn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account