Going Ahead

While the impatient crowd waited for Chairman Guy Gabrielson to call the convention to order, the sweaty kingmakers of the Republican Party argued furiously in a boiling-hot little room behind the speaker's stand.

A few hours before, Taft managers had reluctantly admitted to themselves that they would not be able to persuade the convention to maintain the ruling laid down by Elihu Root in 1912: that contested delegations seated by the national committee may participate in a full convention vote on any contest save their own. In last-moment desperation, Taft Leaders Tom Coleman and Dave Ingalls offered to give up their fight for the Root ruling if Ikemen would agree not to challenge the qualifications of seven of the 13 contested delegates from Louisiana. By this time, the argument had moved into full view of the TV cameras. Pounding his fist, Eisenhower Campaign Manager Henry Cabot Lodge refused to give way. He told his followers: "We're going right ahead on the floor."

Washington's Governor Langlie proposed that any delegations whose seating had been challenged by at least one-third of the national committee should be barred from voting on the credentials of any other delegation. This rule would affect 68 pro-Taft delegates from Georgia, Texas and Louisiana. Ohio's Clarence Brown moved that the Langlie resolution should be amended to except the seven Louisiana delegates.

Two hours of disorganized debate followed Brown's proposal. Taft supporters argued that "you shouldn't change the rules after a fight has begun." For Eisenhower, Connecticut's Governor John Davis Lodge dramatically declared, "We are not bound by 1912 rules any more than we are bound by 1912 politics."

By a majority of no votes the convention rejected Clarence Brown's amendment. Then in a voice vote it approved the Langlie "fair play" resolution. Robert Taft had not yet lost the nomination nor even the fight over contested delegates, but jubilant Ikemen could not help recalling the prediction of Pennsylvania's Governor John Fine: if the Langlie resolution won with a sizable majority, Ike would be nominated on an early ballot.

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