No Steam Roller For Prohibitionists.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 12, 1912:
Insurgents Force a Compromise on National Chairman and Change Platform.
MAY RENOMINATE CHAFIN
Convention Unable to Reach a Ballot for President— Hobson's Name Greeted with Cheers.
Special to The New York Times.
    ATLANTIC CITY, July 11.— The Prohibitionists, assembled here in National convention, spent all their session to-day in stormy debate. Whatever they possess in their organization that passes for a steam roller failed to work as a smooth steam roller should. Insurgency was not only present but strong and vociferous. They had a row about the adoption of the platform and about the report of the Rules Committee. And at a late hour to-night they were still balloting for the Chairmanship of the National Committee instead of getting down to the business of selecting candidates to head the ticket. Whatever hope that this would be accomplished and the convention adjourn to-night was abandoned early in the day by the shrewd onlookers.
    Francis E. Baldwin of New York proposed and carried the most prolonging feature of the day—the scheme to select the National Chairman without nominations but by secret balloting until some one should have a majority.
    Shortly before midnight the tedious succession of ballots resulted in the selection of Virgil G. Hinshaw of Portland, Ore., as National Chairman. He was a compromise candidate occupying middle ground between Charles R. Jones of Illinois, the retiring Chairman favored by the conservative wing of the party, and W. G. Calderwood of Minnesota, the candidate favored by the insurgents. His selection came after the others had withdrawn, and following a session of turmoil in which "gag rule"and "Tammany tactics" were oft-repeated epithets.
    The convention voted down an attempt to have the platform express opposition to the appropriation of public moneys for sectarian churches and schools. The candidate for President and Vice President will be nominated to-morrow. Eugene W. Chafin of Arizona, the Presidential candidate four years ago, was most generally discussed as the probable candidate this year.
    The liquor plank, as presented by the majority report of the Committee on Resolutions, called for the repeal of all laws taxing or licensing the alcoholic drink traffic, as productive of crime, poverty, political corruption, disease, and death. It denounced the traffic as a crime and not a business. Howls from all over the pier and convention hall denounced the plank as not strong enough, and late tonight corrections were made to have the platform call for the abolition of the manufacture, importation, exportation, and transportation of liquor.
    The platform as adopted favored votes for women, uniform marriage and divorce laws, the election of United States Senators by direct vote, a single six-year Presidential term, the settlement of international disputes by arbitration, the initiative, referendum, and recall, the abolition of child labor in mines and factories, an equitable graduated income and inheritance tax, the extermination of polygamy and the complete suppression of the white slave traffic, a tariff based on the knowledge obtained from a non-partisan and amply empowered commission, a strict conservation policy, clearly defined laws for the regulation of corporations doing inter-State business, and other features.
    Although the nominations went over to another day, there was talk of candidates a-plenty, and one name that received a deal of cheering was that of Richmond Pearson Hobson.

RYAN HOPEFUL FOR WILSON.
His Chance Excellent, He Says Just Before Amerika Sails.
     Among the passengers on the Hamburg-American liner Amerika. which sailed yesterday, was Thomas V. Ryan. When asked for his opinion on the coming election Mr. Ryan said he believed that Gov. Wilson had an excellent chance of becoming the next President. He intended to vote for him, he said. Mr. Ryan said that he was going to Aix les Bains and would remain abroad about two mouths
    Another passenger on the Amerika was Judge Leon Sanders, Grand Master of the Independent Order Brith Abraham, who is going to visit some of the principal cities in England. Germany, and France.
    The staff or the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society of which he is the President, presented the Judge with a pair of marine glasses before he sailed.