Nation: NOW THE REPUBLIC

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As the meetings progressed through the early-morning hours, with a kaleidoscopic cast of participants sipping coffee and Cokes, a list containing scores of names was gradually shortened. New York Mayor John Lindsay, probably the most discussed possibility up to that point, was dismissed early as too unpopular among conservatives. John Gardner was briefly mentioned, soon dropped. Among others considered were Reagan and Tower, both of whom would have antagonized liberals. Hatfield, Romney and Keynoter Dan Evans were mentioned, then Tennessee Senator Howard Baker.

Overwhelmed. The shifting group of conferees contained its own roster of notables: Thomas Dewey, Herbert Brownell, Billy Graham, Everett Dirksen, Gerald Ford, Barry Goldwater, Karl Mundt, Party Chairman Ray Bliss. Finally, after a brief break for a nap and a breakfast of cold cereal, Nixon convened still another meeting. By this time, the possibilities had been reduced to five: Senator Charles Percy; Lieutenant Governor Robert Finch of California, a longtime Nixon friend and associate; Congressman Rogers Morton of Maryland; Governor John Volpe of Massachusetts ("It might be nice," Nixon observed, "to have an Italian Catholic on the ticket"); and, of course, Agnew. Finch and Morton attended the meetings but left while they were being talked about.

It was past noon when Nixon ended the talks by observing: "Well, I think the meeting has accomplished about all that it can accomplish." Morton put in a call to Agnew. "Are you sitting down?" Morton inquired. Nixon got on the phone and broke the news. "I'm overwhelmed," said Agnew, whose stoic expression rarely admits of such a condition.

The Criteria. Overwhelmed also, but hardly in the same way, were many of the Republicans and much of the country when Nixon went on television 15 minutes later to announce his selection. Nixon laid out three criteria for the No. 2 man on the ticket: 1) he must be qualified to become President, 2) he must be an effective campaigner, and 3) he must be capable of assuming the new responsibilities for domestic affairs that Nixon says he will entrust to his Vice President.

Attaching Agnew's name to these requirements shocked many, because they knew virtually nothing about the man beyond the fact that he was a very new, moderately successful Governor with no national or international stature (see following story). Many Northern Republicans were rankled by the ready acceptance of the selection by Southerners and by conservatives generally. Although Agnew is a moderate by Maryland standards and a liberal by Deep South criteria, there was the suspicion that he was on the ticket to placate Thurmond and other segregationists. Not only liberals protested. Colorado Senator Peter Dominick howled: "There are 2,000,000 people in my state who have never heard of Agnew. It's a terrible choice."