The evening times., 1900-06-12

The protest against the seating of w.
Calvin Chase and ]. E. Jones as delegates
from the District of Columbia in the Re
publican National Convention is a pamph-
let Of sixteen pages and contains the no
tice of protest; the report of L. NJ. Saun-
ders. member of the Election Board Of
the District of Columbia; the protest Of
DR.. Robert Reyburn and the Rev. George
w. Lee, candidates for delegates from the
| District, and official copies Of records of
criminal proceedings against Mr.. Chase in
the Police Court of the District of CO.
lumbia.
The report of L. NJ. Saunders follows:
Hon. NJ. =, Hanna. Chairman Republi-
can National Committee.
Dear Sir: deem it my duty.
as well as privilege, under all
the circumstances, to submit to
your honorable committee a brief
report as TO the doiDgs and workings
of the Election board named and appoint
ed by your honors bic committee to make
rules and reSu.- .--.ons to supervise the
election OF delegates from the District
Of Columbia te toe next National Repub-
Iican Convention, to be held IN the city Of
Philadelphia, in the State Of Pennsylvania,
on the 18th o June. A. ID. 1900.
said Election Board consisted of John
B. Cotton, w. c. Chase, and myself. The
board was duly organized at the sun
buiiulng, IN this city, on the 24Jh day
Of February. A. D. 1900; John B. Cotton
was elec:=c Chairman. and L. NJ. Saunders
Secretary Of said board.
The scandals attending our elections
for National delegates heretofore had at
tracted my 3tfe@:ion. and there was a
general desire on the part Of all good
Republicans in the District TO institute
some method by which reform might be
brought about. l had, therefore. some
weeks before the meeting OF the National
Committee in Washington. conferred with
several weIl-known Republicans and we
| had met for the purpose OF creating a
committee with ample power to advise
with the National Committee for the pur-
pose Of agreeing upon a plan 10 conduct
the next election for Republican delegates
| in decent and honorable manner. and
the Eelection Board. which was finally
| created by the National Committee, was
the result and outcome Of my efforts in
said behalf.
In Hopeless Minority.
''At the first meeting OF the board. here
tofore referred TO. 1 discovered Z partisan
feeling had already taken possession Of a
majority Of said board. and that instead
Of being aided in my efforts to create
better arrangement for protecting the bal
lot and so securing a fair and honorable
count, l found myself in hopeless minori-
ty and that the board had already been
organized in the interests of the present
member Of the National Committee for this
district
The plan which had been formulated by
committee OF Republicans heretofore
referred to. was wholly ignored by a two
to-One majority, and the plan made by Mr.
Gotten with the concurrent approval Of W.
C Chase at once became a lew for the
government and direction Of the election
TO be held in this district Allow me 10
emphasize the fact that said regulations
above referred to were already made by
Cotton and Chase before a meeting OF the
board was called by Mr Cotton the chair
man, and against my urgent protest they
were passed and adopted by the two-to-one
majority; and although / signed the call
for the election with the others. I did II
in ignorance OF the fact that the Judges Of
election for the Jones and Chase faction
had been already selected. and il was not
until after the call had been made that
the short tine allowed for the election 10
take place-lamely. six days-was made
apparent ] asked for a longer time in
which to make preparation for said cleo
icn, but saiu request was denied BY the
said Cotton, with the prompt sanction Of
said Chase; and although the time allowed
was too short to make the necessary Prev
aratiOns for so important an event-tbe
selecting of twenty-five voting precincts
the appointment and commissioning OF the
seventy-five judges of election Cthree to a
box, the printing Of all the necessary tick
cts. the making and distributing of the
ballot boxes, the holding of primary meet
ings for the presentation Of candidates
and many other details incident TO a large
election-yet all this might have been con-
sidered fair to the one side as to the other
if the thing was intended to be fair; for if
IL was the desire or the intention of the
majority Of the board to be fair and i'm
partial, why did they cut the time so short
when it was objected to. and shown to be
| unreasonable and calculated to lead to en-
barrassment and. confusion?
The End Not Yet.
The end. however. has not come, and il
my report was to terminate Just here there
might be some chance to doubt the insin-
! eerity OF my associates on the board; but
you are further informed that out of the
seyenty-fve judges of election appointed
to conduct said election, 20 take charge of
the ballot boxes. and to carry into effect
the rules and regulations made and pub
lished TO carry such election, count and
certify and make returns to the Election
Board OF the result of said election, sixty
six out of the seventy-five were selected
| from the list prepared and presented by
the candidate c. W Chase and, 1 need not
add, with his cordial consent and against
my indignan: protest and dissent. So was