Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-22
DECLINED TO APPEAR
CHARGES BY THE LA TOILETTE
CONTRASTING DELEGATES.
Claim That Members of the Credentials
Committee Had Been Gap
preached"

republicans declined to make contest pe-
fore the credentials committee of the re-
publican national convention yesterday al
ternoon, declaring that 1t refused to do SO on
the ground that the committee on creden-
tails was not an unprecedented body, ana
making the fat statement that they under
stood that some members of the committee
had been approached" What the nature
of the approach" might be, or by whom
made the La Toilette people declined to
state They entered into no particulars.
simply making the broad and general
charge of an approach" and withdrew.
The Wisconsin case was one of the ear
Hest called when the credentials commit
tee went into session at o'clock. The con-
testants were not present when the ser
geant-at-arms announced that the commit
tee was ready to hear the Wisconsin hght'
and the case was passed until contest In
the fourth Alabama district had been de-
cided.
The Wisconsin case was then called for
the second time, and both parties filed into
the committee room. The La roulette peo-
pie were represented by w. d. Conner Of
Marshfield, Wis: Gilbert E. Roe of New
York and Henry F. Cochens of Milwaukee.
The burden of proof was on the contestants
and they opened and closed their case with
a single statement by Mr.. Roe, who spoke
as follows: ?
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the
committee-Several members of the COM
mittee on credentials, before which we are
now asked to present our case. are mem
bers of the national committee which
passed on this case before. We do not,
therefore, consider this an unprecedented
committee. We understand, moreover, that
several members of this committee have
been approached, and we therefore decline
to present our case, preferring to submit 1t
to the people of Wisconsin at the election
next November | will file with the COM
init this containing the statement
l have just made.
A dead silence followed the speech Of Mr..
Roe. Some members of the committee
scowled at him, and others smiled sarcastic
cally, but not one word was said in reply.
Mr. Roe advanced 10 the clerks desk, hand
ed up his paper, and then in company with
Mr.. Conner and MT, Cochens left the com
tor McCon1as, who WAS acting as chairman
of the committee, rose and. said: 81 have
grave doubts to whether we should per-
NIT that paper to be filed at ALL
No further comment was made, however,
and the paper went in.
The La Toilette people declined to make
any statement as they left the committee
room, but marched straight across the
ante-room, down the stairway and left the
building.
The "stalwart' faction upon leaving the
committee room was handed the statement
turned in by Mr. Roe and retired to the Of
flee of the sergeant-at-arms to formulate
a reply.
Senator Quarles said:
'They were simply afraid to meet us on
the floor of the convention before the
committee on credentials. Then they in
suited every member of the national COM
mittee and every member of the credentials
committee, aud went away"
The La Toilette Statement.
The statement submitted to the committee
by Mr.. Roe recited at length the history
of the struggle between the factions in Wis
corsin and declared that the grievances of
the La Toilette faction are found in the
following statements:
THAT said committee did not examine
said record, or appoint any subcommittee
to do So but at the close of the argument,
Immediately decided said contest upon the
conflicting and wholly contradictory oral
statements of counsel for the respective
parties
THAT an examination of such records
and such evidence would at once have dis
closed the fact that every material claim
advanced by the attorney of said contest
ing delegates was without any foundation
in fact
1.-The conduct of said committee in de-
Gliding the contest Immediately without ex-
amiring the records or any of the Gre
dentials of delegates. made 1t clear that
the case had been determined by them in
advance of presentation.
I'VE now find upon the credentials COM
mittee a number of the gentlemen who as
members of the national committee, were
most active in their support of the cause
of the contesting delegates. Other mem
brs of said credentials committee, we
are credibly informed, have expressed them
selves in favor of the contesting delega tion
while every member of said credentials
committee, we are also informed. has
been approached In advance of the hear
ing In some manner, for the purpose of Sc
curing determination of said contest in
favor of said contesting delegates.
Believing in view of the foregoing that
1t would be futile to present our cause be-
fore this committee. we prefer to rest 1t
with the republican voters of the state of
Wisconsin for their determination.
(Signed) ISAAC STEPHENSON,
ROBERT M. LA TOILETTE,
u. H. STOUT,
wv. D. COMMON,
MISUNDERSTANDING.
Chicago, June q, 1904
Governor La Toilette left the city at 6
o clock for Milwaukee, declining. before he
| went, to make statement of any kind
Reply Of the Stalwarts.
Aroused by the charges contained in the
statement of the La Toilette faction, the
credentials committee, after disposing Of
the Mississippi case, readily granted the
request of the Spooner men that they be
given a hearing for the purpose of clearing
themselves of the charges made by their
opponents. The committee decided to make
the Wisconsin matter special order Of
business and called in the "stalwarts."
After listening to arguments by counsel
for the "stalwarts'' for an hour and half,
| the chairman, by direction of the commit
| tee, appointed the following subcommittee
| to make a thorough examination of all the
papers in the case forthwith and report to
| the full committee as soon as practcable:
Governor Durbin of Indiana, chairman;
| E. c.. Benton of Massachusetts, and J. }.
Gardner of New Jersey.
The subcommittee promptly withdrew and
| began it's investigation.
| Senator Spooner and Senator Quarles and
| their followers were apparently satisfied
| with the action of the committees.
| Many members of the credentials COM
mittee expressed themselves as indignant at
| the imputations which they say were cast
| upon the entire committee by the state
ment filed by the La Toilette faction.
At 2 o'clock this morning Governor Dur
| bin, chairman OF the subcommittee, an
nounced that no report would be made to
| the committee on credentials at o'clock