The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-06
Alabama and Arkansas In
structed Delegations Are
to Be Seated.
SWEEPING VICTORY
FOR THE SECRETARY
Fairbanks and Knox Managers
Protest Against Use Of Proxies,
Which Allowed Taft Men
to "Sit in Judgment
With Members OF
Deciding Body.

| ~H1cAGo. ILL, June 5.,-witlout
roll calls, the Republican Ma
i tional Committee to day decided
| iNL the contests from Alabama and
| Arkansas, olvingstwenty -four
/ seats in the Republican National Con-
vention, in favor OF delegates instructed
| for Secretary Taft. The victory for
the Taft forces was sweeping, not even
division being required to determine
the will OF the committee. Contests
from Florida. Georgia and Kentucky
will BIO heard tomorrow. Thirty-four
seats are affected.
The proceedings to-day would have
been devoid OF interest had 1t not been
| for an effort to prevent Frank II.
Hitchcock. the Taft manager. and Ar
! thur F. Slater former Assistant Sec
retary Of the Treasury, and Charles =.
| Phelps, of Washington. both assist
ants to Mr.. Hitchcock, from sitting in
! judgment on the contests. These men
held proxies of the members OF tHa
national committee from New MeXFo,
| Alaska and North Dakota, respectively.
Their entrance into the executive ses-
| sion OF the National Committee pro-
voked Joseph b. Healing. United
| States Attorney for the District OF m
| diana, manager for oe-President
Francis Burke. OF Pennsylvania, who
| acts in a similar capacity for Senator
Knox, to make vehement protests from
the outside.
Written Protest Filed.
After hurried conference between
representatives of all the anti-Taft
forces, it was decided to reduce the pro-
| tests to writing and have them pre-
sented to the committee before the
contests were taken up. The protests
were sent to VIZ. Aldrich. formerly
| member of Congress from Alabama,
and one of the contesttng delegates at
Taft delegation from, that Statcl 1t
| recited the fact that Mr.. Hitchcock is
| directly interested In the management
| OF one OF the candidates involved in
the case, and therefore disqualified to
SIT In Judgment" upon it. 1t also de-
clared that Mr.. hitchcock did not e.
side. and is not a qualified voter il
the territory he claims to represent,
and was not a regularly or properly
that territory. Similar representations
were made in regard to Messrs. Stratter
and Phelps.
Mr.. Aldrich presented the protest to
the committee. and In connection stated
that he did not regard it proper that
they should be compelled to present
their arguments to members who had
an interest" in the outcome.
"All care to say In reply" said o.
d. Street, United states attorney for
the Northern District OF Alabama and
the chief local counsel for the Thomp-
son faction. instructed for Taft. "is
hot rhor lac ,a ho,. of
the committee from Alabama, is sit
ting as judge in this case, and 1t ap-
pears to me that he is interested in the
outcome"
Taft Secures Alabama.
large elected by the Scott-Davidson
faction, which was supposed to be anti
Taft.
Debate on the question was shut off
by A. NJ. Stevenson, the member from
Colorado. who promptly moved to lay
the protest on the table. The motion
carried. Mr.. Scott, of Alabama. being
the only member who opposed 1t on
viva voce vote. Tho Alabama contest,
affecting the four MISUNDERSTANDING
and the two delegates from each of
the congressional districts, twenty-five
in all. was then taken up.
) 5.Ilne AAldDdIldH Ssa IeeIlleltl VI
all parties concerned. were consoli-
dated, and therefore two hours were
given to each side. It was regarded
as the most important OF all the con-
tests, because of the fact that twenty
two delegates We're involved and 1t is
first in the list OF States that will be
called in the convention when noni-
nations are being made. The candt-
date securing the delegation from Ala
bama is sure, to be the first placed In
|nominatio because the State, having
no candidate OF its own. always yields
to that State presenting the candidate
favored by Alabama
@ Says OHlcc-lIolders Control.
The Scott Davidson faction. being
tile nrst to file its contest, was given
one and one-half hours to open, the
Thompson faction following, with two
hours, and the Scott-Davidson people.
closing in half an hour. The princl-
pal arguments In the opening for the,
Scott-Davidson people were made by
Judge Asa Il. Stratton, of Montgomery,
leader Of the nnti-Taft forces.
He used almost all the time allotted
to his side for the opening, although
Mr. Aldrich and j, II. Manning. post.
master a Alexandria. spoke briefly.
The latter charged that the Taft con-,
venti6n lad been controlled by Fed
eral otfce-l1olders and directed from
Washington.
The Taft forces under the general
direction of ormsby McHarg, OF Wash.
ington, y. G., We're represented by
Q. D. Street. United States Attorney
for the Northern District Of Alabama;
William FARLEY. OF birmingham.
member OF the executive board of tho
United Mine Workers Association, and
n, H. Alexander, negro. OF Montgon,-
cry, All except members OF the ma
tIonal committee We're excluded from
the room at AIS +. M., and a few min
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