The Washington herald., 1908-05-28
ALASKA TAKES LEAD
Her Delegates Are First Oh
Ground at Chicago.
CONTESTED SEATS ARE MANY
Their Number Likely 10 Exceed 200
Which - More Than Has Been EX-
pected-MOntnnn, Idaho, and YER
mont ard other states slow in
Sending in Their Credentials.

Chicago. May 27.--One complete national
delegation IS on the ground ready for the
Republican convention-that Is. II is com
plete unless the convention should decide
10 split its vote into fractions and seat
three times the number Of men provided
Tor In the call. which is unlikely; and
Il Is a delegation II il wins out before the
national committee and the credentials
committee Of the convention.
With these few drawbacks 1t still re-
mains the first complete delegation to
reach Chicago and It comes from Alas
ka. Whether It has brought totem poles
this time remains TO be seen. II consists
Of Delegates Shea and L. p. Shackleford,
the Hoggatt delegates from the Terri
tory.
John S. Held. the national committee
man from Alaska, is reported as halfway
down the Pacific coast and headed for
Chicago with six delegates.
Held and Gov W. b. Hoggatt represent
the two contesting Republican factions
up North. The former has selected six
delegates i'm the hope that the national
committee win divide the two votes
among them. The Hoggatt Republicans
have named four others as provisional
delegates I'm case the Territory gets six
seats with two votes.
Looking 10 Precedent.
The national committeeman are inclined
to declare against this practice but it
was done In the case Of Alaska four
years ago. and the Alaskans are counting
on a repetition.
The inSuiur possessions and the Ter
rltorles are putting In their appearance
ahead OF time, owing 20 the uncertainty
regarding the preliminary meeting Of the
National Committee.
Chairman New had written TO the com.
mitteemen in the Philippines, Porto Rico.
Hawaii and Alaska that the meeting
probably would be called for June l.
Plenty Of time had 90 be given the dis
tant members OF the national body TO
insure their arrival on time. They have
heard nothing further as q the meeting
and hence are coming in ahead OF time.
Delegates Early ON Hand.
Committeeman Todd. Of Porto Rico was
reported IN New York on Monday and
Committeeman H. B. Mccoy. Of the Phil
ippines, was IN Denver at the same time.
A. c. VI, Robertson, Of Hawaii. hCa not
been heard from further than to the ef-
feet that he VIII be present.
Alaska brings the only Territorial con-
test of which the national committee has
information Wisconsin is reported as
being more backward in the matter of
filing credentials than Is any other State
fr, a.. fn no
corsin State primary law Il Is necessary
for each delegate 10 send In his own Gre
deutiols signed by the secretary OF State.
Twelve delegates have failed 90 make
good. and no credentials for altcrnates
have been received.
Nothing az all has been received from
Montana. only half from Idaho and the
Vermont delegates-at-large are missing.
Contested sents Numerous.
That about 200 seats Will be the sub
iects of contests before the national COM
mittee next week was made manifest to-
day after Secretary Dover had compiled
a list of the contests already on file. All
contests must have been put I'm the mails
by midnight. but many viii not reach the
committee for several days.
At present there are seveuty-eight con-
tests from sixty-nine districts, two Ter
ritories. and seven States on file before
the committee. The Territorial contests
involve two seats each. and the State
contests four seats apiece. The district
contests come from all over the United
States. although most OF them are from
the South. The Territories involved arc
Arizona and Alaska. and the States art
Alabama, Louisiana Mississippi. Okla
hCma. South Carolina, Tennessee. and
Texas. The original estimates OF the
committee officers included 1S9 contests
as the total. but unexpected additions
have come in within the last few days,
and the augmentatiOns are expected TO
bring the total to the 200 mark.
Chairman New has sent out notices
that the contests will be taken up accord
ing TO the alphabetical order of the States
and Territories. The first TO be consld-
cred therefore, VIII be those from Ala
bama. which will be brought before the
committee on June