The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-12
REPUBS AIR
 SOILED LINEN Tennessee Factions Tell
 Troubles. TAFT DELEGATES ARE SEATED State Chairman Says He Was Struck and Robbed. Takes Big Hatchet Before National Committee to show Result of His Association with Negro
 Politicians.
 

Chicago. June 11.-IThe Republican National Committee today reached Tex as in the alphabetical list of States in deciding contests for seats on the tenn porary roll call of the National Con- vcntion which meets on June IS.
 The work today settled cases involv- ing two delegations at large and twen- ty-one district delegations, a total of fifty delegates. Of these Taft Is almost certain of forty-nine and may have fifty. The uncertain delegate is from the Eighth District of Tennessee. and 1t is not known how he will vote. He belonged, however. to the Oliver fac tion in that State. the majority of whom were instructed for Taft.
 Sensational statements concerning the Tennessee Republican Convention were made today, Chairman Sanders displaying a hatchet which he says was drawn on him by a negro.
 The work of the committee today ex- cited much less interest than that of any previous session. Visitors, who were for the most part absent today.
 South Carolina contests were the first called, they being for the First and Fifth Districts. Both of these were given to Taft after short hear ings.
 The hearing of the contests from Tennessee occupied the greater part of the day, each side being allowed two hours for presentation of evidence and arguments The fight here grew out of factional struggle over local Issues in Tennessee, all of the Hale element being instructed for Taft and the majority of their opponents. who were dubbed the "Oliver delegates" being also for the Secretary of War. The result was that the Taft men were seated in all put the Eighth District. where the delegation was divided, at the earnest request of National Com .mitteeman Brownlow. who ask ed that it be done in order to give the Republic cans of that district an improved chance of defeating the present Dem- ocratic Congressman.
 The splitting of the delegation. how ever. is not likely to make any differ ence to Taft. inasmuch as none of the Oliver delegates were instructed for anybody else and the greater number of them had been directed to vote for him.
 Hatchets in Tennessee.
 The hearing of tbase cases produced the only picturesque scenes of the day. Jesse M Littleton. counsel for the Oli- yer delegates, asserted that the Hale men came into the hall armed, and dis played huge hatchets with which he said the lives of the Oliver men had been threatened.
 Newell Sanders, chairman of the State Central Committee supplied counter -irritant to the Lfttleton hatchet exhibition by telling, in his argument, of the desperate fight which the Hale men were compelled to make before they were allowed in the hah and how a big negro was about to chop him with an Oliver hatchet before some of the Hale men put the negro suddenly into a state of coma. His account of the struggle in the convention hall was received by the committee with much interest.
 The hearing of the Texas cases came next and in these the contests over the seats of the delegates at large and from the Third, Fourth. Sixth, Seventh. Ninth, Thirteenth. Fourteenth, Eff teenth and Sixteenth Districts were consolidated, and after a brief hearing the delegates from the faction headed by Cecil A Lyon, the present National Committeeman from that State, were seated.
 The "Reorganized Republicans" who contested in every one of these dis tricts, did not receive a single delegate. After this decision the committee ad- journed until tomorrow.
 It is understood that the contests Tn the Second and Twelfth Districts will be withdrawn and that the argument will only concern the First, Fifth. Eighth. Tenth and Eleventh Districts.
 The delegates seated today from Texas are not instructed but Commit teeman Lyon, who directs affairs gem erallv. asserted that there is no doubt that their votes will be cast for Taft.
 In order to finish it's work by to- morrow night the committee has decid-
 aAako rrnVrq1 a ffai In tests from Texas and also those from Virginia.
 Roth factions in TennesseeJ are in favor of Taft and the fight grows out of the struggle between w, J. Oliver and N. W. Hale for membership on the National Republican Committee.
 At the. commencement of the hear ing of the Tennessee cases it was de- cided that in the presentation of evid- Ance the factions should alternate, and that one side should not be compelled to present it's complete case at one time.
 Jesse M. Littleton made an impas- stoned address. Among other things he charged against the members of the Hale faction was that they came into the convention hall carrying arms.
 When asked what arms they car ried, Mir. Littleton replied: Person ally, I saw but one man carrying a weapon and this is what he carried" and Mir Littleton held aloft an enor- nous hatchet.
 At the conclusion of MT. Littleton's address the opposing caucuses was up- held by Lee Brock, who spoke at con- siderable length for the Hale faction.
 After the hearing had proceeded for some little time. the attorneys for the Hale fact ion expressed themselves as highly confident that the decision would be in favor of their delegates It was claimed that a canvass had been made of the members of the Ma tional committee and that a majority of them had expressed their opinion that the Hale people were entitled to the seats in the convention.
 Newell Sanders. chairman of the Re- publican State Committee in Tennes- see. made an argument in behalf of the Hale faction which received seri- out consideration from the members of the National Committee.
 Mir. Sanders described at length the situation at the Tennessee State Con- vention. He said that when they ar. rived at the hall the Oliver men were