Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-18
FLORIDA REPUBLICANS
Recent Convention Discussed
by Chairman Chubb.
SAYS REPORTS ARE UNFAIR
Charges Northern Men With Trying
to Defeat Taft.
VICTORY FOR THE SECRETARY
Details of the Split at st. Augustine
and the Final Results-Char-
acter of Delegates.

communication from Henry S. Chubb,
chairman of the republican state COM
mittee of Florida
To the Editor of The Star
| "a marked copy of your Sunday issue
OF February O. 1908. in which you refer
| to the action of the Florida republican
state convention. has, been sent to me.
| | beg to say that the whole article is
! erroneous. unfair. and the statements
made therein are without foundation, and
| l ask that you print. in fairness to the
| republicans of Florida. true statement
of the proceedings of the republican state
| convention. and the facts surrounding
them. which took place at ST. Augustine,
Fla. February g. 1908.
Northern men of large wealth APP
peared in Florida some time before the
date of our convention and tried in every
possible way and used every Influence to
secure the defeat of instructions in favor
of the nomination of Secretary Taft for
President. 1t is to the credit of every
prominent republican of the state that
they could not be influenced. no matter
what was offered. Upon receipt of call
from the secretary of the republican ma
tional committee for a republican ma
t.onal convention. to be held in the city
of Chicago June Ii. 1905 meeting of
the republican state central committee
of Florida was duly called and by unani-
nous vote republican state convention
was ordered called in the city Of ST.
Augustine February 6. 1903.
Ample Notice Given.
This call was printed in the Florida
Times Union the metropolitan newspa-
per of our state. once a week for
month which paper has the widest cir
culation. Furthermore. every republican
newspaper in the state also printed the
call. The printed call was sent to every
prominent republican in the state, to wit.
the chairmen and secretaries of all coun-
ty committees. members of the state
central committee and all of the several
congressional committees: therefore you
can readily understand that your state
ment that provision was not made for
the holding of conventions in most of the
counties to select delegates to the state
convention is absurd error and
wholly untrue. and that a ticket of ad
mission to the convention. printed In
your paper with my name attached, was
printed without my knowledge or au
thorty. Therefore the visiting statesmen
referred to by you have evidently been
imposed upon by their employed bench
men.
''Three- fourths Of the delegates to the
republican state convention were white
men of high character and standing in
our state who have achieved business
success in the communities in which they
live, and nine-tenths of the duly qualified
delegates expressed themselves in favor
of instructions for the nomination of Sec
rotary Taft and under no circumstances
would they bolt and associate with a
mob, which was trying to hold a conven-
ton without authority, regularity or ere
dentials or any evidence that they con-
stituted any parliamentary body.
Record of the Convention.
1.-The record of the republican state con-
vention is as follows:
1.-The republican county committees
throughout the state. in compliance with
the call issued by the republican state
committee. ordered county conventions,
whereupon delegates were duly and law
fully elected and certified by the chair
man and secretary of such county con-
ventiOns. to the secretary of the repub-
lican state central committee. WHO is the
proper custodian of all such credentials.
"A meeting of the republican state CEN
trail committee was duly and lawfully
called to meet in the city of ST. Angus
tine, Fla. at 1890 O'Clock am, February
and adopting a temporary roll of the
state convention. which is the custom
throughout the United States, of all politi-
cal parties. There appeared only two le-
gal contests. with proper papers, before
the state committee. comprising ten dele
gates.
After the temporary roll had been
adopted by the state committee its OFF,
GERS proceeded to the auditorium of the
opera house, and when the chairman Of
convention to order and the secretary at
tempted to read the roll of delegates.
mob. none of whom were delegates en-
titled in any way to seats in the conven-
tion commenced a violent uproar and
endeavored in every way to destroy the
orderly proceedings of the convention.
The persons composing this mob mad
forced themselves into the convention
initiation of the regular tickets author
lied by the state committee, and the
name of the chairman of the state COM
mittee was printed thereto without his
knowledge or authority.
Called on the Police.
1.-The opera house had been hired by
a representative of the state committee
and prominent resident of st. Augustine
for the exclusive use of the regular repub-
lican state convention. When it was
seen that it was the sole object of this
mob to prevent the republican state or
ganiZatiOn from carrying on it's legiti-
mate work, Messrs. J. NJ. Coombs a banker
Of Apalachicola: NJ. b Macfarlane, a lead
ing lawyer of Tampa: r. F. McGourin, a
director of a bank in Pensacola: w. r.
O'Neal, leading citizen of South F1ori-
da; Henry S. Chubb. chairman Of the
state committee, and other leaders and
prominent citizens begged the chief of
police and the authorities to preserve or
der and remove from the hall all persons
who were not entitled to remain. This
they refused to do. and. finding that the
parties who were rightfully and law
fully entitled to the hall would not be
permitted 20 uSe it for their exclusive use
and FOR those for whom it was engaged
and th:,t the mob would be permitted to
remain in the hail. the republican state
convention proceeded with its business,
regardless of the confusion and adverse
demonstrations of the mob.
1.-THE secretary of the state central
committee read the roll of delegates, as
adopted by the state central committee,
when upon motion, temporary organiZa-
ton was effected, and a committee on
credentials was, upon motion appointe ed
in due form ty tire chairman. recess
of one hour was taken, and upon recon-
a committee on credentials made it's re-
port which was unanimously adopted.
Proceeded in Regular Form.
COMMITTEES. upon motions properly
made and carried. were appointed on
nominations for delegates to The national
conventions. committee on state organiza-
tions, committee on selection of five cleo
tors and resolutions were passed unani-
mously indorsing the great administration