The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-05
EH0CH AT LANSING TAFT men ON DECK
Governor Investigate the Hold Proxies of Absent Dele
Prison Situation. gates at Chicago.
what Causes Stir at
homa Convicts. Committee Meeting.
mo NOTICE Is SERVED. HOLD A SESSION TODAY
Have to Stay National Committee Meets to
i'm Kansas. Decide Contests.
Not Anxious Senator Knox
Keep Them Files Formal Protest
Hold Proxies of Absent Dele
gates at Chicago.
Announcement Causes a Stir at
Committee Meeting.
HOLD ASESSION TODAY
National Committee Meets to
Decide Contests.
Senator Knox's Representative
Files Formal Protest.

Chicago, June 5.-The Republican
national committee met at II O'Clock
today in the Annex to the Coliseum to
consider the contests for seats as dele
gates in the national convention. The
committees decision when favorable to
claims of delegates will entitle them
to seats on the temporary roll call.
Nearly all the members of the national
committee had arrived and it was in
tended to push the hearings as rapidly
as possible
The first contest to come from the
committee was that of Alabama whose
entire delegation is contested. 1t had
been arranged yesterday that the dis
trict contests should be consolidated
into one with the state at large and
1T was believed probable that all OF
the evidence would be heard within
four hours. The consideration of the
testimony it was expected would &C.
cupy the committee for the remainder
of the day.
The Foraker headquarters which it
was announced yesterday would be
not materialize according to schedule,
but Charles L. MurtZ of Columbus, o.,
made his appearance as the representa-
tive of the Ohio senator.
The boom of Senator Knox (Pa-) was
scheduled for official launching today
on the arrival of Representative James
F. Burke of Pittsburg.
There We're contests to be heard at
fecting 223 seats, the number having
been diminished by six because of the
failure of three contesting districts to
qualify.
No sooner was the committee room
door closed, shutting off the COM
mittee from the lobby in which man
ayers of candidates, attorneys for con-
testants some of the contestants them
ers than it was noised about that
Frank H. Hitchcock, the Taft man
ager, had gone inside with the proxy
of Solomon Luna, of New Mexico.
This discovery was followed by an
other that Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts, Taft supporter, held the
proxy of Henry D. Mccoy. of the
Philippines and Arthur E. Slater, of
the state of Washington, held the
proxy of John G. Heiv of Alaska Mr.
Slater was employed by the Taft cam
pagin management.
The presence of so many Taft man
ayers caused a noticeable stir in the
camp fthe anti-Taft men and the
protests were vehement few minutes
later when it was learned that Alex
North Dakota. had failed to appear.
Charles G. Phelps showed up with the
Mckenzie proxy and took seat in
the COMMITTEES room. inquiry dis
closed the fact that Mr. Phelps aIso
is an employe fthe Taft headquarters
and has just been transferred from
Washington to Chicago.
Mr.. Knox's Protest.
Representatives James Francis
Burke, of Pittsburg, manager for Sem
ator Knox, made a formal protest
against Hitchcock, Slater and Phelps
the committee. His protest was as
follows:
We formally protest against being
compelled to submit the merits of our
contest to the Republican national
committee as at present constituted
in this meeting:
First for the reason that Frank H.
Hitchcock has been directly interest
ed in the management of the cam
paign of one whose cause is directly
involved, is therefore disqualified to
sit in judgment in this case.
Second, because the said Frank H.
Hitchcock, processes to represent the
territory of New Mexico, of which ter
rltory he is not a resident nor a quail
flied voter, nor the regular or prop
erly chosen national committeeman
from the said Territory and therefore
not qualified to sit in this case.
The protest in regar dto Phelps and
Slater was Identical except that they
were termed employees instead Of man
ayers. Sec. Dover of the national COM
mittee, announced that the protests
against Hitchcock. Slater and Phelps
had been laid on the table without di-
vision. 1t was the sentiment of the
committee that it could not inquire
into the validity of proxies regularly
executed by member of the national
committee.
The first case taken up by the COM
mittee was that of the state Of Ala
bama, the state at large and district
contests being consolidated. Four hours
for arguments in this case were al
lowed.
The committee is to meet each day
at 10 o'clock a. m. The contests will be
taken up in alphabetical order.
The committee was represented by
it's regularly elected membership with
the exception of a dozen proxies, in
Guiding the following: California. Sem
| ator Fuller of Oregon; South Dakota,
| Elmer Dover; Utah, Representative
| Joseph E. Howell; Alaska, Arthur F.
| Slater, Hawaii, George B. Mcclellan,
New Mexico, Frank H. Hitchcock:
Philippine islands, Senator Henry
/ 10