Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-15
COMMITTEE REsESTs ATTACKS
Chairman New ssyr Contests Were
Decided ON Merits.

Chairman New ssys Contests Were
Decided on Merits.
CHICAGO. june iA-No question has
given so much worry 70 the management
" Secretary Taft's candidacy for the presi-
dency as the criticism that the Taft dele
gates we're placed on the temporary roll
Of the convention by the steam roller"
process. The term steam roller" as ap-
piled to the decisions OF the national COM
mittee is resented alike by the members
OF the committee listed against Taft and
for Taft. Senator Scott OF West Virginia,
who has been as much opposed to the
nomination Of the secretary OF war, by
reason Of his preference of another candi-
date. as any member Of the committee, in
speaking of the settlement OF the contests
said today:
''The fact OF the matter Is that as honor
able men there was no other action for
the members of the committee to take. The
'%aIiies" brought their cases before us
poorly prepared. often they had no case
at all on which to base a contest. The
other side came before us with cases care
fully prepared, and having able lawyers to
present their arguments. 1t is not right TO
say that the committee was prejudiced In
favor OF Mr.. Taft"
chairman new, WnOm no ptIhbh WuGfA
charge with being In favor of the nominal
ton Of Secretary Taft, said; FL
"The truth Is the allies did not have
their cases well In hand, but I do not think
Major Fred c.. Bryan. general counse for
the allies can be charged with the lame
ness OF the evidence. I think he did re-
markably we'll considering the evidence
given him by the men who had charge from
the various states. The committee was dis
posed TO help the allies wherever possible
and tried to make cases for them In some
instances, notably the two Virginia dis
tricts. The allies however, failed utterly
in many instances to present proof OF their
allegations"
Similar views have been expressed by
Senators Crane and Hepburn, both of whom
have been opposed to the, nomination OF
Secretary Taft. Naturally the secretary's
hackers are united in defense of the &C
ton of the committee.
Senator Lodge, who sat as a proxy
throughout the contests. said;
"I do not see in reviewing the work Of the
committee how the cases on their merit could
have been decide differently. 1 am not
conscious of a single case In which l should
have voted otherwise than as / did II. 1
had no interest in any candidate whatever
or had been opposed to Mr.. Taft. The
great bulk OF the southern cases, which
constituted the mass Of the contests, were
utterly frivolous and ought never to have
been brought before the committee. Then
the Taft cases were admirably planned
from beginning to end, the arguments were
legal, the arguments we're complete, the ev-
idence was full. AS a rule, on the other
side in the southern cases no facts were
k--a-t.a ..a 100000 nR fNoaI ,,,Nu
the committee was obliged to listen to
stump speeches which had no bearing on
the cases whatever. In the few northern
contests both sides were we'll presented and
were decided as. strictly on their merits, in
my opinion, as possible. The committee
gave half votes in Louisiana to the con-
t~estants, although the Warmoth delegation
clearly had a legal case. because that del
egation in speeches and declarations had
drawn the race line in a manner which the
republican party cannot tolerate. In the
same manner the committee seated two
Foraker delegates in Virginia. In one of
the Ohio districts the contest was so close
that l myself moved to Divide Vthe delegs-
ton between the Taft and Foraker men.
The Taft men won in nearly all the con-
tests for the simple reason that their op-
ponents, as a rule. presented no case what
ever, offe. ed defamation instead Of argu-
ment and demonstrated by their own pre-
sentation that the contests were friyilous
and in many case apparently manufactured
as an afterthought."
A. M. Stevenson, the member from
Colorado and a Taft worker said:
Each party to these contests was given
the full time allotted by the rules of the
committee without regard to the merits
OF his case. More than 90 per cent OF the
contests were determined by a viva voce
vote and with practical unanimity. In nc
contest case was there a roll call. MANY
OF the contests were Of the most frivolous
character and II was shameful to take the
time OF the committee for their consider.
alton. In every case where seats were
awarded to friends Of Secretary Taft, thu
contests were decided strictly on their mer
its and In most OF the cases where hi:
opponents were seated they were seated
without having a title from the regularly
constituted authority OF the party and FOL
the reason that the committee was on
posed to anything tainted with Lily While
ISM"
National Committeeman e. C. Duncan O
North Carolina declared that the hearing
Of the contests had been marked with i'm
partial Justice. Nothing could have beer
~fairer,'' declared Mr.. Duncan. Some Of tn,
cases that were presented were so films,
that the presentation of them to the com
mittee was arrant nonsense. but notwith
standing all that. in every instance the,
were heard throughout and efforts wer,
even made to contruct a respectable cas-
out of the fragments presented"
There were 29 seats involved in the con
tests before the national committee. bu
It is not thought that one-half that mum
Der will be carried to the credentials com
mittee. No appearance will be made Il
many of the cases.
II you will make inquiry 1t will be
revelation to you how many succumb L
kidney or bladder troubles in one form