Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-12
ALL TENNESSEE
DELEGATES ARE
SURE FOR TAFT
II DISTRICTS GIVE HIM 49
VOTES AT LEAST
NATIONAL COMMITTEE PUTS IN
QUIET BUT BUSY DAY
South Carolina Contests In First and
Fifth Also Go to Secretary of
War - oIIver-HaIe Fac
tlons lmmaterla!
BY Associated Press,

By Associated Press
CHICAGO, June 1.-THE Republican
national committee today reached
Tennessee In the alphabetical list of
states while deciding contests for
seats on the temporary roll call.
The work today settled contests in
two delegations at large and twenty
one districts. a total of fifty delegates
OF these, Taft is certain to have forty
nine and may possibly have them ALL
The uncertain delegate halls from the
Eighth Tennessee district, and it is
not positively known how he will vote.
He belongs however, to the oliver fac
ton in that state, the majority of
whom were instructed for Taft.
When the committee adjourned for
the day. counting the Taft votes Sc
cured today as fifty, his managers
claim a total number of delegates on
the temporary roll call actually in
structed and not Including delegates
for Taft either by Endorsement or
declaration to be 554.
According to estimates made by the
allies the number is 500, this estimate
being based on the latest figures Issued
by the allies.
The work OF the committee today
excited much less interest than that
of any previous session.
Visitors Are Absent
The visitors. who were numerous on
former occasions, were for the most
part absent today and as a rule only
such people visited the Coliseum where
the committee is in session as had
business to transact.
The South Carolina contests were
the first called, they being from the
First and Fifth districts. Both were
given TO Taft after short hearings.
The hearing of the contests from
Tennessee occupied by far the greater
part of the day, each side being al
lowed two hours for presentation of
evidence and arguments.
The fight here grew out of a fac
tional struggle over issues in Tennes-
see, all of the Hale element being in
structed for Taft and the majority of
their opponents. who were dubbed the
"Oliver delegates" being also for the
secretary of war.
The result was five Taft men were
seated in all but the Eighth district.
where the delegation was divided at
the earnest request of National Com
mitteeman Brownlow, who asked that
II be done in order to give the Repub-
licans of that district an improved
chance of defeating the present Demo-
cratic congressman.
The splitting of the delegation, how
ever, is not likely to make any diff
ference to Taft. insomuch as none of
the Oliver delegates were instructed
for anybody else and the greater num-
ber of them had been directed to vote
for him.
Threatened with Hatchet
The hearing of these cases produced
the only picturesque scenes of the
day. Jesse M. Littleton, counsel for
the Oliver delegates. displayed huge
hatchet with which he said the lives
of the Oliver faction had been threat
ened
Newell Sanders, chairman of the state
central committee, supplied counter
irritant to the Littleton hatchet ex-
hibition by telling In his arguments of
the desperate fight which the Hale
men were compelled to make before
how big colored man was about to
chop him with an Oliver hatchet be-
fore some of the Hale men put the
negro suddenly into state of coma
His account of the struggle in the con-
vention hall was received by the COM
mittee with much interest.
The hearing of the Texas cases came
next and In these the contests over the
seats for the delegates-at-large, and
from the Third Fourth. Sixth, Seventh,
Ninth and Thirteenth. Fourteenth, Fiji
teenth and Sixteenth districts were
the delegates from the faction headed
by Cecil A Lyon, the present national
committeeman from Texas were
seated.
All Completely Beaten
The "reorganized Republicans" who
contested in every one of these dis
tricts. were completely defeated, not
receiving a single delegate.
After this decision the committee ad-
iourned until tomorrow
1t is understood, although no official
announcement to that effect was made,
that the contests in the Second and
Twelfth Texas districts will be with
drawn and that the arguments only
will 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 gen.
orally, asserted there Is no doubt that
their votes will be cast for Tart.
IT is the earnest desire of the COM
mittee to finish it's work tomorrow
night and in order to facilitate this
1t has been decided the remaining con-
tests from Texas are to be consolidated,
as also will be those from Virginia.
The situation around the hotels was
but little more active than yesterday
no entire delegation being as yet upon
the ground.
Brings the PIatrorm
The most important arrival of the
day was that OF Wade H. Ellis, attor-
nty general of Ohio. who brought with
E.m a draft of the platform. Hs re-
feused to discuss its provisions. but
asserted that. in his opinion, u would
be the ''best platform that any political
rarity has sanct'cn in recent years."
A number or Pennsylvania delegates
! arrived during the day and announced
that Senator Knox was in the fight TO
a finish, and the bigger the fight The
brighter they believed his chances win
be.
S. s. Stephenson of Ohio, who opened
4 the Foraker headquarters TODAY, made
/ similar announcement in behalf of
the Ohio sen itor, asserting he would
MT. urder any Gil lcustances withdraw
before the en- OF the voting.
1t is possible hard fight Will result
I in the meeting of the resolutions COM
4 mittee over the opposing panks which
(Contfnued on Page Twol