Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-06-10
THE. TAFT. FORCES !: +:
GAINING STRENGTH.
VIM. Il. Captures Most Of the Contest
ed Delegations -We|Fknown Lead
eTs Are Arriving at Chicago.

Chicago, June 9.-After working for
four days and with five additional days
yet to come before the meeting of the
convention, the Republican national
committee adjourned late today with
two-flfths of it's contests decided. This
is based on the actual number of con-
tests filed, 60 having yet to be heard,
while Al have been settled. 1t is prob
able, however, that the committee has
finished about one-half of the total
amount of work imposed on it by the
numerous contesting delegations from
the Southern states. There are in Tex
as contests on delegates -at-large and
each OF the Ii districts. These will be
consolidated, reducing the aggregate
number Of cases yet to be heard to
A. There is a possibility also, that 9TH
er consultations may be made in Vir-
ginia and other states
The committee today decided 16 con-
tests affecting Sc delegates. OF these
q arc Taft men and the remaining
nine, all of whom are BLACK and
Tans" from Louisiana, and have ten
tativcly agreed that they will cast
their votes for Taft. There is how
ever, .Il9 binding agreement to that eff
feet f
The contests decided today compro-
mise the ,delegates-atI large of Louis
lana and Missouri, 20 districts in LOU
isiana, six districts in Mississippi and
one in Missouri. The Louisiana con-
test, which was the most important of
the day, resulted in split delegation.
the committee deciding on division
of 20 to 30 to seat both the Lilly
White" or Taft delegation. and the
"Hlack and Tan" with half a vote for
each. This agreement was not reach
ed until after repeated conferences and
much anxious teegraphing and telc-
phonng between Chicago and Wash
ingtcn. The decision finally reached
by the committee was carried out with
TIE full consent and approval of both
Sec. Taft and President Roosevelt 1t
provided that the Republican party In
Louisiana shall be rc-organiZed under
the direction of a committee of three.
composed OF fair men, the secretary
and one member of the. incoming ma
tional committee.
Tnc agreement as reached between
the Taft and anti-Taft elements of
the room and later carried into effect
by that body was highly displeasing to
the Lilly Whites" headed by Cover
nor Yarmouth. The governor declared
with great emphasis that he would
not accept the compromise, but would
carry the fight before the credentials
committee and If defeated there he
would go home Other members of the
Lilly White" faction were not so en-
phatic In their statements and the Taft
managers are hopeful that they can
bring them to see the wisdom of to-
days action before the national con-
vention is called to order.
The BLACK and Tan" accepted tho
compromise with entire satisfaction.
1t was originally supposed that their
votes. II they had been seated as del
egates, would be cast for Senator For
aker. but after the committee had set
tied the contest hey announced that
they were uninstructed and entered in
TO tentative arrangement by virtue
OF which their votes will be cast for
Sec. TAFT. They claimed that they were
Hghtlng especially for recognition of
their organization and that with them
al! other questions were comparatively
dWarfed The agreement to vote for
Taft. however. is not binding, and to
al fntents and purposes the "BIack
and Tan" votes from Louisiana are
uninstructed.
something of a sensation was Gre
ated during the hearing of the Louis
lana contest by Ormsby McHarg of
washington. general counsel for all of
the contesting Taft delegations. Mr..
McHarg had not been informed by the
political managers of the settlement
ana during his argument before the
committee declared that there would
bs no compromise, stating that he had
visited the South "at the request of
the next President of the United
States" his words plainly referring to
the secretary Of war.
Senator w. ID. Hepburn of Idaho
was on his feet the instant Mr.. Nc
Harg had concluded his argument
The senator was livid with wrath and
protested vehemently against the Ian
guage used by the attorney, declar-
ing that 1t was nothing less than a
threat intended to compel the COM
mittce to act as he desired. The Taft
men on the committee attempted to
smooth it over. but Senator Scott of
West Virginia refused to be reconcilcd
and declared that he believed that Mr..
4cHarg had spoken exactly as he
thought and that he was not attempt
ing to browbeat the committee. Later
MIR. McHarg. in addressing the COM
mittee on the Mississippi contests, Of
fered a graceful apology. saying that
he had spoken merely as counsel, and
not for the secretary of war
This closed the incident entirely ex-
cept when Mr.. McHarg called upon
the Taft managers and expressed his
opinion of their conduct in letting him
go before the committee to make an
argument without being possessed of
full and accurate information of what |
the Taft people proposed to do.
The division of the Louisiana COM |
promise was the first test of strength |
since the committe met. This was not |
decisive because a number of anti |
Taft men voted for the settlement. La
ter, however, a vote was taken at the |
conclusion of hearing of tile con-
test from the 4th Mississippi district |
Scott of Alabama call
ed for a division, and 80 members of