Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-05

the contests the result Of which will en-
title delegates to seats in the convention
on the temporary roll call. Nearly all
members of the national committee ar
rived last night or early today. and 1t
was the intention to push the work as
rapidly as possible until all the contests
have been heard
Hearing Alabama Contests.
, The first hearing to come before the
committee was that OF Alabama. where
the entire delegation is contested. 1t had
been arranged yesterday that the district
contests should be consolidated into one
with the state at large. and it was be
lieved that all the evidence would be
heard within four hours. The considcra-
ton of the testimony. it was expected
will occupy the committee for the re
mainder of the day.
IAN members of the republican national
| committee are requested to meet in this
| room now" loudly called William +.
| Stone, the sergeant-at- arms of the ma
tionai convention. from the doorway OF
| the room at the Coliseum annex.
/ The emphasis which Mr. Stone threw
into the word now caused a score or
more of the tagging members to hurry
| into the room, and the fight was on.
| There were contests to be heard affecting
| 223 seats the number having been di'
! minished by six because of the failure
of three contesting districts to qualify.
! Taft Workers Hold Proxies.
| No sooner was the door closed, shut
ting off the committee from the lobby
| in which waited managers CT candidates,
| attorneys for contestants. some of the
| contestants themselves. members of the
press and others, than it noised
about that Frank II. Hitchcock. the Taft
manager. had gone inside with the proxy
of Solomon Luna Of New Mexico
This discovery was followed by another.
that Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. d
Taft supporter. held the proxy of Henry
u. Mccoy of the Philippines. and Arthur
F. Statter of the state of Washington held
the proxy of John G. Heiv of Alaska. Mr.
Statter Is employed by the Taft cam
paign management.
| The presence of so many Taft managers
caused noticeable stir in the camp of
| the anti-Taft men. and the protests were
vehement few minutes later when il was
learned that Alexander Mckenzie the
member from North Dakota. had failed
| to appear Charles C. Phelps showed up
with the Mckenzie proxy. and took seat
| In the committee room. Inquiry disclosed
the fact that Mr.. Phelps also is an en-
pIove of the Taft headquarters, and has
! lust been transferred from Washington 10
Chicago.
/ >
| Representative James Francis Burke o.
| Pittsburg manager for Senator hhoA.
| and acting for all the anti-Tafs inte' es.s.
| made a formal protest against Hitchcock
| Statter and Phelps being permitted to
| sit as members of the committee HIS
protest was as follows:
I'VE formally protest against being
| compelled to submit the merits OF our
| mittee as at present constituted IN this
! meeting:
"First-For he reason that Frank H.
| Hitchcock. who has been directly inter
| ested in the management Of the cam
| paign of one of the candidates whose
/ cause is directly involved is therefore
| disqualified TO sit in judgment in this
| case.
''Second-Because lie said Frank II
Hitchcock processes to represent the ter
! ritory of New Mexico Of which territory
! lie is not a resident nor qualified voter.
| nor the regular or properly chosen ma
! tional committeeman from the said terri
! tory and therefore not qualified TO sill
/ in This case.
| The protest III regard TO Phelps and
Statter was Identical. except that they
We're termed employees instead of man
| ager Of one of the candidates.
Protests Tabled.
| At 12::'1 o clock Secretary Dover of the
| national committee announced that tie
protests against Hitchcock. Statter and
| Phelps had been laid on the table with
| out division. 1t was the sentiment of the
| committee that il could not inquire into
| the validity of proxies regularly executed
| by member of the national committee.
| The first case taken up by the commit
| tee was that of the state of Alabama. the
| state al large and district contests being
| consolidated. and two hours allowed to
| each side for the presentation of it's evil
dence. II was agreed by the committee
| that in all other cases thirty minutes
| should be allowed in contests involving
| delegates at large. and fifteen minutes for
| contests concerning district delegates
/ Procedure Decided Upon.
/ In handling the contests the committee
decided that all of its sessions shall be of
an executive character. The committee
is 10 meet each day at ~ o'clock m.
and continue in session. without lunch
recess. until a final adjournment for the
day is taken The contests will be taken
up in the alpha betical order of the states,
territorial and delegate districts following.
| II was agreed that evidence used in one
case in any state may be used III any
other contest from the same state. as
many Of the points at issue arc identical
! III Il number Of the contests.
Proxies Presented
Tie committee, in Its deliberations. was
represented by its regularly elected mem
bership. with the exception of the follow
ing proxies:
/ California. Senator Charles W. Fuller
Oregon: Florida. Henry $. Chubb Ken
tuciy: John w. McCulloch. Michigan:
Dallas Boudeman. Nebraska. Victor Rose
water: North Dakota. Charles q. Phelps:
South Dakota. Elmer Dover: Utah. Rep
resentative Joseph T.. Howell: Wisconsin.
/ l.. a ftar
Hawaii George b. Mcclellan. New Mex
leo. Frank II. Hitchcock; Philippine Is
lands. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.
In arranging the arguments in the Ala
tba ma contest one and one-half hours was
allowed to the Davidson Scott faction for
the opening. two hours to the Thompson
faction and an additional thirty minutes
to the Davidson-Scott faction in which 10
close
The Foraker headquarters. which ii was
announced yesterday would be opened in