Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-09-29
THE OLDGUARD'
LOST THE FIGHT
Col. Roosevelt Won IN New York
Convention
THE VOTE WAS Ss7 TO AS
In His Speech He Made . Strong Plea
for Direct Primaries So People
Could Select candl-
date. NJ

Saratoga, N. n, sept. zoo ne uep
TIMES Of the Republican party In New
York state changed hands Wnen
after the bitterest verbal battle ever
fought out on convention floor
theodore Roosevelt won the cFucia
point in the fight by defeating Vice
President Sherman, the candidate o.
the old guard for the temporary chair
manshIp, by vote Of Roosevelt 5S7
Sherman 445.
The battle was not won until ter
rife blows were given and received
BY both sides. Probably the hardest
arrangement that the ex-presideni
had ever received came from Abra'
ham Gruber, q New York city district
leader, who seconded the nomination
OF Mr.. Sherman
An Attack on Roosevelt.
Gruber's attack on Roosevelt FOL
lowed a short and startling speech BY
Timothy i. Woodruff. In which he
said that President Taft had asked
that Sherman be endorsed by the con
yention.
Theodore Roosevelt, gaSed down
from the platform Of the state conven
ton here over a scene Of wild tumult
He had whipped the old guard, the
progressives had elected him TEN
porary chairman OF the convention by
a vote Of 567 against 445 for Vice
President James A. Schoolcraft Sher-
man. He had downed the machine
leaders by a majority Of 1872 votes
over his adversary. 1t was not as
large majority as the ex-president
had calculated upon, but It had won
a desperate fight.
Col. Roosevelt stood with head erect
and shoulders thrown back as he sur
veyed the madly cheering delegates
who had helped him beat the machine
and the forlorn delegates Of the old
guard were heartsick- He tapped the
table before him with his fingers as
the CLINT Of victory shone In his
flushed face. His Jaws were firmly
set. He had overwhelmed his op.
ponents. Now he was to make his
revenge more complete by trying to
run the "bosses" out Of the party
A Thorough Revenge.
It was In every sense a thorough
revenge for the rundown given him
by the state executive committee on
August IS when Vlce-Presldent Sher-
man was picked out as the man to be
the temporary chairman.
The vice-president, who made the
fight Of his life to keep Col. Roosevelt
from getting the upper hand, escorted
the victorious colonel to the platform
after State Chairman Timothy "
Woodruff had appointed him and
Cornelius Collins, state superin
tendent Of prisons. Roosevelt's chief
aid at the convention, for that pur
pose.
The convention broke into deafen
ing cheers as the colonel started to
speak and he had to bang his gavel
until he could make himself heard.
The former president lost no time in
telling the convention that be would
rid the party of the bosses
Turned the "Rascals' out,
"There is no need for any other
party to raise the cry Turn the ras.
Gals out for we have turned our own
rascals out was the colonels way Of
defining the vistory he had achieved
over the machine.
The former president praised the
administration Of President Taft. He
was unstlnting in pralsing Gov.
Hughes for the reforms he had under.
taken and laid particular emphasis
upon the race track legislation pushed
through by the governor.
Mr.. Roosevelt made a strong point
for the direct primary issue, saying
that he stood for law that would
make II possible for the neople't to dc
termine who their candidates should
be, instead Of having candidates
forced upon them. The primary ISSUE
together with his attack upon bosses,
formed the keynote OF his speech.