The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-18
Arizona and Texas Cases

| Arizona ana eHdS Eases
As the reports of the delegate con-
tests on which Colonel Roosevelt
bases his charges of theft and fraud
become available the weakness of the
foundation for a third party becomes
more and more apparent. There were
contests filed, involving nearly 25O
seats most of them being brought by
the Roosevelt faction. 1t is generally
known that more than half of these
contests were thrown out by vote
that was unanimous or nearly so, in
a few instances three or four votes
being cast for the contestants.
The Roosevelt claims finally were
reduced to contests over 20 or 80 del
egates In order to make as many
,, as that it was necessary to include
l some cases where nearly or all the
2 Roosevelt members of the national
a committee had voted to seat the Taft
/ delegates, but this number was need
n ed in order to give Roosevelt a ma
, jority of the convention.
r The fact that loud cries of theft /
and fraud had been raised regarding !
K the election of Taft delegates against
;, whose right to be seated no shred of
real evidence could be brought would
a lead impartial judges to doubt the
~ worth of all the contests. At last the
Il charges were narrowed down to a
d. few States. One of these was Ari-
n IONA The State convention was held
X at TuscCn June 3. Although many
if contests had been filed only one final
ly ly was presented and both sets of
delegates were seated, giving each
IA delegate half a vote. After the tenn
- ! ;,o
% ton made for temporary chairman
about 20 of the SO delegates rushed
III to one side of the room and after IL
ar or 20 minutes of riotous confusion
they left the hall 1t was commended
to later that during this disorder Roose
nix welt delegates were elected. Afte
ery the confusion had subsidized 6S of tn,
and SO delegates proceeded in regular OF
a - der to elect delegates to Chicago, be
N ing in session about two hours and
half. The national committee, not be
ing able TO see how 6S could be les
ON than half of 80, seated the Taft del,
RIBS, gates. II is difficult to see how a ne'
lgs, party, having for its motto Tho
the shalt not steal" can be establishe
} ills on the Arizona case.
Many loyal republicans have bee
. inclined TO believe the Rooseve
charge that Taft delegates from Te
A. as were fraudulently seated Let an
a. dOubters read the statement of San
uel j. Elder, the famous lawyer, G
the Texas cases in which he says
g. I'm Texas the controversy over Il
II delegates-at-large turned on a poll
~ upon which it would seem that Il
progressives ought 10 have united
T unseating the delegates who bore Il
regular credentials. Their contest
- many States has been against Il
n bosses, but in no State has any sue
~ system of bossism existed as in Tex
The republican vote in that Stat
which in 1896 amounted to 167, 600
largely in the commercial and bui
ness sections of the State. The ru
under which Colonel Lyon has mai
tanned his position for all the int
mediate years is that each county
entitled to one vote and to one adj
tional vote for every major part
500 votes in excess of the first 81
So that a county with five republics
Vs. votes will have az much represent
ton in the St3te convention as o
n with 749 republican votes. The
~ arel00 counties in the State. wi
y less than 2000 republican votes. ma
and some with only two or three. +
years Colonel Lyon has received or,
entails from these rotten Ooroug
and by them has controlled the st;
conventions. During his regime
republican vote has fallen from II
OOo TO about 10000 in the State. I
yOrth contest this year resulted from an
Suits and was sustained I by g tps n SSs,'
now committee.
In the second Texas district
contest is a good illustration of
conditions which prevailed Colo
\ h0 Lyon appointed a district charm
IIlE 10 take the place of thhe charm
elected by the committee itself '
had resigned. This chairman. on
own initiative, called a district
vention. The committee, after tai
Al the advice of the attorney-gene
H. elected a different chairman and ,
N ed the district convention.
This convention was regul
held in the city hall. and sent
tne Taft delegates to Chicago
our Roosevelt convention was held i'm
= mayors Office of the ely hall bel
U.S. locked doors with six men pres
|. Z. all of whom had been in the reg
convention until after the credeI
committee had reported. These
n represented four out of the Il c
II1V ties of the district No roll call
asked for in the national commi
on the seating of these Taft
'OrK gates but it is one of the dist
,kes of which it is claimed that
Roosevelt was robbed"
Oh IL would have been possible
make up a very good case aga
seating the Roosevelt delegate
SC large from Massachusetts.
Lked president won on the prefere
vote. The Taft alternates were
ted by substantial majorities. but
risk Ing to the fact that there was OF
ticket an Independent Taft candi
for delegate many persons voted
nine instead of eight names.
IN about 10000 Taft ballots we're in
al dated. Nothing could be pls
S0t than that Massachusetts, intende
support Taft. This was so appa
that Roosevelt made a brave ;
v for fhaca