Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-07-29
Lengthy Statement, Previously
Approved by Cabinet, Issued
Through National Chairman
HlIIeS,
SCORES CONTESTS FILED
BY ROOSEVELT ADHERENTS
ScathingIy DenounceS UnSup-
ported Charges of Fraud in
Settling of Disputed DeIega-
tionS at Chicago.


IBy Morning Journal special Leased wire.I
Washington, July 2S.--A statement.
approved by President Taft, defend
ing his nomination by the Chicago
convention, was made public at the
White House today. It reviews every
contest before the republican national
committee and the credentials COM
mttee of the convention and asserts
that each contest was settled logically,
upon its merits. The statement was
submitted to the cabinet at a recent
meeting and received the approval
of the presidents official family.
The statement. which is a lengthy
document, of 144 printed pages. is Il
detailed denial of the charge that the
denomination of President Taft was
accomplished by the seating of fraud
ulently elected delegates to the con-
vcntion. 1t takes up individually the
23S contests instituted by the Roose-
Welt forces against Taft delegates who
were seated, and presents evidence in
each of these cases to show that the
Taft delegates were regularly elected.
resume of the statement, pre-
President Taft's secretary and now
chairman of the republican national
committee, takes up each contest
briefly.
This resume opens with the declara-
ton that the Roosevelt contests, as
originally filed before the national
committee were not instituted in good
faith
The total number of delegates
summoned to the convention says
the resume, was LOIS, with $40
necessary to choice. Mr.. Taft had Sol
votes on the first and only ballot and
was declared the nominee. There We're
Instituted against 23S of the delegates
regularly elected for Taft, contests on
behalf of Roosevelt. These contests
were avowedly instigated not for the
purpose of really securing seats in the
convention, not for the purpose of ad-
ducing evidence which would lead
any respectable court to entertain the
contests, but for the purpose of de-
ceivng the public into the belief that
Mr. Roosevelt had more votes than
he really had, AS the conventions and
~ lbdiltS Wtit III plobi it'r ibl tiiS
selection of delegates. The 23S con-
tests were reduced by abandonment,
formal or insubstance, to seVenty-four. |
The very fact of these 164 frivolous
contests itself reflects upon the gen
uineness and validity of the remain
der"
The resume then enumerates the
contests, and reviews the arguments
in each case. The review of the evil
dence in the contests embraced in the
White House statement is certified to |
by Victor Rosewater chairman OF
the national committee, and Thomas
II. Devine. chairman of the crcdcn- |
tlas committee. AS an appendix the
statement carries in detail the vote
in the national committee on each
OF the contests. and a statement OF |
the dates of the TAFT and Roosevelt
conventions in contested states. The
object of the latter is to show that the
Roosevelt delegates were chosen after
the regular conventions had named
Tart representatives..
Another appendix is the report of
the credentials committee to the con
N'HNlVIi, III WiliCl lUt statement
sued by the Roosevelt committeeman
attacking the majority Of the commit
tee was answered. In discussing the
charge. the report said:
The statement as a whole in its
insinuations of combination of un-
worthy motive, in its recital of al
legged facts, is grossly and maliciously
untrue 1t was intended to convey
the impression that the time for
hearing cases was so limited as TO
prevent their being properly present
ed to the committee. The untruth-
tulness of this statement is clearly Il
shown by the records of the commit
tee and the newspaper reports of it's
deliberations. Not only did the rules
make liberal provision for time in
presenting the cases. but in every in
stance where the parties presenting
the cases. or any member of the com
mittee. asked for an extension OF
time. it was granted"
The statement of the Roosevelt
members of the committee asserted
that the speed with which the creden-
tials committee brought in reports
made it evident that the reports had
been prepared beforehand" In reply
10 this statement the appendix to the
White House statement said:
In regard to the assertion that re-
ports We're prepared in advance OF
the action of the committee on ere
uentials. no one of the gentlemen
who makes this statement will stateI