Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-25
The California Case.
Editor Courier:

Editor Courier:
The unfair false cry Of fraud in the
convention that nominated Taft is sc
persistently reiterated that am led to
write Of it briefly.
For the sake of brevity I take up a
single case which Mr.. Roosevelt desig-
mated as the browning theft committed
and that was the case where the San
Francisco congressional district was
given the two Taft delegates, because
1t so voted, though the state went
largely for Roosevelt.
Let us try now to examine this case
fairly. The republican party Is volun-
tary organizations great host Of
American citizens. having like legal
status with partnership in business
between individuals. 1t sprang into life
upon the attempted encroachment of
ments are not second even in glory to
the work of the founders Of the repub-
lie.
That party thirty odd years ago
made rule to govern the election of
delegates to national conventions and
that rule was that each state should
elect four delegates representative of
the two senator's, and that each con-
gressional district should choose its
two delegates. That rule has been fol-
lowed ever since.
Last winter the national committee
met and called the convention In ac-
coydance with these rules. Then Call
fornia provided by primary that the
state at large should choose the whole
delegation. That state took away from
the people Of the districts their right to
elect their own delegates.
Now mark you, as have said the
republican party Is an association COW
erning all the states and they all
abided by the terms Of the call SO far
as now recollect except California.
Now my reader. put this plump
contentious answer: By what right,
legal or moral had the republicans OF
California to any representation in
that convention? They had spat upon
the call, instead of giving liberty of
choice in the broadcast terms by dis
tricts, as had for years been the custom
Of the party and the call this year pro-
vided.
The national committee did not see
fit to stand on the rule further than
to apply it to the district that showed
q majority for Taft This Mr.. Roose-
welt charged as the boss steal. If there
was any attempt to steal 1t was by
Roosevelt. The prevarication Of Teddy
seems fully commensurate with his
Wanting ambition.
Why do I use this strong language?
I will answer by citing one of many
things that has occurred in his con-
duct in the past few months. He stump
ed Illinois. declaiming everywhere that
Taft was the friend of Lorimer, when
he had, months before. received from
Taft, in the course of their CORES
pondence, letter declaring Taft's OPP
position to Lorimer This letter Taft
gave to the public to refute the charge.
Why did Roosevelt do this? To get
votes.
was in the national convention in
1880 that nominated Garfield. The rule
have referred to was the rule then,
and recall the great struggle on the
floor of the convention to overthrow
that rule The imperious Roscoe Conk-
ling Of New York was leading the fight
against Blaine, whom he hated SUI
premely, and then as now, 1t was Il
third term fight. A little over 800 dele
gates in that convention sought q third
term for General Grant. The state con-
vention of Illinois tried to enforce the
unit rule. 1t was fight Of nearly. or
quite, a whole days session, and it
was the noisiest and most disgraceful
of any convention battle I ever wit
messed. There were seven Of the dis