The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-15

the vote to appeal from the decision
of the chair.
Debate on Primary.
There were 81 committeeman pres
emf out of the los in the state. and ~
| proxies, leaving 27 counties not repre-
sented. The Taft men had over SO
votes out of the IS qualified members
present, after the secretary had re-
| corded all credentials at the close OF
the roll call vote.
The rael fight of the committee was
] started when Dykes of Smith county
read call for a state convention 70
be held, a blank date at a blank 1ocd-
ton and moved its adoption.
Billings of Marion moved to amend
| the motion by holding state wide
| primary.
The Taft men present called for a
vote at once, but Chairman DoHey
asked for time to discuss the amend
ment before vote was taken pc
lieve, gentlem en," said Dolley, that
this question should be discussed be-
| fore it is summarily disposed Of
| Thousands of voters are, to my posi-
] tive knowledge, clamoring for prl-
mary so that they can expires them
! important matter and handled hastily
and injudiciously now may cost US
party success in November"
| Mr. Dolley was assailed by ques.
| tons from MulVane, Gov. Bailey and
other leaders. Mulvane, National
committeeman, declared that the Dol
/ ley primary plan would not in his
| opinion, be regarded as complying
Your state convention would pc
merely a canvassing board under this
primary plan," concluded Mulvane-
Gov. Bailey attacked the primary
| plan because it did not safeguard
party lines. Bailey praised Chairman
| Dolley'ss fairness and ability in running
the committee and presenting his prl-
| mary ideas, and the committee cheer
ed heartily for its chairman
The fight was bitter and the oratory
| assembled to heaven like the council
fires of party of Sioux on the war
path. But it did no good. The regu-
the summer Of 1910 and ran the steam
roller over the men who had sat at
the helm Of that steam roller at the
| above mentioned party council
DoIley Fights to Last.
Dolley, the old Roman, staid at his
the tumultuOus session and fought to
the finish for the primary idea
Every time the committee rolled him
he came up and wiped away the loan
and bucked that roller again.
1t was failing fight, but the I'M
disciplined and unorganized forces
never had a chance with the Taft
snowplough. Every cog and wheel
was working to perfection. There was
plenty of power and plenty of fuel.
The call for the convention was
read and passed. The day of May s
was set and Independence named
as the place.
Taft Resolutions Adopted.
Then the Taft resolutions were read
amid great applause and passed with
a rush. The Roosevelt men may make
excuses and charges and give thou
sand reasons why, but the real reason
Taft was endorsed was because he had
the votes seated in the committee. The
other reasons don't matter. The Roose-
welt leaders were outgeneraled. They
did not work early enough or hard
enough. They had no system, no or
der, no organization. That was their
/ fault, not the fault of the Taft sup
porters. The Roosevelt men toiled
not, neither did they spin and while
| they may have been white as the pro-
verbal lily, they did not have the
votes.
When the roll call of the committee
was made and the proxies began to re-
spond for the absent committeeman
the fight was on. But the proxies
voted. The Roosevelt men did not
| have the votes SUFFICIENT to keep them
from voting. With the proxies allow
ed to vote it was all over but the
| shouting.
The Taft resolutions were plain,
strong and to the point. They pointed
with pride to the presidents splendid
record, endorsed his acts and declared
| that he had redeemed the party plat
denomination and praised his leader
ship.
Resolutions Endorse Taft.
In effect the resolutions passed by
| the committee were as follows:
| I'VE, the Republican state central
| committee of Kansas, heartily endorse
President Taft and the unsurpassed
| accomplishments of his administra-
| ton We are proud of the enactment
| of the platform pledges into laws and
| believe that the party promises have
all been redeemed. We are proud of
his high craftsmanship as head of the
party and we declare for his renomi-
nation at Chicago
This is practically the same endorse
ment of the president as that passed
/ by the First district congressional
| committee here yesterday. But it is
| significant that while the congress
| sional committee endorsed Senator
| Curtis in the resolutions the state
committee resolution omitted any
mention of senator or candidate for
| senator, confining the endorsement to
| president only.
Ryder for Convention.
DR.. L. E. Ryder, committeeman from
Shawnee, opposed the primary plan on
| the grounds that the county commit
tees had no money, on hand with
| means of raising the money.
Mckinley of Wichita spoke for the
! primary plan. His county committee
favored II, ne Salu, ana ne was the
| servant of his committee.
| Yaggey of Hamilton county spoke
eloquently for the convention over the
| primary plan.
Edwin Corbin of Greenwood. an old
| man, who said he had voted first for
Lincoln, made a rousing speech for
| the primary and for Roosevelt. He
made corking speech and was cheer
ed time and again.
Davis of Kiowa spoke eloquently
and logically against the primary
plan.