The Coconino sun., 1912-10-04
THE ATTEMPT THAT WAS MADE TO STEAL THE NOMINATION
 FOR ROOSEVELT.
SCORES OF FAKE CONTESTS
Evidence of Attempted Thefts conclu- sive and Overwhelming, While President Taft's Title Is
 Honest and Clear.

tional Committee and the National Re publican convention with the theft of something like seventy delegates, while practically nothing has appeared in print or been heard upon the plat form about the attempted theft of more than twice as many delegates on the part of the Roosevelt managers?
 Is not the attempt to steal, deter mined effort to steal. as culpable nor ally as an actual theft?
 The evidence is absolutely conclu- sive that the nomination was not stolen for President Taft.
 The evidence is just as conclusive that a deliberate plan was formed, of which he had full cognizance, to steal the nomination for Col. Roosevelt. crime which would have been perpe- trated except for the courageous hon. esty of the members of the National committee and of the credentials com mittee of the national convention.
 Truth Should Be Known.
 If these statements are startling it is because they are new and not be- cause they are not true. Col. Roose- welt is a postmaster in diverting at tention from himself by a noisy and terrifying assault upon others. But the tumult and the shouting have died away and it is time now for the coun- try to know and consider the truth.
 And the truth is that very early in the pre-convention campaign the Roosevelt managers laid their plans to prepare the public mind for the charge that the nomination had been stolen. provided 1t went to anybody but Roosevelt. They did this by instigat- ing a great number of contests, utterly fake contests without, as it was after wards admitted, a shadow of ground upon which to rest.
 The purpose for which these con tests were instigated was frankly and cynically avowed, even while they were still under consideration, in a dispatch from Chicago, written by Judson c. Welliver, one of the most ardent Roosevelt supporters. In this dispatch, which was sent to Mir. Nun sey's Washington Times, Mir. Welliver said:
 For psychological effect. as move in practical politics, it was necessary for the Roosevelt people to start cen tests on the early Taft selections in order that tabulation of delegate strength could be put out that would show Roosevelt holding good hand fin the game.
 "A table showing Taft, 150; Roose- welt, 19; contested, none, would not be very much calculated to inspire con. fidence, whereas one showing Taft, 23; Roosevelt, 19; contested l27,' looked very different"
 Contests We're Pure Fakes.
 In other words, here is frank avow. al that nearly two hundred contests had been instigated flor psychological effect" as a move in practical poll tics" to deceive the people into think ing that Col Rooseevlt had support when in fact he did not have it--un- terly fake contests, started for a frau dulent purpose and with the full knowl edge on the part Of Col. Roosevelt that their only reason for existence was to deceive the people and to pre-. pare the way for the cry of fraud when they were decided against him.
 This is severe language but it Is not more severe than the facts warrant; {; for of the 234 contests instigated by the Roosevelt managers, 162 were thrown out by the unanimous vote of the National committee, the Roosevelt men joining with the Taft men in de claring that they had no ground what of this questionable record, is there not full warrant for charging that the Roosevelt managers. with the knowl- edge and consent of their chief, at. tempted to steal the nomination?
 The command Thou shalt not steaP' certainly implies the further command. nent. Thou shalt not attempt to steal?" And with this attempt to steal so indelibly branded upon him. what consideration should be given the charges of theft which Col. Roose. welt makes against another?
 Some of the Decisions.
 Why are the friends of President Taft called upon to defend him, for example, from the charges of having stolen the Indiana delegation when the Taft delegates were seated by the unanimous vote of the committee, Col Roosevelt's own supporters declaring the Roosevelt contestants had nc shadow of claim to the seats? Why should it be necessary to defend the president against the charge of stolen delegates in Georgia when only two out of the 53 members of the commit tee voted against the Taft delegates In no case did Col. Roosevelt male g louder cry of fraud than in the Michi gan case and yet there again his ovr friends on the committee declared the Taft delegates were without doubt entitled to their seats.
 Why even should 1t be necessary tc enter a defense of the California easel This is the one in which the most