Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-08-06
THE TRUTH ABOUT
THOSE DELEGATES
Roosevelt Contests Instlgated
to Deceive the Public.
ALL BUT IA WERE ABANDONED

HGh wi Ut WILL HUHHDUNIU
An Examination of the Facts Shows
That the Tribunals Which Decided
These Contests In Favor of Mr.. Taft
Were Right In Every lnstanoe-The
Remaining 1854 Contests Were Frivol-
Gus, and Their Prompt Abandonment
Reflects Upon the Genuineness and
Validity of the Remainder.
Washington, July 29.-Here are the
facts in relation to the contested seats
in the Republican national convention.
1t is a summary Of a detailed state
ment going carefully into all of the
cases, a statement so thorough that 1t
takes up $50 pages of printed matter.
This statement is signed by Mr.. Victor
RoseWater, chairman of the former Re
publican national committee; by Mr.. j
4 II. Devine of Colorado, chairman of the
committee on credentials of the Repub-
lican national convention. and by Mr..
Charles D. Hilles, chairman Of the
present Republican national committee
The total number of delegates sum.
moned to the convention under it's call
was 1,07S, with $40 necessary to a
choice. Mr.. Taft had 561 votes on the
first and only ballot and was declared
the nominee. There were instituted
against 23S of the delegates regularly
elected for Taft contests on behalf of
Roosevelt. These contests were avoW.
edly instigated not for the purpose of
really securing seats in the convention,
not for the purpose of adducing evi-
dence which would lead any respect.
able court to entertain the contests, but
for the purpose of deceiving the public
into the belief that Mr. Roosevelt had
more votes than he really had, as the
conventions and primaries were in
progress for the selection of delegates
This is not only necessary inference
from the character of the contests. but
1t was boldly avowed by the chief edi
tor of the newspapers owned by Mr.
Munsey, who has been Mr.. Roosevelt's
chief financial and newspaper sup
porter. The 23S contests were reduced
by abandonment to Seventy-four
The very fact of these 164 frivolous
contests itself reflects upon the genu-
ineness and validity Of the remainder
The seventy-fo four delegates include six
at large from Arizona. four at large |
from Kentucky, four at large from In.
diana, six at large from Michigan. /
eight at large from Texas and eight at
large from Washington, and also two |
district delegates each from the Ninth |
Alabama. the Fifth Arkansas. the .
Thirteenth Indiana. the Seventh. |
Eighth and Eleventh Kentucky. the !
Third Oklahoma. the Second Tennes
see and from each of nine districts, the |
First, Second, Fourth. Fifth. Seventh
Eighth, Ninth. Tenth and Fourteenth
of Texas.
CONTESTED DELEGATES AT
LARGE.
Arizona.
In the Arizona convention there were
ninety-three votes All the delegates
six in number-were to be selected at
large. The counties were entitled to Sc
lect their delegates through their coun
ty committee or by primary. In one
county, Maricopa. a majority of the
committee decided to select its dele
gates and a minority to have a pri-
mary. In other counties there were
some contests, and the sttae commit
tee, following the usage of the national
committee, gave hearing to all con,
testants in order to make up the tenn
porary roll. There was a clear major
ity Of the Taft delegates among the
uncontested delegates The committee
made up the temporary roll and then
there was a bolt, sixty-four remaining {
In the hall and twenty-five withdraw |
Ing therefrom. The case of the Taft {
was so clear that it is difficult |
to understand why contest was made I
Indiana.
In Indiana the four Taft delegates at {
large were elected in a state conven t
ton to which Marion county. in which {
indianapolis is situate, was entitled to |
1913 votes. A primary was held in In [
at which Taft pOlled 6,OO0 {
and Roosevelt 1,4OO votes. This gave c
Taft LOG delegates in the state conven- 1
ton from Marion county, and II they I
we're properly seated the control Of the |
by large majority was I
to Taft Attempt was made {
10 impeach the returns from Marion l
county by charges of fraud and repeat
ng. These charges were of a general .
character, without specification except
IS to one ward out of fifteen wards.
md then the impeaching witness ad
nitted he could not claim fraud enough
% change the result in that ward The
national committee. upon which there
we're fifteen anti-Taft men. rejected
he Roosevelt contestants and gave the
Taft delegates their seats by a unani- !.
nous vote. Senator Borah and Mr :
Frank B. Kellogg, both Roosevelt men. :
made speeches in explaining the votes :
u which they said that the case turned +.
wholly on the Marion county primary. /,
md as there was no evidence to i'm =
,each the result certified. the title Of =
he Taft delegates was clear This is :
he convention whose proceedings a
allied forth such loud charges Of theft =,
md fraud from Nr Roosevelt =
Kentucky. n
In Kentucky d contest was fled z
.gainst only three Of the four delegates O
~ - =