The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-07

is your duty as a committee to carry
out the wishes of the people"
On the same day one of the most in
fuential and respected journals of the
state of Washington said editorially:
"A majority of the republican state
the dictation of the machine leaders of
Pierce and King counties. The wishes
nf the rank and file of the republican
party were rudely set aside by the Taft
men on the committee. 1t was not a
question of right or wrong. it was
merely a question of we control the
machine and their every act was to
overcome the mass of the republicans
of the state. Throughout a dctermina-
Tor was isplayed to ride roughshod
owe the Roosevelt followers whether
their claims were Just or not. The
Roosevelt leaders conducted them
selves in A fair and open manner"
The disinterested appeals OF Cover
nor Hay, tho grave protests Of the
delegates in attendance at the conven-
ton. the warnings Of the press. the ef-
forts of mediators to arrive by COM
promise at some basis of equitable
treatment of both the majority and the
minority of the conventions. alike fail
ed. The u~tterances of the Taft Lead
ers. AS reported in the newspapers of
the state of Washington. show a dog
ged and callous determination to jam
through their program by hook or
crook. regardless of protests or con-
sequences.
Truce Broken.
A stipulation was made between the
wo facions O postpone the actual as
%senlhlage of the convention to an hour
agreed upon. for the purpose of af-
fording All opportunity to the more
m nHoYafnl& irnliynnI ,,1~- a.. <lal<
gates to harmonizez. if possible. the
o~ontending forces. This stipulation,
relied upon hy the Roosevelt delegates.
was broken and disregarded by the
TAFT supporters of the state commit
tee, and without notice to the Roose-
Welt delegates and without their
knoNledge, q convention attended only
ny Taft henchmen was suddenly con-
vcned and set under way. The en-
trance to the hall in which the Taft
forces assembled was barred against
all Roosevelt delegates. AS additional
~prccaution against any possible inter-
ference in carrying through their
program. fire escapes We're removed
and the hose was attached to the fire
hydrants, ready to be turned against
delegates who were not parties to the
conspiracy.
Two Conventions.
Roosevelt delegates with credentials
o. their election at popular primaries
were refused admittance, on the
ground thai they were without tickets
Of admission signed by the Taft facto-
tum. p. W. Coiner. Uncontested
Roosevelt delegates, whose credentials
had been approved by the Taft state
committee the day previous. were de-
MED admission. When this pass had
been reached, the Roosevelt delegates
assembled in another hall and pro-
ceeded to organizez a convention and
elect delegates to the national conven-
ton.
The Roosevelt convention included
the delegates from King county elect
ed by a popular primary. the delegates
from Pierce and Clallam counties,
which had been seated by the Taft
state committee. and from all but five
Of the counties in the state.
In the Taft convention thirteen
counties were not represented at all.
Pierce and Clallam counties We're rep
resented by delegations which the pro-
Taft state committee had the day be-
fore refused to scat.
The delegates at the Roosevelt con-
vention far Outnumbered the delegates
in attendance at the Taft convention,
and represented a clean and honest
majority of the delegates elected
throughout the state.
The Taft convention included in it's
roll the delegates from Ferry county.
although Richard Price Of Ferry
county, with all the proxies from his
county. went Immediately to the
Roosevelt convention on reaching
Aberdeen. and took no part in the Taft
convention. 1t professcd to include in
it's roll, the delegates from Franklin
county. although W. w. Liggett of
Franklin county, announced to the
Taft convention that he had come to
the conclusion that it was not a rep
resentative republican convention, and
he and his fellow-delegates from
Franklin County withdrew.