The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-25
Mondell and Norris Clash
Over Action at Chicago
Convention
BOTH SPEAKERS ARE
EXTREMELY BITTER
Mondell Defends Republican Commits
tee and Norris Attacks It-Latter
Draws Democratic Applause
by Forecast ofTaft Defeat

Il
| Wyoming member OF the credentials CONF
mittee OF the recent Chicago convention.
which seated Taft eontesting delegates.
and Representative Norris OF Nebraska.
an ardent Roosevelt republican, clashed
in two speeches MI Mondell defended
the action OF the convention while Mr..
Norris denounced 1t with bitter emphasis.
! Once during MIR. Mondellfs speech order
was restored only when the chair was on
the point OF ordering the mace down 10
compel Representative Warburton OF
Washington, republican. to take his seat.
Again that emblem of authority was near
being used to quell turbulence when Rep
resentative Humphrey of Washington.
republican. declined to cease his inter-
ruption of Mr.. Norris speech.
Yelled Allusions Made
Mr.. Norris followed Mr. Mondeli with
| the statement that "A man whose name
was known throughout the country has
acknowledged that the Taft managers
had stolen the delegates from the state
of washington. This man. he said, WAS
now engaged in supporting the Presi-
| dents candidacy. because Mr.. Norris
added, he entertained political aspira-
tlons"
"when the gentleman makes such a
| statement interjected Representative
| Humphreys, "he certainly should give his
authority"
Mr. Norris declined TO divulge the iden-
tity OF his informant He plunged at oncs
| into his reply to MIR. Mondell and criti-
/ cised the latter's denunciation OF soap
| box primaries" He referred to the pri-
maries in Indiana. which went for Taft.
and which Mr.. Mondell ndorsed as reg
| ular.
49, -tt., t1..
goes for Taft" said Mr.. Norris ironically.
but how he hates and despses the pri-
mary that goes for Roosevelt
He defended the Washington primaries.
THE actions of the committee In CHI
eago,T he said addressing the democratic
democratic sueeess.s -Ther did mere -
bring about the possiafits of.sismoefst.e
victory than the democratic party ever
was competent to do The Taft republic
cans and the machine democrats are to-
gether, two souls with but a single
| thought: two hearts that beat as one
When your convention met In Baltimore,
| yonr temporary chairman In his keynote
speech" devoted ALI of his time to an at
tack Roosevelt and paid attention
to Taft. There Is another evidence Of the
| fusion and unison"
| Mr.. Norris drew democratic applause
when he said II was conceded. conf
dentially at least by all republicans
that President Taft could not be re-
elected. He added that the President
running on a trumped up nomination"
could only result In votes for the demo-
| cratic candidate.
| Everybody knows the fight Is be-
tween Roosevelt and Wilson, he de-
olared. Mr.. Norris was halted in his
| speech by the gathering of the DEM
ocratlc caucus. He was given unan-
imous consent, however, to conclude
! his speech tomorrow.
specific denial of the claims OF the
| Roosevelt managers that their candi-
date had been improperly deprived OF
delegates in the Chicago convention In
the contested cases brought either be-
| fore the national or credentials COM
mittee was made earlier in the ses-
sion In a speech delivered by Repre-
sentative Mondel OF Wyoming. He
| characterized the contests as mere
bluffs without a shadow of substan-
tiation.
| Mr. Mondell presented a categorical
| review of the various contests, using
| data which. 1t was understood. would
| be given out from the White House. In
an attempt to correct what the ad-
administration held to be wrongful
conception by the public of events at
| Chicago.
| The speaker declared that Colonel
Roosevelt and some of his supporters
! in yoicing charges of fraud had. by
| their vehemenee and persisteney In a
period of unrest and suspicion. pro
foundly Influenced many good people"
Criticises Steal
"The claim that Colonel Roosevelt
was denied the nomination at Chicago
| through tho larceny of delegates, Mr..
Mondell said, was not only to con-
| tribute directly to the third party
| movement, but was expected to fur
| 1v ha
| impudent and revolutionary plan fof
political larceny ever conceived. IT is
! proposed TO steal the livery and Sc
cure the benefits of republican state
organizations while at the same time
repudiating the party candidates har-
| messed. II IL difficult to conceive
more shameful proposal of pure piracy
than this.
..As admitted by the Roosevelt man.
ayers themselves. they started out de-
| liberately at the beginning OF the pre-
convention campaign to create con-
tests" Mr.. Mondell continued. "a large
number of these contests were pure
fiction. the contesting delegates claim
ing TO be elected at conventions which,
| IL held at all, were held a month or
two before tho regular conventions
MANY OF the contests which arose
at the time conventions were held were
the result of prearranged bolts. based
on the flimsiest of pretexts. The great
number of cases OF conventions in
which disturbance was created and
the uniformly violent nature of the
same gives ample ground for the belief
| that 1t was part of the general plan
of the Roosevelt managers. The propo-
sition that electors on the republican
ticket in states which expressed a pref
erenee for Mr.. Roosevelt shall after
having received the support which
their position on the republican ticket
| assures, cast their vote for the cam
didate best liked This had the effect
of downright perversion on which rot
ten foundation it lays It's proposal OF
| reasonable larceny
1 NO one is justified in cendemning
| the action OF the republican conven-
! tion on mere heresay as has been
! largely done. But we are convinced
there Is no ground for criticism now.
I The committee acted honestly and in
a spirit of fairness, in harmony with
party history, and for the best in
terests of the party. and the American
people to be subserved."