Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
SAYS COMMITTEE
|SRU|N|NG PARTY
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
the convention. Eighteen members were
favorable to my candidacy. twelve to Mr..
Tafts. The Taft men conceded that
this was the regular district committee
and began by participating In the meet
ing, but as soon as 1t developed that the
Roosevelt men were in the majority the
twelve Taft men left the meeting and
called a convention Of their own. leaving
eighteen members, a clear ma tority of the
regular committee, to call the regular
convention in which the Roosevelt dele
gates were named
No serious evidence YVES presented be-
fore the national committee TO contravene
these facts. The contest against these
two regularly elected Roosevelt delegates
had literally no foundation whatever,
even Of the most fimsy description. There
was no more ground for unseating these
delegates than there would be, for ex-
ample. in unseating the Taft delegates
from Rhode Island. or in any district in
any state where there Is no contest what
ever. Yet the national committeeman
who are supporting atr. Taft voted to
unseat the two men properly elected. and
to seat in the national convention two
men who, as I have said, literally have
no more right to appear as delegates In
that convention than they have to ap-
pear in the democratic national conven-
ton. They represent nothing whatever
in the republican party except the deter
mination of certain members OF the ma
tional committee. who have themselves
been repudiated by the republican party,
that the ma jority of the party shall not
he permitted to decide whom they wish
to be the nominee for President
What the Action Means.
"Now, 1 wish to call tho attention.
not only Of all good republicans. but Of
all good citizens to just what this type
Of action means. AS yet there Is no
law to govern national nominating con-
ventions as there is to govern national
elections although in certain states
the nomination of candidates Is carried
on under the law Of those states pre-
cisely as are the elections
Because Of this lack OF federal law.
acts which IL done to influence cleo
tons would be criminal can be perpe-
trated with impunity SO far a. national
nominations are concerned But this Is
difference in Legality. and not In NOR
atty. Again and agar. we have sent to
the penitentiary election officials Tor
deeds morally not ono whit worse than
what was done by the members OF the
national committee who unseated the
ninth district OF Alabama and subst.-
tuted for them men who have no more
right to vote in the national convention
than a repeater has to vote at an
election.
.sThe majority Of the committeeman thus
voted to seat in the republican convention
men who have no shadow OF right to rep
resent any portion of the republican par
ty anywhere, and who have no more right
to sit In that convention than any other
two outsiders. Nine OF these committee
men came from the republican states ~
Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey
North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsyl-
vania and West Virginia.
Ali Of Them Repudiated.
EVERY ono Of these nine national COM
mitteemen has been repUdlated by his
home voters. Not one of them Will sue
coed himself on the national committee
Each Of them represents a state which.
at the recent primaries, has declared
overwhelmingly against Mr.. Taft. The
nine states in the aggregate have 800
delegates In the convention, Of which 25S
are for Roosevelt and only thirty-four
for Taft. The nine committeeman are for
Mr. Taft. the delegates from their states
are eight to one against him.
1T Is In view of these facts and of
what these facts foreshadow that / wish
to make my appeal to the sober judg-
ment OF all men who believe that the
usefulness of the republican party has
not ended. Dvery man who wishes to see
the republican party continue to exist
should at once protest against those who
are deliberately proceeding to wreck 1t.
The leaders speak as II they were the
regular republicans. I don't concede that
theft is test Of regularity. The repub
lican party Is not In commission. nor has
1t appointed as its receivers the nine re-
pudiated committeeman ] have mention
ed, nor their other colleagues who have
-. rtv- ia -
popular vote OF the republicans OF their
states.
Not Matter Of Personal Preference.
Nor il the question now at issue one
as TO the personal preference Of any ne
publican for any particular man for
President or for the doctrines which that
man embodies. The question is now
merely whether the deliberately express
ed Judgment OF the great majority OF the
rank and file OF the republican party is
to be no less deliberately nuliifled by tho
very men whose leadership has just been
repudiated by this Same majority.
"A nomination obtained by the votes OF
delegates seated in utter defiance OF Jus
tice. as two Alabama Delegates have just
been seated would be worthless to the
man obtaining II, and would be indignant
ly repudiated by the party as a whole.
Apparently certain national committee
men and certain Of the BOSSES who from
outside influence the national committee.
have yet to learn that the rank and file
Of the republican party must be treated
as the masters and not the servants OF
their representatives. The republican
party cannot continue to exist unless its
official action is determined by the ex-
preston of the sober and deliberate judg
ment Of the majority OF the party"