Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-18
Cheered toEchoby Immense Crowd
In Auditorium, Where He Flags
His Political Opponents==Both
ClaimCOntrOl OF Convention.


heard, they shall have it
Col. Roosevelt made it plain. in a
sentence which he interjeeted. that the
decisive test in the convention prob
ably would be made on the vote for
temporary chairman 1T is perfectly
possible" said he that under par
Iiamentary ruling the one way to vote
upon these fraudulent delegates on the
roll will be by voting for the tenn
porary chairman. Any man who under
these circumstances accepts the nomi-
nation of the National committee for
temporary chairman becomes the rep
resentative of the men who have been
guilty of Frauds
William J. Bryan sat in reporters
row" in the orchestra pit. He was
cheered loudly when he appeared and
refused even To make bow. Il am
newspaper man, tonight" he explained.
The majority of the National conf
mittee have acted with deliberate dis
honesty, a majority composed nearly
half Of politicians who have just been
repudiated at open primaries by the
reople of their own states, has stolen
from the rank and file of the Republic
cans from 60 to 50 lawfully elected del
egates has substituted for them an
equal number, fraudulent delegates
not elected by the people and claims
the right to nullify the viii of the peo-
pie By placing these fraudulent dele
gates on the temporary roll call of the
National convention with the hope of
thereby controlling it in the interest
Of the candidate and of the bosses.
whom the people have just now en-
phatically repudiated.
.aThis attempt to bind the convention
by an act of deliberate dishonesty. this
attempt u defraud of their rights the
plain citizens of the Republican party
by the bosses whom that party has just
rerudiated, brings in question certain
elementary principles which lie 1t the
foundation not only of party proceed
IRE and party organization. but of free
government and social order.
II hold that the convention itself is
OF right the only Judge of the eualifi-
cations of its own members From
Washington, California, Arizona. Tex
as, Kentucky Indiana, Alabama and
certain other states the people elected
certain delegates who are legally and
morally entitled to sit in the conven-
-
ing up the majority of the National
committee with the determination to
nullify the will of the people have sub
STUFFED Tor those men certain others
VINO nave not the slightest claim to
seats in the convention
"A minority of the National commit
tee composed of honorable men who
nave voted on every case strictly on
the merits have in each case protest.
co strongly against the action of the
majority, showing beyond the shadow
OF doubt that the men thrown off tho
temporary roll by the majority are en-
Titled to seats, by every consideration
of law and of morals
nave carefully examined the facts
In these cases myself and I saw to va,
that there is no element of doubt thar
the men in question were honorahly AMI
lawfully chosen by the people and that
the effort of the majority to unseat them
represents nothing but naked theft. car
rled on with the sole and evil purpose of
dishonesty substituting the will of the
bosses for the deliberately expressed
Judgment of the people.
IL is Tor the convention itself to decide
these cases. and by the convention
mean the lawfully elected members of
| the convention. The men fraudulentlv
put in temporary roll by the dishonest
! action of the majority of the national
committee must not be allowed to vote
| on their own cases; and to allow the
| beneficiaries of the theft to vote on one
another's case is of course to allow them
really to vote on their own cases.
| by every consideration of real Justice
| we are entitled to have those of whom
| | speak who were elected by the people
| put on the roll call at once. But we do
| not ask this Although we are deprived
| of our just rights when these men are
| not allowed to vote from the beginning
| we ask merely that neither set of con-
| testants be allowed to vote on any ques-
! ton before the convention until the 1000
! members of the convention whose seats
| have not been contested, shall them
| selves decide which of the contested del
egates are entitled to membership.
| Il believe that even with the addition
| OF these fraudulently seated delegates
| Mr.. Taft's supporters are in a substan-
! tial minority of the convention, and | do
! not merely believe, i know. we have a
| large majority of the legally elected
! members of the convention. The question
| involved in the action of the national
| committee is of vastly more Importance
than my nomination or the nomination
! of any man. The whole system of the
corrupt alliance between crooked bust
| ness and crooked politics is at stake in
| the making up of this temporary roll; 1t
has been made up crookedly by the ma
| jority of the national committee with
the purpose of perpetrating the rule OF