The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-08-07
7 exaS.

IN IeXAS mere were Z40 counties, OF
which four have no county govern.
ment. The 24j counties under the call
Of the convention were allowed to have
something over 1000 delegates, repre.
senting them. who were given author
ity to cast AS votes. or the pa coun.
ties there were ninety-nine counties III
which the total Republican vote was
but 1000. in fourteen of which there
were no Republican voters. in twenty.
seven Of which there were less than
ten each and in none of which was
there any Republican organization and
in none Of which had primary or con-
venion been held. 1t was shown that
Colonel Cecil Lyon. to whom had been
assigned as referee the disposition of
the patronage Of the national Repub
lican administration for ten years in
the state. had been in the habit of con
trolling the Republican state conven,
ton by securing from two federal of
ticehoderS in each Of these ninety mine
counties certificate granting proxy
to Colonel Lyon or a friend Of his to
represent the county as if regularly
conferred by Republican county or
ganization. The national committee
and the committee on credentials and
the convention after the fullest investi
cation decided that these ninety-niup
counties in which the Republican vote
was so small and in which there was
no Republican party. no convention. no
primary no organization. was not the
proper source for proxy TO give a
vote equal to that to be cast by the
other l46 counties in which there was
a Republican organization and IN
which primaries or conventions were
held. The two. committees therefore
held such ninety-nine proxies to be
Illegal and not the basis Of proper rel,
resentatiOn. The two tribunals who
heard the case decided thar they should
deduct the ninety-nine votes from the
total Of 245 and give the representation
to those who controlled the majority
of the remainder. The remainder was
1872 votes. and out of that the Taft
men had carried eighty-nine counties
having ninety votes, This gave 10 the
Taft men clear majority in the state
convention and with it eight delegates
at large.
WASHINGTON.
The contest in Washington turned on
the question whether the Taft dele
gates appointed by the county com
mittee in King county. in which Seattle
is situate, T.ere duly elected to the
convention or whether primary
which was subsequently held and al
which Roosevelt delegates were elect
ed. was properly called, so that its re
suit was legal. Under the law the
county committee had the power to de
eide whether it would select the dele
gates directly or should call primary
In some counties Of the state one
course was pursued and in other cOnD
ties the other In King county the
consisted Of $50 men. the
majority Of whom were for Taft. and
that majority. acting through its exec
utiye committee. selected the Taft dele
gates to the state convention. Mean
time the city council Of Seattle had re.
districted the city 1t before had 2Ja'
precincts. Now substantially the same
territory was divided up into 3Sl pre-
cincts. The chairman Of the county
committee was 4 Roosevelt man. He
had been given authority by general
resolution to fill vacancies occurring in
the committee A general meeting OF
the committee had been held after the
city council had directed the redistrict.
ing Of the city, in which it was re
solved. the chairman not dissenting
that representatives cOuA not be ST
lected to fill the 33l new precincts III
til an election was held in September.
1912 Thereafter and in spite of this
conclusion the chairman assumed the
right by his appointment to add to tn.
existing committee 13l precinct cOm.
mitteemen, and with these voting in
the committee it is claimed that PR
mary was ordered. There was so much
confusion in the meeting that this is
doubtful. However, the fact is that
the Taft men protested against any
action by q committee so constituted
on the ground that the chairman had
no authority to appoint the 13l new
committeeman. They refused to take
part in the primary, and so did the Lii;
Toilette men. The newspapers report
ed the number of votes in the primary
to be something over 5000. The Roosc
welt committee showed by affidavit the
number to be 5000 out Of a usual tota
Republican vote Of $4,000. The action
Of the chairman Of the committee In
attempting to add l3l precinct men TO
the old committee was, Of course, be-
yond his power. The resolution au.
thorizing him to fill vacancies. Of
course, applied only to those places
which became vacant after they had
been filed and clearly did not apply to
13l new precincts. 1t could not in the
nature Of things apply to a change
from the old system to complete new
system Of precincts created by the city
council, because if they were to be
filled the entire number of 33l new
precincts different from the old must
be filed. One system could not be