The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-01
president Taft V1ndjcafed


while the Republican national co
venton insisted upon the unit OF tn,
district since 1880. That has bee,
the party law.
Party Law.
This convention recognized III.
party law and held II to be more
oinhing tban that of the state law
ana allowed the two delegates who
lad received in the Fourth district n
vote larger than their two opponents
assigned TO that district to become
delegates In the convention. This
was clearly lawful. Tor a state has no
power ~ !Mi, or control the basis
OF representation Q. a voluntary Ia.
t'cnal party In rational convention.
Tic fact that President Taft by Die
greM approved al the 26 delegates
as representing him Is said to be az
estoppel against his claiming the alsc
ton of two Of these delegates In their
Fourth district. ,,
What is there inconsistent in h,s
approving the candidacy Of all his
delegates and the election OF two of
them? why should he be thus es
topped to calm that part of the law
was imperative because in conflict
with the call of the convention?
Contest From Washington.
The contest in Washington turned
on the question whether the faf'
delegates appointed by the Coun'y
committee In King nty, in wh.ca
sea tile is situated we've duly elerted
t. the convc ..Jn or whether a ri.
mary which was subsequently held,
and at which Roosevelt delegates
were elected, was properly called. so
that its result was legal. Under the
law, the county committee had the
power to decide whether ii would
call a primary. In some counties OF
the state one course was pursued, en-
in other counties the other. In King
county, the committee consisted of
$50 men, the majority of whom were
for Taft and that majority, acting
through its executive committee,
elected the Taft delegates to the state
convention. Meantime, the city coun'
Gil of Seattle had restricted the city.
It before had 250 precincts. Now, sub
stantially, the same territory was di-
vided up into 3S1 precincts. The chair.
man of the county committee was a
Roosevelt man. He had been giver
authority by general resolution to i'll
vacancies occurring in the committee.
A general meeting of the committee
had been held after the city council
had directed the redistricting, that
representatives could not be selected
10 fill the 3S1 new precincts until an
election was held in September, 1912.
Charman's Assumption.
Thereafter, and in spite of this con
clusion, the chairman assumed the
right by his appointment to add to
the existing committee 131 precinct
committeeman and witt sr vctl~'
in the committee, 1t is claimed that
primary 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 committee so
constituted, on the ground that the
chairman had no authority to appoint
the 131 new committeeman. They re
fused to take part in the primary,
and so did the LaFollette men. The
newspapers reported the number {
votes in the primary to be something
over 5000. The Roosevelt committee
showed by affidavit the number to be
600 out of usual total Republicar
vote of $4,000. The action OF the
the chairman of the committee in ut
tempting to add 1871 precinct men to
the old committee was of course, be-
yond his power. The resolution au
thorizing to fill vacancies OF couTs'
applied only to those places which
became vacant after they had been
filed and clearly did not apply to 10
new precincts. 1t could not in the
nature of things apply to change
from the old system to complete
new system of precincts created ,
the city council because II they were
to be filled the entire number OF 80
new precincts different from the old
must be filed. One system could not
be made into the other by mere
additional appointment of 131 com
mitteemen. No lawyer will say that
such act by committee thus constitut'
ed was legal. Therefore, the action
II 90