The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-05-30
DECIDED ON EVIDENCE
Credential Commute at State
Convention Heard Both
Sides in Contest

4 Member of That Committee Says
All the Committee save One Wa
n Roosevelt Man and His Cause
Could Not Nave SufYered-He Far
Their Says That Loge Harris Own
Testimony Was Sufficient TO Unseas
His Boiling Delegations-Harri
Abuse.
Mr.. Editor:-As a member OF the
Credentials Committee OF the Repub-
lican State Convention which assem-
bled in Raleigh the 18th instant, 4
want to say few words in defense
Of the action of this committee, and
give a few facts which led to the
decision OF said committee. In the
first place | will say that this COM
mite was composed entirely OF Roo
! sevelt men with one single exception.
/ Consequently Ii was impossible that
! the Roosevelt cause could suffer at
/ the hands OF this committee. Allow
me TO say. however, that the action
I of this committee was not Influenced
] by Roosevelt or Taft feeling or senti-
ment, but the evidence in each case
was the only guide to its action.
/ Every contest was decided upon its
merits and the facts as shown by the
contesting delegates. In justice TO
the committee. allow me TO say that
it did all ii could to get the con-
tests amicably adjusted. After fail
ing to effect a compromise among
the contestants the only thing the
committee could do was 10 decide
each contest in accordance with the
evidence, and this it did.
In the Carteret County contest it
was plainly evident by the testimony
that the delegation headed by DR..
IGeo. ". Davis was the regularly elect
ed delegation. In the Wake County
contest all evidence proved conclu-
sively that the delegation headed by
Lester F. Butler was the one that
should be seated in the Convention
Allow me to say further, that If no
other witness from Wake County ex-
cept Colonel Harris had appeared be-
fore the committee his evidence and
demeanor alone would have been suf-
ficient to convince any unbiased COM
mittee that the Butler delegates
should sit in the Convention. The
only evidence he presented to the
committed was abuse and profanity
against the Butler delegates. In fact,
he showed plainly that his demeanor
, in the County Convention was that
: of bull in china shop" He must
have taken on this red-shirt spirit
: when he took the oath Of allegiance
: TO the Democratic party and forgot
: to put it aside when he came rushing
back to the Republican camp
Now, in regard to the Buncombe
County case. This is the one where it
was proven and also acknowledged to
by some of the Buncombe delegates
that the Republican State Plan Of
Organization was disregarded, in that
the minority, or Taft strength, in the
County Convention, was deprived Of
it's right to name it's representatives
to cast the Taft vote in tn estate Con-
vention. In this case there seemed to
be a concert of action on the part Of
Colonel Pearson and Colonel Lusk to
keep Thomas Settle out Of the State
Convention as a delegate, thereby de-
priying him of floor privileges in the
Convention. Now, is such action as
this square deal?" Is such action
as this by an overwhelming majority
Z. toward a small minority good policy,
and conclusive to party good feeling
: and party growth? Would Colonel
Roosevelt (the author of the square
DEAL" and he for whom it appears
that Colonel Pearson and Colonel
l Lusk are about to bust their
ibreetches, countenance such action
in his behalf? 1t looks like the small
E est variety of peanut politics" and
d bad type of red-shirt Democratic
principle mixed, for the Republicans
> of a great county like Buncombe to
$ allow themselves to be dominated by
two or three men, on personal
q grounds, and thereby prevent one
who ever since his boyhood days, has
been fighting in the front ranks OF
the party for party success, to be
deprived of the right of representa-
ton on the floor of the State Con
vention. Such a spirit of intoler
t ance will never add recruits to an.
i party. And if there is one thing
p that the Republican party needs more
4 than anything else, it is more voters
: There is one thing sure. the Republi
I can party will never become the dom
: inant party in the State until the in
e terral chickering's and strife and jeal
S ousy among the leadership of the par
u ty is put aside and the energy which
has been, and is being wasted, in in
e ternal war is conserved and turnet