The Washington times., 1912-06-23
Continued from First Page.)

IoCScHt ldsHlOn' ne nOOSeNelI uele-
gates. outraged though they had been,
would not give their enemies the sat
isfaction of seeing them walk out Of
the hall. They remained in their seats,
though most of them refused to vote
for the platform which was brought
forward by the Taft people, and a still
larger number declined to answer to
their names on the ballot for President
So 1t fell out that President Taft re-
ceived only 561 votes for the nomina-
tion-twenty-one more than the mini
mum that would nominate-Roosevelt
received the votes of 1O7 supporters who
were not willing to sit silent almost
half of them being from Illinois. No
less than 344 delegates refused to vote
at all. They would not recognize the
right of the convention to eject them,
nor would they be forced to vote. Il
deny the power of the convention to
compel me to vote" answered one Of
these, when his name was called, and
the answer was received with cheers.
, 1t was a rebuke such as had never
been administered to national con-
ventions ruling faction There had
never been an occasion demanding such
treatment. When Colonel Roosevelt
first called upon his supporters to re-
main silent In their places It was real
ICED that he was making the most ex-
treme demand of them, short Of leav-
ing the convention. To vote for him
would be perfectly regular and easy,
but It would be a recognition Of the
regularity OF the convention. Inc pro-
test of silence was the most effective
ct the most polite that could be
devised.
Statement From Roosevelt
Before the Roosevelt delegates with
drew their voice from the proceedings
they served notice of their intention.
This notice was given by Henry Allen,
new national committeeman from Kan
sas, who took the platform Immediately
following the adoption of the credentials
Committee's last report and the election
man.
Mr.. Allen read a statement from
Colonel Roosevelt which declared that
the convention did not represent the
ninety seats had been stolen under
the direction and with the encourage
ment OF Mr.. Taft; number sufficient
TO defeat the legally expressed will of
the people and to substitute dishonest
for an honest majority" Colonel
Roosevelt concluded that the convention
as finally composed represented only
its nomination would become the bene-
ficlary o. that fraud.
With this Mr. Allen announced that
this dishonest majority must make the
record henceforward.
I'VE will not participate with you"
he said. in completing the scuttling Of
the ship"
Taft Men Amazed.
Mr.. Aliens address was q forceful
Presentation of the grievances and the
protest of the progressives, and they
Wildly cheered it. There was derlsion
among the Taft people. who had at no
time believed that the program of q
Silent protest would receive a consider
able acceptance. They had assumed
that when the Roosevelt delegates were
asked to sit silent. a large proportion
Of them woull weaken, and come over
10 the Taft majority.
But the fearful error of this view was
shown only a short while after the
Allen pronounciamento was delivered.
The platform committee reached the
resolutions without delay; first. ma
tority repnr: which was read by former
Vice President Fairbanks; then a mi
noritv report. from the La Toilette
delegates, representing the Wisconsin
LEADERS, scherle of pre- eressive meas
urcs. Attcrward the motion was sub
United; and 343 delegates refused to
against It,
hosses hai had TO the fact that their
outrageous proceedings had indeed pre-
cipitatel split in the party. They
had persisted in the fatUous confidence
the Roosevelt forces would at length re-
turn to their allegiance and their regu-
larttv, and that the protest would
d"indlo into insisnicance.
Smash Their Party.
They simply didn't understand. They
had so long been used to stcam-rolling
their way in the conventions. commit
tees, and legislation, that they were
incapable of realizing that this, at last
Was revolution; not mere feeble pro-
test. Thev realized. when it was too
late, that they had smashed their
party.
From the moment of that roll call
It was recognized on both sides that
the die had been cast; that war was
on; that there could be no halting or
turning back. 1t was a dramatic
moment in the conventions proceed
tngs when the vote was announced.
The progressives cheered, so did the
figures brought them realization that
their great defiance had been deliv-
cred. and had done it's work.
platform that aroused this protest;
nobody knew anything about the
declaration OF principles for or
against which he was recorded. No
to follow 1t intelligently, much less
to discuss or pass upon 1T with real
understandings Never did the failure
tion system, display itself more
sharply than in this incident. De-
liberation was impossible. No dele
gate had a copy of the document that
he was asked to vote upon. Even
the La Toilette minority had to pre-
pare its own resolutions and present
them as a substitute, without know
ing what the majority was saying.
Conventions Anticipated.
It was q ridiculous travesity on de-
Lucrative procedure; yet 1t was per-
fectly typical of the methods that
have brought the old convention sys-
tenn of President choosing and plat
form building into disrepute. 1t dem
onstrated anew-and probably for the
last time. in a Republican conven-
tion-the reasons why conventions
cannot safely be intrusted with the
tremendously important business that
Is delegated to them: the business of
setting guideposts delimiting and di-
rCcting the whole course of national
progress for fCur-year period. I'm
der the circumstances that prevailed
in this convention. nobody cared a
figure about the platform, II was a
bore. a nuisance, a formality. an i'm
pediment in the way of the real busi-
ness at hand. which all conceived TO
be the nomination OF the Presidential
candidate.