New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-13
ROOSEVELT HAT THROWN
IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Films Revelation of Campaign
Strategy PerturbS Colonel in
Marked Degree.
JEREMIAH BREATHES BOLT
II, Was Through Calhoun That
Taft Got Away with "swag"
in California, Says Can
didate.
by Telegraph to The Tribune.

QlQate.
BY Telegraph 10 The Tribune
oyster Bay. June 12.-"Not a word
shant discuss it i'm any way whatever
exclaimed Theodore Roosevelt tonight
when he was asked TO comment on William
Films declaration at Chicago to-day that
in the event of President Taft's renomina-
ton the Presidential electors from Pcnnsyl-
vania would 20 TO the Electoral College
and vote for eX-President Roosevelt
Colonel Roosevelt had just finished giving
out TO the newspapermen at Sycamore Hill
o long, vehement protest against the action
of the national committee in throwing out
two Roosevelt delegates from California,
Hc betrayed unmlstakable signs of grim
determination when the Finn bomb" was
mentioned. At first he appeared perpleXed.
Then. leaning suddenly forward in his
rocking chair, he waved the reporters
away. Since the third termer tossed his
hat into the ring he has evinced 10
stronger inclination to keep silent on any
Important political question.
The ex-President's commentary on the
way the national committee got away with
the California "swag'' to-day is his loudest
protest yet uttered. 1t breathes the word
bolt between every other line lie
charges that President Taft, through Pat
rick Calhoun. the man who was indicted by
Francis J. Heney. deliberately stole the
two delegates away from the Roosevelt
men.
These are the mon who arc wrecking
the Republican party" he declared And
] do not for one moment believe that the
national convention will ratify their &C
aions, for 10 do so would be 10 betray the
cause of the people and 10 be false to the
fundamental principles of good citizenship
End of good American democracy and to
wreck the Republican party"
When asked point blank what he thought
the California delegates would do when the
convention opened next Monday, Colonel
Roosevelt jumped up out of his chair and
began to pace around
Predicts California Revolt.
II don't think" he said that Mr.. TAFT
quite understands California. Why, Cali
fornia is no more like New York State than
anything in this world. | don't believe they
VIII stard for that sort of thing"
win the delegates bolt?" some one
asked.
'Pm not going to say what they would
do snapped the colonel. II refuse abso-
.lutely to prophesy.'
The ex-Presidents protest. covering the
cases of the rejected Roosevelt delegates
from Kentucky Arizona and California
follows:
in Arizona Mr. Taft's national commit
.eemen acted with great frankness on their
view that the intrusion of the people into
politics is an unwarranted impertinence
mittee. The case turned on the single
county of Maricopa. The county COM
mittee OF that county had the option of
selecting delegates to the state convention
or OF calling a primary to give the people
the rignt to vote.
---Ae-a meeting Of the county committee
all-the Roosevelt men. joined by two OF
tho raft men ordered a primary TO be
leld throughout the county. A minority
Of the county committee held rump meet
ing and selected Taft delegates to the
Roosevelt delegates were elected by a
vote of $50 as against less than twenty-five
for Taft.
The rational committee. acting on Mr.
Taft's theory that this ought not to be a
government by the people, treated the fact
that the voters had themselves been given
the right TO say who their delegates should
he as a reason for refusing to seat the
delegates elected by the voters.
l call special attention TO the fact that
the six Roosevelt delegates from Arizona
are excluded by the national committee be-
1a,ise they represent the people OF Arizona
ard the six Taft delegates are admitted
because they do not.
Alleges Rank Bribery.
In Kentucky. the Taft Bradley forces
we're guilty of grosSer frauds than any
where else in the country. There was no
form of rascality which 1t was not clearly
proved before the national committee that
the Taft men had resorted to TO get Taft
delegates Hundreds Of affidavits were filed
with the national committee showing
where men had hcen brought over the
apiece TO vote for TAFT, and showing that
i'm certain counties Roosevelt majorities
were counted out by county chatrmen who
were pOstmasters or other federal ONCE
holders. Where. i'm spite Of these methods,
the Roosevelt men still had majority in
the conventions the Taft men bOlted and
the national committee promptly recog-
nized the rump conventions.
in the 18th District the theft of the
delegates was perhaps more fragrant than
elsewhere. The Taft men or the national
committee first voted down seating the
Roosevelt delegates by 81 to ~. 1mmedi-
ately afterward they. on the motion Of Mr.
Vorys. seated one Taft and one Roosevelt
man This decision was on its face pre-
mysterious. 1t was frank admission that
the Taft members of the national commit
tee not being willing TO steal two men,
were willing TO and did actually steal one
In California the action OF the national
committee was perhaps not morally worse
than in has hitherto been, but II was Just
a little more fragrant Here ! can con-
tribute out OF my personal knowledge TO
,he history Of what was done. The Pro-
sressives Of California had control Of the
Legislature and party machinery Under
the primary law then existing in cantor
nis. which had been passed by the old Re
publican machine before Governor john
son came into power. the ProgressiVes
could have obtained all the delegates with
cut resorting 10 a primary.