The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-15

council, and many of them had, as
leaders in their state organizations,
led their party through the storms of
> many political campaigns to victory.
found the great mojority of them to
be men of affairs, earnest and high
minded men of integrity, experience
: and standing, but, above all, men act
) uated by the spirit of party loyalty.
} Yes: they were and are Republicans
d, The prevailing sentiment among them
5 was, as they gathered from all the
states of the Union, sense of solemn
responsibility coupled with genuine
= feelings of regret over the bitterness
/ of the contest.
T EVERY CASE CAREFULLY con-
/ SIDERED.
: We can not read the hearts of men.
but there is strong circumstantial
evidence to prove the rectitude of the
majority. 1t was patent to every
thinking man that there was but one
: possible remedy to relieve the strain,
and that was to do justice, to decide
the contests fairly and impartially.
: Let us see whether the members of
the committee were actuated by such
desire. Surely, If it had been their
intention to steal the nomination they
would have insisted on secret sessions
and star-chamber methods. and, fur
= thermore, in order to be sure of their
prey they would have convened just
about two or three days before the
convention and railroaded their plans
through by sheer force of numbers,
giving as an excuse that lack OF time
) unfortunately made a more careful
consideration of the contests impos-
sible. Not only are there precedents
for such procedure, but it was the
!. course usually followed; it was the in
variable party custom, because, after
5 all, the national committee, by pre-
pairing the temporary roll, only deter
t mines the prima facie right to seats
r in the convention, while the final de-
4 termination of the contests Is left to
| the convention itself. Now | ask you,
t what did the national committee do
: in this instance? If you are fair, you
will admit that every single arrange
ment tended to the promotion of right
and justice. In the first place, the
! committee convened twelve days be-
I actually
sumed nine working days-from the
morning of Thursday, June 6, to the
night of Saturday, June 15-with the
consideration of the contests, and,
needless to say, the presentation of the
evidence commanded the closest at
. tention from beginning to end. So
thorough, in fact, was the investiga-
i ton that not a single point, once rails
i ed, was allowed to remain in doubt,
: and it was the consensus of opinion
D that never before in the history of ma
/ tional conventions were contests
heard with more scrupulous care and
. more searching inquiry into details.
KEW IL w . EAOf1 SOAN
. Mr. Bartholdt then took the contests
passed on by the national committee,
making a detailed review of each case.
He continued:
This completes my review of the
contests. 1t shows conclusiyely that
every one of the seyenty-two delegates
whose right to seats in the convention
is questioned by Mr.. Roosevelt was
honestly seated and justly entitled 20
ton as a legal representative of the
Republicans of his state or district
The decision of the national commit
tee was in each single instance sus-
tanned by two-thirds majority of the
Committee on Credentials appointed
by the convention, and finally by the
con, ention itself. Since the convention
has spoken and assumed responsible
ity, the scurrilous charges hurled
against the national committee really
signify a wholesale Indictment against
the Republican party itself; hence the
Republican who, with the record be-
fore him and in spite of it, continues
to talk of tainted delegates" and an
illegal nomination" is no longer at
lacking individuals, but is befouling
his own nest. And more than thai.
A careful scrutiny of that record will
convince him that If he wishes to
: leave the Republican party he must
;. leave 1t for other reasons than the
:. malicious ISLANDERS about stolen del
egates," for, really assuming the bur
den of proof, that party has success
: fully and forever purged itself of that
infamous charge. 1t has brayely
faced great crisis. perhaps the great
est in its wonderful history, and fore
ing into the open and vanQuishing its
detractors and secret enemies, 1t was
able, with proyidential aid, to emerge
. from the depht OF distress with i'm
> maculate hands, a clear conscience and
beneficent newborn programme
:, vouchsafiing to the American people
as logical sequence OF it's glorious
record, progress and peace, protection
Ic thprp q Re-