Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-10-11
UPHOLDS HONOR
Of REPUBLICANS
ASSERTS THAT PRESIDENT TAFT
WAS HONESTLY NOMINATED
AT CHICAGO.
(Statesman).


Thomas H. Devine of Pueblo, Colo.
who was the chairman of the com
mittee on credentials at the Republi
can National Convention, arrived il
the city yesterday from HALEY, where
he has been for the past two months
on a visit. Mr. Devine sat upon the
National Committee as the member
from Colorado during the contest oi
the delegates at the Chicago conven-
ton, and was also on the credentials
committee, thereby hearing the evi-
dence in the contest brought by
Roosevelt upon two different occa-
sions. He goes into the matter of the
contest district by district and state
by state, and says that from the evil
dence presented at the Chicago con-
upon their merits. and although men
might differ as to the conclusions
reached. yet he says it is unfair for
those who have not read the evidence
to say that the National Committee
or anyone else stole the nomination
from Mr.. Roosevelt.
Rules of Long Standing.
HThe Republican party, as any 9th
er organization, says Mr.. Devine,
must have rules under which it
transacts its business. The rules un-
der which the business of the Chi
cago convention was transacted are
the same rules under which the busi-
ness of all Republican conventions
have been transacted, and under
which in all probability, all CONVEX
tions of political nature, Democrat
ic, Republican, Prohibition or Social
ist. transact their business. The rules
are founded upon parliamentary law,
with such changes as are necessary TO
the wellDeiay cf the party.
''rhe rules which goY-rned the
convention in 1912 were the
same rules which governed it n $40
! 904 and 1908. In 1905 Roosevelt. !
who was then president and in con
troll of the Republican National Con-
vention which nominated Presile'.t |
IL #, had Frank B. Kellogg of Mime |
sofa draw up rules, which were
by the National Committee. |
scr the governing of Republican Ma
t,onal Conventions Thess rules were
written rules and not traditions One
Of the rules provided shai pefnre q |
rolicall could be had, that at least 20
members of the National Committee |
must ask for it.
First Move at Chicago.
when we met in Chicago, the first |
hing that was suggested by Mr.. Kel-
ogg was that the National Com
nittee should rescind this rule and |
make the number necessary to de-
nand a rollcall less than 20. The
Committee defeated the
but the members of that
committee who were partial to Presi-
lent Taft always voted for rollcall
whenever one was demanded. until it
,ecome so monotonous that the en-
ire committee agreed to dispense
With the rollcall in the minor con-
ests
There is no use in going into the
64 contests which were brought by
Roosevelt. and which he and his
riends admit were not brought on
he merit which was in them. but for
he purposes of creating belief that
roosevelt was a strong candidate. I
rank Munsey. publisher of the !
Washington Times and one of the {
rominent Roosevelt leaders. stated !
4 an editorial that there was no
ierit in the contests, but that they
ere brought for psychological rea-
ons. to make the people think that |
oosevelt was the choice of the Re I
ubljcan party. !
Balance of the Contests. '
THE other seventy-two delegates
ere contested for different reasons. I
oosevelt and his managers say that t
re national committee stole the state Z
Washington and two delegates t
'om him. They will admit and t
ave admitted that the contests in II
lese two states form the backbone Ii
their contention that the nomina-
on was stolen. do not wish to
lify Mr.. Roosevelt or any of his
anagers. or anyone else. What 7
ant to do is to present the facts to a,
e people. the same as they were @,
esented to the national committee. !,