Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
Georgia Cases Taken Up.

garded as pro-Roosevelt and each hostile
to the other as well as TO the Taft dele
gates.
Georgia Cases Taken Up.
Tho Georgia cases were taken up sep
arately. The contest over delegates at
large was first called. The johnson
delegates" for Taft, were four in num-
Der, while the "Tilson delegation" for
Roosevelt. comprised eight. double the
number allotted by the national COM
mittee.
Dozen z. Ryman Of Atlanta. for the
Roosevelt contestants said he wcuid,
show that the opposing delegates At
large were elected by conventions psrs
ticipated in by many who were MOI
qualified voters. The law OF Georgia.
he said, required the preparation OF q
new list on April ~ last. and the Taft
conven lions were illegal because they
were held on the basis Of old lists.
Convinced that the Taft conventions
were illegal and therefore could not Sc
lect delegates to the national convention.
continued Mr.. Ryman. I'VE organized un-
der the strict provisions Of the law and
sent our delegates here"
Questioned as to whether the new regis
trations were available In time to meet
the requirements of the conventions, Mr..
Ryman declared that they were ready
April II.
do you mean that there are no quail
flied electors in Georgia between the 9th
of January and the 9TH Of June?" a MEM
Der Of the committee asked.
Yes, / think that IS true" said Mr.
Ryman.
He believed the state of Georgia had the
right through its registration law. to
prevent the election Of any delegates to
a national convention between the dates
when the registration list is being made
up
Honest Confusion.
Undoubtedly there was honest con-
fusion in Georgia over the Interpretation
Of the law" Mr.. McHarg said.
He declared that an effort was made
by the Taft faction to keep the electors
away"
Henry L johnson. head Of the Taft
delegation at large. replied to the Roose-
Welt attorneys argument.
The same voters who chose delegates
TO this republican convention" he said.
voted for governor OF the state last
January. under the same registration as
was used In the election OF the Taft
delegates. II these delegates were not
awfully elected, then the election OF the
governor was illegal"
He added that the same list of voters
was used for the Roosevelt as was used
for the TAR conventions" He asserted
February II to choose delegates to Chi
cago
1T was not until two months later"
he said, that an effort was made by
emissaries from the north to awaken q
sentiment for Roosevelt. AS q result
Of considerable expenditure of money,
state convention was called and also
district conventions, which elected men
who appear as contesttng the seats or
the lawfully elected delegates. Not
one OF these contesting conventions
was called by any person having any
semblance Of party authority. Not q
single member Of any regular organf-
aation lent his name to the scheme.
AS a matter Of fact every one OF the
leaders OF the Roosevelt movement in
Georgia. including all the delegates at
large. and most Of the delegates from
the districts. were men who took part
participated in regular conventions.
but had been defeated"
Thinks It Aimed at Negro.
Mr.. johnson charged that the enactment
Of tho state registration was an attempt
to disfranchise negro voters.
Then he added. ''the negro voters
were asked to justify q law which would
rob them OF their right to vote
AS further evidence that the Georgia
law did not prohibit the selection OF dele
gates to Chicago at the time when the
Taft convention was held. Mr.. Johnson
said justice in Atlanta had been elected
May 8 when tho registration lists were
said by the Roosevelt people to have been
unsettled. He showed to the committee
registration lists Ut this election.
There was no confusion in my state
as to this law" Johnson said, until the
advent to Atlanta of a gentleman who
was not q resident Of Georgia. and who
attempted to tell Georgia lawyers OF the
law
Mr.. Ryman interrupted, from the table
at which Roosevelt delegates were sit
ting. to say that he had taken up the
matter before the gentlemen you refer
to came to Atlanta" The COMMITTEES OBJ
jected to further controversy over the
unnamed visitor to the state.
Mr. johnson presented letters to show
that men had been asked to appoint
delegates to the convention at which the
Roosevelt delegates were selected. He
anime all the correspondence 1t would
find that certain proposed delegates had
been urged by their friends to bring
proxies, instead of other delegates. SO
that expense money" would not have to
be 'whacked up"
Mr.. johnson received applause when he
declared that there must be an end to
these afterthought conventions, called
only to suit political ends"
No Roll Call Needed.
The four Taft delegates at large were
seated without q roll call. Committee
man Martin OF Virginia moved that they
be recognized as regular, and the mo-
ton carried with two or three negative
votes.
Frank D. Kellogg of Minnesota made a
motion then to adjourn because the COM
mittee had been in continuous session for
seven hours This was voted down and
the first Georgia district contest was
called.
Mr.. McHarg asked that the first ten dis
trict contests be consolidated. He said
he was willing to submit them on the
arguments that had been made In the case