The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-09
No Republican Party in Florida

N-aS II fAoA biotit itNt-
 No Republican Party in Florida Ormsby McfIarg in opening the case for what lie called the regular Roosevelt del egation. said:
 There is no republican party in Flori- da. That accounts for the great number of delegations"
 McHarg had asked for a postponement of the Florida cases until Monday, owing to the absence of one of the attorneys. The committee did not grant the delay. The Roosevelt attorney represented the Anderson delegation. The Taft delegation was headed by National Committeeman Henry s. Chubb. The second Roosevelt delegation. the Groves wing, was repre- sented by C. H. Aston. negro Aston said his men had tried to go into the club room where the regular convention was being held.
 We walked in he said fand then in a couple of minutes we were walked out The negroes he said, made another ef- fort to get inside.
 "One of the men wheeled on me-" he said, "and I backed off. and then they escorted me away
 Aston said a delegate came out and gave him a ticket "I sneaked in, he said, hiding way back in the hall But they found me. however, and put me outside.
 Hilarious During Argument The committee was hilarious during the argument. T kept my ticket and brought 1t here and filed it with your secretary of the steam roller" Aston added, amid laughter and din.
 The Chubb delegates. the Taft repre- sertation, was represented by Joseph E. Lee negro, of Jacksonville. Lee dis puted McHargs statement that there was no republican party in Florida MT. Mc- Harg retorted that the regular procedure of the party had not been ltEe a steam caliope in being followed in Florida.
 We would be better off, said Lee, If men did not come into our state and mis- lead negro republicans by means and power that should not be exercised throughout the republican party. One hundred and sixtyfour delegates in Flor ida were not protested"
 Taft delegates from the First Florida district then were seated without a roll call although several voices were heard in the negative near the telephone booths Taft's delegates in the Second district were seated without a roll call at once
 Lee said anyone could get a convention in Jacksonville for any purpose what ever. He referred to the. convention of the Anderson faction. he said. The mat ter was quickly disposed of. The Taft delegates were unanimously seated. The committee was ready to vote without a roll call but a roll call was asked for by National Committeeman Chubb to set tie the question. It was given him, l4 to O.
 Nomination
 MT McHarg declared that efforts were being made now as before to force the nomination of President by the use of federal power in the south.
 When did you discover there was no f,, i1a AJF ro xxr- ney inquired
 -Four years from this date" said MT. McHarg. who conducted the contest cases for President Taft at that time. He said he had tried then to establish regular republican organizations. In arguing In behalf of one of the two sets of Roose- welt contestants from the First Florida district Mir McHarg contended no con- ventions had been held except the pri- vate conventions of federal offlceholders.
 Ut is ridiculous to talk of contests be- ing filed and heard in Florida he said, "As a matter of fact he said, mo repub- lican tickets are put out except when there is promise of federal patronage, just before the presidential election
 No Use of Ticket
 "Everyone knows there Is no use of putting out a ticket then?" interrupted Committeeman Barker of Alabama's del- egaton.
 well. you admit it. interposed Mir. McHarg You might also admit there existed no regularity in the election os the Taft delegates. is that it?'
 Mr, Barker made no reply.
 Joseph Lee, a negro, representing the Taft delegates, said:
 If there was no republican party in Florida for us, there could be none for Roosevelt"
 c. H. Aston. another negro, represent ing the second set of Roosevelt delegates, declared that some of the representative republicans in Florida were too poor to pay their expenses to conventions. How did you pay your's?' asked Thomas Devine. who held a proxy. "The church got up a jackpot Aston replied The two Taft delegates were seated over the objection of two or three members. When the Second Florida dis trict was called MT. McEarg. for the Roosevelt delegates took time for | argument. He said he simply stated as in other cases, That there was no re- publican party in Florida Lee presented documents to sustain his and Alston's claim of the regularity of their credentials The Taft delegates were seated by viva voce vote, If the l Third district is the same as the others
  no necessity to protest if there was a failure to hold county precinct gather | iags. He made no further statement \ The Taft delegates were seated by viva voce vote.
 | The Georgia cases then appeared, GOV 1 erng the entire state of four delegates at large and two in each of the 12 con gressional districts. 2S in all. Mir. Me. Harg proposed to consolidate them in ont bulk Former Senator Dick. however representing the Taft interests, strongl, | objected.
 Wants No Hurry | "I will not be a party to any plan {, expedite unduly these hearings sai, | Senator Dick "I want the whole country to see the character of men who cam, here and the character of cases they pre- sent They came here with credential as clean and claims as well founded a those from any other commonwealth. 'I don't want this committee to do any thing that will let the impression go t' l the country that the 'steam roller" i operating here.
 | The Georgia cases were then taken ul separately. The contest over delegates a large was first called. The Johnson del egates" for Taft, were four in number while srhe Tilson delegation,' for Roose velt. comprised eight double the numbe allotted by the national committe.
 Dean E. Ryeman of Atlanta, for tn II Roosevelt contestants, said he would shov that the opposing delegates at large wer elected by conventions participated in b. many who were not qualified voters Tn | law of Georgia. he said, required tn preparation of new registration list ol April 20 last and the Taft convention l were illegal ra-a " were held ol