The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-26
Taft Delegates Bolt the Cau-
Gus After Decisive Roose-
welt Victory and Hold a
"Rump'' Meeting.
CREDENTIALS BODY
INDORSE TAFT MAN
Give A. l.. Riggs, Chosen by
Taft Minority, Seat on ALL
Powerful Committee Over
E. F. Warfel.
sv STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

eY STAFF CORRESPONDENT.
INDIANAPOLIS, March 26.-In a
rough-house caucus of sixth district
delegates to the Republican state con-
vention, last night, a squad of sturdy,
Indianapolis policemen was three
times called upon to restore order, but
from the smoke of battle emerged
the Roosevelt clansmen triumphant.
walking over the PROSTATE figures of
the fallen Taft adherents, but the
Taftites refused to remain dead after
the enemy had retired held a rur,p
convention. nominated Taft slate OF
representatives on the various con-
vention committees, then flew to the
friendly arms of the pro-Taft creden-
tials committee and had A. l.. Riggs
of Rushville seated as their represen.
tative on that all-p0werful committee
whose duty it is to See that in case of
contested delegations only Taft men
shall be provided seats at the conven-
tion today.
At the sixth district caucus last
night E. F. Warfel of Richmond was
regularly elected district representa-
tive on the credentials committee over
A. L. Riggs by decisive majority
81 to 81, despite the howls and pro-
tests of the Old Guard leaders, Ex-
Congressman Barnard OF New Castle,
Indge Jackson Of New Castle. Charley
Hernly of New Castle and Elmer Bas-
set of Shelbyville. The latter had
been delegated by l.. p. Meredith Of
Richmond, district chairman, to act
as chairman of the caucus in Mere
dith's absence, but the Roosevelt
crowd knew Bassett and they knew
Meredith, and it came to pass that
nothing to do with Mr.. Bassett, aided
and abetted by MIR. Meredith, and
when Bassett stepped out of the room
for few moments to assist in iron
ing out few troubles in the Shelby
situation, caused by a contest between
Roosevelt and Taft delegates from
that county, the Roosevelt men seized
them and elected Thomas r. Jessup,
of Richmond, chairman of the meet
ing.
Wild Scenes Ensue.
When Bassett learned of this he and
Charles Hernly returned to the caucus
room under full head of steam end
then the fireworks started. Amid
loud and discordant cries of You're
liar" Il demand to be heard" shut
up, you big stiff" throw him out" etc.
the Roosevelt road roller was brought
out and skillfully operated over the
Taft delegates, not by machine meth
ods," but In regular, clean-cut man.
ner-the way a majority is privileged
to override a minority.
However, the hard earned victory of
the fighting Roosevelt men over the
Bassett-Hernly gang was Of no avail.
Bassett and Hernly, with their little
group of professional politicians, de-
termined to rule or ruin and to have
their way despite the fact that the big
majority of Republican voters in the
district had indorsed the candidacy of
Theodore Roosevelt at their primaries
last week. So they called their trump"
convention, nominated their slate and
had the Taft credentials committee
place its 30 k" on it. Such is the way
the will of the people is observed by
Healing and his statewide organiza-
tion of highbinders.
Warfels name was presented to the
credentials committee by the Roose-
welt men as the duly elected represen-
- -s~~t1, $~f>
committee-merely as a matter of
form. not that 1t was expected the
committee would be fair enough to
award him the seat. As Attorney
Horace Stillwell said In his argument
before the committee to have Warfel
seated, "Mr. Warfel was duly and reg
ularly elected as a member of this
facts concerning his election, for,
have ascertained from the attitude of
this committee, facts win not be con-
sidered. We know we, are defeated. .
Joe Healing Dictates.
As the committee ''deliberated" as
to whether Warfel or Riggs was enti-
tied to the seat big Chief Joe
Kealing sat by one OF its members
whispering his orders. which were
duly passed on to the chairman.
At the caucus there was much squab-
bling over whether the chairman OF
the respective county delegations
should cast the vote or whether the
vote should be taken individually. e.
r. WarfeI moved that the vote be cast
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