The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-07
Alabama Contest Is Decided in
the Presidents Favor
By a Unanimous Vote of the
National Committee.
WHAT WILL ROOSEVELT DO?
Much Speculation as to Wheth-
er He VIII Come.
w. G.. Harding of Ohio Will
Present Taft's Name.

Chicago, June AFTER a spirited
contest the Republican committee by
a vote Jf 81 to Is decided to seat the
Taft delegates from the Ninth Ala
bama district.
The Republican national committee
today began work on the contests over
seats in the national convention. Again
defeated motion of Senator BOrah of
Idaho, which would enable eight
members to require a roll. The num-
Der stands at twenty.
Voted unanimously to seat the Taft
delegates at large from Alabama.
Similar decisions quickly followed in
the Second, Fifth, First and Sixth
Alabama districts.
Chicago, June president Taft won
the first of the contes for seats in
the Republican national convention
heard by the Republican national COM
lnittee when by vote of fifty-three 10
nothing-a unanimous decision-the
contest over the Alabama delegates
at-Iarge, six in number, was decided
in favor of the Long CTaft) delega-
ton.
The First and Second Alabama dis
trict contests also were decided for
Taft in short order and inasmuch as
all the Alabama contests were sup
posed to be on the same general basis
the impression grew that tn decision
in the others would follow the first.
Upon the close of arguments, the
contest came quickly to a vote and it
was evidently unanimous.
Borahs demand for a roll call was
not opposed and it showed the same re-
suit, SO to in favor of seating the Taft
egates-at-large.
The attitude of the Roosevelt mem
bers in voting to seat the Taft dele
gates Lad been foreshadowed In the
questions asked by Senator Borah,
Frank B. kellogg and others during the
course of the arguments. Searchings
questions were asked by members OF
the committee on all points of the con-
tt oversy and the decision was reached
without debate on the part of the COM /
mittee- The motion to seat the Long i
delegation was made by Committees |
man BIodgett of Michigan.
Taking up the First Alabama district |
contest. Ormsby McHarg, attorney for |
the Roosevelt forces, announced he |
would waive the time allotted him for |
argument.
s.The reason is said Mr.. McHarg, !
1T cannot be shown that the so-called |
There is no use taking up time to prove /
what is already established
Taft Wills Again.
This contest was also won by the |
Taft forces, again by a unanimous |
vote Representative Bartholdt of Mis- |
souri, holding the proxy of Charles !
NaseI. moved that the Taft delegates |
be seated. Senator Borah again de- |
manded roll call Several members |
of the committee called out no" but |
Penrose, General Clayton of Arkansas, |
and many other Taft men on the COM
nittee supported Mr.. Borah and made |
up the necessary 20 to order roll call |
The Second Alabama district contest |
was called Immediately.
Before the contests were taken up |
the Roosevelt adherents met another |
defeat duplicating that of yesterday in /
the tabling of the renewed motion of /
Senator Borah of Idaho that eight !
members, instead of 20 as now provided /
by the rules, should be sufficient to or |
der a record of the yeas and nays OH |
any proposition. Senator Borah said he |
recognized the existence and power of |
the steam roller in the committee but |
declared that the so million persons
watching the proceedings had a right |
to know how each member voted. TheIe !
was no detail record of the vote by |
which Senator Borah's motion was laid |
on the table.
Roll Call Is Granted.
Although Mr.. Borah was defeated in
his attempt at the beginning of the /
meeting Taft men Joined with him un-
animously when he asked for it on the |
first Alabama case. The Roosevelt !
members without exception voted to
seat the socalled Long delegates who |
are Taft men and who We're chosen IN
the state convention of August 81, 1871,
and reelected in a new convention
March T. 1912 Following the roll call |
leading committee members intima led |
the roll calls would be granted wheG-
ever asked for by members of the COM
Inittee. While the original demand of
Senator Borah was denied it is un-
derstood to be the purpose of the COM
mittee to allow a record vote to be ta-
ken whenever Roosevelt members de-
sire It. Senators Penrose and Crane,
were among those who Joined Borah |
and the Roosevelt members in asking
for the roll call in the Alabama case
The committee next took up the other
each from the First, Second, Fifth.
Sixth and Ninth districts. Fifteen min
utes for each side were allowed by the
committee for the district contests.
The t. o Alabama delegations ap-
peared before the committee as the
Long and Thompson delegations, tax
ing the names Of the rival Republican
state cbairmen.
There is no contestant or contestee
before this committee" said Secretary
Hayward of the committee. Both
delegations are treated on the face of I
their credentials as regular and the
order in which these arguments shall I
proceed is based on the date of filing
the credentials
The Arguments
Tie r, osevelt attorneys, led by Mr..
McHarP and Mr.. Hundley, claimed
regularits for ehei- delegates They
asserted that j o. Thompson and his
delegafes had been recognized by the
Repuolteon national convention of