Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-06-06
Will Use Claimed Majority
to Seat Their Dele
gates.
COMMITTEE Is READY
TO TAKE UP CONTESTS
Southern Members Meet and
Agree to Stand Solidly ,
for President.

CHICAGO. June 6.-Although the rep
resentatloh was not complete. ma ior-
ity of the members OF the Republican
national committee assembled at the
Colosseum today prepared TO enter the
first day of a ten-day series of meetings
which shall determine what men shall
fill 254 contested seats of total OF
1,01S seats on the floor of the conven-
tion when 1t is called to order June is.
The meeting today was expected to
develop sklrnish between the Taft
and Roosevelt forces, which might be-
come highly important as foreshadow-
ing the line of fighting that will be
carried into the convention. The Taft
leaders, according to reports from va
rious sources. had decided to use their
claimed majority of the committee to
seat Taft delegates in nearly all of the
many contests.
Senator Boies Penrose, of Pennsylva.
mia. and several other Taft leaders ex.
pressed eagerness to get down to the
actual work of hearing contests late to-
day. 1t is possible the first on the list.
those from Alabama, will lie called be-
fore night.
Southern Members Meet
ON the question OF omen or closed srs
sions members of the committee tent
atively had agreed to admit two repre-
sentatives of each press association
recognized on the floors of Congress. This
arrangement, IT was urged by the com
mittee, would assure publicity on the de-
.,
sary complications. Frank r. Kellogg. of
Minnesota. favored publicity
a conference between members of the
national committee from Southern States.
presided over by United States Senator
Newell Sanders. Of Tennessee was held
just previous TO the opening of the com
mittee meeting After the meeting Sen-
ator Sanders said the Southern members
had agreed 10 stand solidly together for
President Taft Congressman Richard
Bartholdt of Missouri, carrying the proxy
of Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Charles Nagel. WAS among those who con
ferred with the Southern committeeman.
The mass Of contest cases confronting
the committee. involving the rights of
about 2S0 delegates to seats. has con-
vinced members that unusual measures
Will be necessary to dispose of them all
before the national convention meets,
June IS.
The Alabama, California and Arkansas
cases were ready for submission TO the
this morning Attorneys and
delegates were prepared yesterday TO
submit the cases as soon as the com
mittee should be ready to hear them
In Alabama. the first State to be called
by the committee. there are contests by |
the Roosevelt representatives for the
entire list of delegates-at-large and |
from ahe First. Second, Fifth. Sixth and
Ninth congressional districts.
Odd Contest in California.
In Arkansas there are contests for the !
large and in all of the seven
districts In the State ex-
cept the Sixth. In the California cases
the Taft contest in the Fourth district |
is directed primarily against the Califor-
MIA secretary of state. who refused 10
issue certificates to Taft delegates who !
received maiorities in that district, His |
action. it is understood was based on
the ground that the State at large had
indicated a preference for Colonel Roose- |
yelt
Reports received at national commit
tee headquarters today announced the
absence of Nathan y. Scott. West Vir.
ginias committeeman. lie sent his proxy
to Colonel Harry s. New, chairman of !
CONTINUED on Second PaRe.D