The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-02
Taft Favored in Preferential Primary, But Delegates
 Are Evenly Divided
COLONEL ANNOUNCES
 CLAIM OF DELEGATES
Delegates Are Obstinate, However, and Will Refuse to Abide by Re- quest of Rooseve veIt-To Take
 No Joint Action

Boston. May 1.-The refusal of the republican delegates at large to ao- leept Colonel Roosevelts decision today that they should vote for President Taft at lthe Chicago convention. all l though elected as Roosevelt delegates. 1 has further complicated the situation arising from the state primaries yes terday The situation Is acknowledged by party leaders of both sides to be without parallel in the history of the commonwealth.
 No Concerted Action l After two conferences today the eight Roosevelt delegates at large elected at tho primary yesterday to the Chicago convention, decided not to take any joint action on the attitude adoped by Colonel Roosevelt in releasing them from obllga- | ton to vote for him, but to leave each delegate free to act as he sees fit A statement issued late tonight by Matthew l Hale, chairman of the Roosevelt commlt- tee. says:
 Tn view of the complicated political conditions following our state primary decided to call a meeting of the eight delegates at large, to discuss the situa- | tion. had not then heard anything about | Colonel Roosevelts statement regarding the delegates at large. The delegates who assembled here, believe, saw the newspaper accounts of the colonels state ment.
 With the knowledge on the part of | each delegate that he had been fairly elected and squarely by large majority over the Taft delegates, it was the unan- imous opinion that they should stand to- gether and vote for Roosevelt. Conse- quently a joint statement to this effect was signed by each delegates present.
 Reconsider Decision
 Later In the day, and after carefully considering the position so forcefully taken by Colonel Roosevelt, the situation Was again talked over with the dele gates, and they decided to take no joint action, but te rescind their agreement and leave each individual delegate free 10 determine for himself, hit responsi-l biiity to his constituents and to act ac- eordingly.r
 Although the republicans of the state elected President Taft as their can didate for renomination by majority of 3605 over Colonel Roosevelt on the presidential preference ballot. at the same time they elected. by a decisive vote, the entire slate of eight delegates at large pledged to the former Presi dent Colonel Roosevelt got 10 more delegates in the district elections and President Taft carried nine districts | so Taft and Roosevelt each have IS delegates from the state to the national l convention.
 Similar Situation
 A somewhat similar situation was created on the democratic ballot. Speak CT Clark, who had no pledged delegates on the ticket, won a two to one vic tory over Governor Wilson in the pres idential preference contest.
 At the same time delegates at largel pledged to Governor Foss of Massa- chusetts were elected to attend the Baltimore convention, though the name of Governor Foss did not appear in the presidential preference column. Roosevelt followers have announced their intention of asking a recount in the Eighteenth district, while the Taft men will do likewise in the Ninth on account of the closeness of the vote.
 In his request to the deleBates-at- large, Colonel Roosevelt declared it to be his wish to abide by the will of the peo- ple, and that therefore the delegates. though elected as pledged to him. should vote for Mr. Taft. who had teceiyed the presidential preference vote. One by one the delegates, as they were heard from today, however, protested that under no IClTcuulSldnCtS WOulu tllty NdSl llltii pal- lots other than as they had been pledged. Delegates Stick to Instructions Charles s. Baxter. who heads the dele gation, said he had always been Roose- veit man. was elected as a Roosevelt man and expected to continue Roose- welt supporter. Arthur l.. Mason and George w. Coleman declared they would absolutely refuse to abide by any such request
 James r. Magenis took the position that | he had been elected as u Roosevelt dele gate and he could see no way of evadng the direction. The remaining delegates ex pressed themselves similarly Both the Roosevelt and Taft headduar- ters managers remained silent tonight upon the announcement of Colonel Roose- welt.
 contest which the managers of the Taft campaign promise to carry to the very doors of the national convention if necessary, is threatened as result of the independent candidacy of Frank Siebef- lich of Boston. MT. Sieberlich was not on the regular slate of Taft delegates. but had his name entered on the ballot as an independent pledged to Taft
 Cause of Mixup
 The name was placed Immediately above the slate of eight delegates at large also pledged to President Taft, 50 that many voters, following down the column crossed the name of Sieberlich as well as the eight | others, pledged to Taft thus marking nine names. On the ground that this marking invalidated the ballot, hundreds Of votes were thrown out. the number running as high as 300 and 400. itiis stated, in New Bedford, Gloucester and Lynn Taft managers claim the loss to the Taft | ballot was so heavy from this cause that the President would have won the entire list Of eight deieeates at large had the full vote been counted. besides securing delegates m. some of the more closely contested distrcts. They contend that inasmuch as the delegates names were marked separately the intent of the voter was shown and all the ballots so marked | should be counted.
 Final Results i The total preferential vote for the three | republican candidates, with returns from 1 the town of Gosnold still missing, tonight was as follows
 LaFolette i75s Roosevelt 1.15s, Taft i I4Ses
 Roosevelt Renounces Delegates 1 oyster Bay May 1.-Col. Theodore