Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-07
TAFT'S CLAIM WINS.
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formity with proper parliamentary law
| declared Chairman Rosewater. when a
motion is made and seconded to lay q
motion on the table parliamentary law
holds that it cannot be debated"
The committee then called the case of
| the Alabama delegates at large, the first
contest case to be taken up.
On motion of Senator Penrose. consider
alton of the Arizona case was deferred
until later day.
The Alabama case was taken up at
1915 o'clock.
The Roosevelt attorneys presented their
delegation at large the regular dele
CATION their official brief. distributed to
the committee, bearing that title.
Sixteen Delegates Involved.
Both sides were prepared with evidence
and contesting delegates, to uphold their
claims to the legality of their respective
delegations.
Inc Alabama cases were declared by
the Taft attorneys to rest upon the regu-
larity Of the state republican organiza-
ton presided over by Pope NJ Long
state chairman. Six delegates at large
and two district delegates each. In the
first. second. fifth, sixth and ninth con-
gressional districts. sixteen in all Of Ala
parma twenty-four delegates. We're in
volved in the contests.
Under the contest rules adopted by the
national committee when 1t organized
yesterday attorneys on each side were
given thirty minutes to present evidence
ana arguments in the case involving the
delegates at large, and fifteen minutes to
each district case. 1t was expected that
several of the district contests would be
grouped together to shorten the hearings
When the Alabama cases were called
a strong array OF counsel appeared on
each side to open the fight for delega-
lions upon the outcome Of which the
republican presidential nomination is
supposed to depend. Ormsby McHarg
OF New York and Charles Dick Of Ohio
Tor Col. Roosevelt and President Taft
With former Senator Dick were
Frederick C. Bryan Of Washington, his
associate counsel; .. D. Street and S.
egation at large from Alabama and w.
s. Reese. j. J. Curtis and A. c. Birch,
representing the contested Taft dele
gates In the congressional districts.
Mr.. McHarE was assisted in present
ing the Alabama cases by Oscar r.
Hund1ey of Birmingham. one OF the
Roosevelt delegates at large. and the
Roosevelt leader in the state. Asso-
ciated with the Roosevelt attorney was
cambridge Colby of New York, who is
Taft Claims Presented.
The Taft claims to the Alabama dele
gates at large. six in number. as pre-
scented to the committee by the Presi-
dents representatives were substantially
as follows:
Alabama came together in a convention
under a suggestion from President Taft
to compromise lOng-standfng differences.
That convention, it was claimed. selected
Pope NJ. Long. state chairman. suppressed
ing j. .. Thompson. and selected six del
egates at large to the republican national
convention. When the republican national
committee met in Washington in Decem-
Der, 1911 1T invalidated any election OF
delegates that had taken place prior to
it's meeting State Chairman Long called
another convention in Birmingham, March
Z, 1912. and the delegates at large We're
reelected. in conformity with the ma
tional committees official call.
Later Senator Dick claimed that MT
Thompson. the former chairman. issued
another call for a separate convention at
which the contesting delegates at large
were chosen.
After Col Roosevelt announced his
candidacy for the presidency" he said,
..Mr. Thompson repudiated the written
agreement he had entered into year
ago, pretended that the entire proceed
ings of the convention held IN August.
1911 were illegal and void, and pretended
to call together the old state committee
of which he had been chairman. Three
members of the old committee responded
to his call out of a total of forty-one
members.
1.-The Taft delegates at large were elect
ed by a state convention duly called py
the new state committee of which Pope
NJ. Long is chairman. There can be no
question about the legality of the cleo
ton
Contests Over the Districts.
In the first congressional district cases.
the Taft attorneys declared the organiza-
ton established by the republican conven-
ton in Alabama had been ignored, ana
that a separate convention had oeeh
called by j. O. Thompson and y. H.
Steele to elect Roosevelt delegates and
who occupy no official relation to either
the state or congressional committees
In the second district il was claimed the
regular organization also was ignored,
and the Taft forces further charged that
the Roosevelt convention had been held
outside the boundaries OF the second con-
gress.onal district without the Issuing OF
notices or the holding Of county conyen-
tons.
In the fifth and ninth districts the TAFT
adherents charged the Roosevelt forces
with working through Trump" or boiling
committees, and in the sixth district 1T
was claimed that eight men had selected
the district delegates at meeting at Biz
mingham
The two Alabama delegations appeared
before the committee as the Long and
'"Thompson' delegations, taking the
names of the rival republican state chair
men.
Chairman Rosewater called upon the
Roosevelt attorneys to open the argu-
ments as the credentials Of their. delega-
tons were filed last.
There is no contestant or contestee be-
fore this committee" said Secretary
Hayward Both delegations are treated
on the face of their credentials as regular,
and the order in VIII CHI these arguments
shall proceed is based on the date of
fling the credentials
Roosevelt Claims Preserved.
The Roosevelt attorneys. led by Mr..
McHarg and Mr.. Hundley. claimed COM
plete regularity for their delegates. They
asserted that ]. o. Thompson and his
delegates had been recogn.ze d by the re-
publican national convention of 1908 as
| 1.-The regular or Thompson faction"
1.-The said chairman. J. o. Thompson.
and secretary N. l.. Steele, have per-
formed, up to and including the compile
ton of their duties in calling and holding
a convention to choose delegates to this
convention, all duties devolving upon
them within said state as the lawful rep
resentatives Of the republican party with
in the state"
Mr.. Hundley charged that the Long or
| Taft delegates had been chosen at the
convention OF August. 1911. which was IL