The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-27
Overwhelming Victory Claimed
by His Supporters
PRIMARY WORKED POORLY
Roosevelt Supporters Are Prepared to
Contest the Validity of the Elec-
tion Because Of Mix-up In
the Ballots Yesterday.

New York, March 27.-Victory for or.
ganizaton delegates to the Republican
national convention, who were opposed in
seventeen congressional districts of New
York state at yesterdays primaries by
candidates named by Roosevelt support
ers, was claimed an hour after the polls
had closed last night by the Republican
state and organization chairmen. The
primary elections in this city were made
chaotic by one of the worst ballot mix
ups known for many years here, and the
results of the election were considerably
delayed
William Barnes, jr., chairman of the
Republican state committee, claimed at
10 o'clock that the opposition, "by the
highest possible estimate would not
win more than seven out of the 80 seats
to which New York is entitled.
County Chairman Samuel S. Koenig
claimed victory in his own district by a
vote of $50 to 20 and declared that the
returns from about eighteen of the elee-
tion districts indicated ratio of voting
of about eight TO one against the oppos-
tion. He claimed the election OF organi-
cation delegates in every district.
After the polls had closed at 8 o'clock,
In some instances only about half an
hour after they had opened, on account
of the delay in the delivery of ballots,
Roosevelt supporters said that the mix
up would lay the ground for a contest
as to the validity of the election. 1t
was the first trial of the new primary
law and the working of il had been
looked to with special interest on this
account. Ballots in many of the dis
tricts ranged from ten to fourteen feet
in length, and so great had been the
haste to get them to the polling places
that in some cases the ballots were in
sections, there having been lack of time
to paste them together.
The Democrats who elected delegates
only to their state convention and mem
bers of organization committees had lig-
tie trouble about the ballots, but the
Republicans, independence league voters
and prohibition voters were in many in-
stances obliged to give up their plan OF
voting on account OF the long delay in
the arrival Of ballots. There was no
disorder of Importance, the voters seem.
ing to have sufficient satisfaction BY
venting their complaints in ridicule of
the system.
County Chairman Koenig declared that
his organization was in no wise to blame
for the ballot mix.up, and other persons
said the printers had been embarrassed
by the unusual size of the ballots anl
Handicapped by eleventh hour legisla
tion which the Roosevelt committee in
stituted over the question of positions
on the ballots.
Tn certain election districts Of the
third assembly district, no ballots were
received at all, according to the report
to the county committee. Instances
where they were not received until some
time after or shortly before the polls |
throughout the city and Brooklyn.
As to the exact lineup of delegates, |
all statements given out at the Repub-
lican county headquarters expressed the |
contest as "between Taft and Roose. |
Welt" This is because the county organ
ization has endorsed President Taft and |
claims that all the delegates nominated
by the party committees in the various
districts are in favor Of the presidents |
denomination.
In accordance with the primary law,
however, none of the delegates is specific |
ally instructed.
Chairman Koenig late last evening got
the White House on the long distance
telephone and told Secretary Hilles that |
President Taft had swept New York /
county, and that not more than three or
four out of SS5 election districts in the
county had given pluralities for the
Roosevelt nominees.
The secretary said in reply that the
president was much pleased that New |
York county had come to his support.
Shortly before 1880 o'clock last night /
Charles H. Duell, chairman of the Roose-
Welt citizens committee, issued this
statement:
an view of the almost complete
paralysis of the election machinery, not
to speak of other features of this So
called primary, the Roosevelt committee
will take steps to see if there is q way
TO have real primary in this city
with full expression of Republican
opinion"