The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-01
Elected in the Massachusetts
Preferential Primaries.
SAYS THEY BELONG TO TAFT
Because the President Carried
the State Yesterday.
Both National Headquarters
Are Claiming a Victory.


Welt renounced his claim today to the
eight delegates at large to the Repub-
lican national convention elected for
him in Massachusetts yesterday. He
elegraphed that ne would expect them
to vote for President Taft. taking this
action, he said, because of the fact that
President Taft carried the state on the
presidential preferential vote.
Colonel Roosevelt announced his de-
cision in a statement, copies of which
he teIegraphed to each of the eight
ayers. In a statement today Director
The statement follows:
"In Massachusetts the ballots con-
tained the names of eight candidates
for delegates at large with printed un-
der each the words pledged to vote for
Theodore Roosevelt and also contain
ed column in which the voter was to
express his preference as to whether L
or Mr.. Taft should be nominated as
president. 1t would seem unlikely
that a majority of the voters would
both vote for the delegates pledged
to me and at the same time express
preference for Mr.. Taft, but appar--
emily this is what has happened.
Disregard Pledge.
"Such being the case, and on the
assumption that the preferential vote
is for Mr.. Taft, I hereby announce
that 1 shall expect these delegates at
large to disregard the pledge to sup
port me, and support Mr. Taft; and if
any one of them hesitates to do SO I
shall Immediately write him and urge
him with all the emphasis and in
Sistence in my power to take the
course indicated and support Mr.. Taft
in the convention.
I'm this fight l am standing for GER
tain great principles which 1 regard
as vital to the present and future well
fare of this nation. My success is of
value only as an incident to securing
the triumph of these principles. Fore
most among these principles is the
right of the people to rule and the
duty of their representatives really to
represent them, in nominating conven-
tions no less than in executive or leg
islative Offices. If the majority of the
rank and file of the Republican party
do not wish me nominated. then most
certainly 1 do not wish to be nomi-
mated.
my aim has been to get the genuine
expression of the genuine desire pre-
cisely, as if nominated, should desire
to get at the polls the genuine ex-
preston of the majority of the whole
people because my only purpose in
put into effect certain principles and
policies in which I ardently believe
and which 1 could not possibly put
into effect unless I had behind me the
hearty support of the majority of our
citizens"
Claims at Headquarters.
Washington, May 1.-Victory in the
Massachusetts presidential primary
was claimed today by both the Taft
and Roosevelt national campaign man
ayers. In a Statemene today Director
Mckinley of the national bureau de-
clared that President Taft has car
ried Massachusetts beyond all doubt"
and that the Roosevelt delegates at
large would be morally bound to vote
for President Taft
Senator Dixon's statement gave but
IA delegates to Taft. The Mckinley
statement credited 26 to Taft and left
statement was in part as follows:
Under all the conditions Massachu-
setts is as great victory as PennsyI-
vania. The conditions in Massachu-
setts were more favorable to the Taft
candidacy than in any other state in
the Union. If he could not carry that
state, he can carry no state.
This is the seventh Republican state
to elect it's delegates by primaries. They
aggregate 232 delegates. Out of these
Taft has IA in Massachusetts, in
Pennsylvania and in Illinois, a total
of % out of 232. This is a ten to one
reputation of his candidacy by these
seven Republican states. Under this
record Mr.. Taft disappears as a possi-
BILE Republican candidate for the pres
idency.
McKinIey's Statement.
The Mckinley statement was in
part:
"The president has carried the state
at large in the presidential primary
vote by 5000 majority, emitting him to
receive the votes of the eight delegates
at large, regardless of whether they
were elected en- the Roosevelt or loft
ticket.
''Fhe failure of the Taft ticket of
delegates at large headed by Senator
Crane to run even with. President Taft
throughout the state is attributed in
the statement to the presence of nine
instead of eight candidates for that
Office on the ballot.
IF the Massachusetts primary law
means what it means in Illinois and
Pennsylvania and If it means what
the Roosevelt delegates and managers
themselves claimed it meant when it
was passed, the president will receive
the votes of the eight delegates at
large at the National convention" the
statement concludes.
Weather Indications