The Washington herald., 1912-06-09
Finn GETS OUT
llBIG STICK" And
CLEARS FOR war
Organizes Committee to Intim-
ldats Delegates and Sweep
the Convention.
BOLT THREAT is USED
Dsspairing Of Doing Anything with
Contests, 7. R. Men Turn
Attention to ENJOYS.
BOLT THREAT IS USED
By JAMES ]. MONTAGUE.


by the National Committee to-day, the
Roosevelt leaders got out the big
stick" busted It on. and prepared to
batter the steam roller to atoms with It.
A vigilance committee, headed by
Bill Finn, the Pennsylvania boss, was
appointed to go after the delegate-look-
ing Taft men. The committees pro-
gramme is direct. 1t will visit every ar
riving delegate and address him thus:
IF Roosevelt is beaten, We are going
to hold a convention Of our own, prob
ably right on the scene of carnage, that
will beat Taft. The only way you can
hope to win in November is by voting
for T. R. Think it over
Finn, who is burly OF build, iron gray
as to hair, and close-cropped mustache,
steely blue-eyed. and the owner Of a
chin like the ram Of a battleship'
thought out this plan fifteen minutes
after his arrival here to-day.
Dixon welcomes Plan.
Dixon welcomed it joyously. A meet
ing Of fifteen delegates, chiefly from pri-
mary States, was gotten together before
most Of the politicians had breakfast
Among them was Gov. Stubbs Of Kan
sas. one of the inventors OF the Roose-
welt boom.
lnGE6 was llAllt NAoIA96AeAls ann
stated his proposal We can knock out
their steam roller" he said, 'as soon as
the delegates get here. The only thing
tc do is to grab them and hang on to
them" Everybody agreed, and after a
second meeting, which was told by Balm
bridge Colby how to keep within the
law, the fifteen members went out after
such delegates as are already here. They
will meet daily till convention time, and
~ IN
ing l9O Roosevelt contestants go the way
OF their hapless predecessors.
The vigilance committee is composed
as follows:
William Finn, chairman, Pennsyl-
vania; F. A. Knox, secretary, Michigan;
T K Neidringhaus, Missouri; W. r.
Stubbs, Kansas; G. c. Priestly, Omaha;
Dwight Hurd, Arizona; Edwin NJ Lee,
Indiana; Nathan Merriam, Nebraska: Bd.
L. hurdy, Minnesota: John L. Hamilton
Illinois; S. S. McNinch, North Carolina;
Robert Burton. North Dakota; E. A
Dickson, California; H. w. COe, Oregon,
and Galen L TAFT, Maryland Notice
that most of them are Westerners. All
Of them are savage fighters.
Little Peace in Chicago.
There is no longer any doubt that If
the Taft men try the tactics on the con-
NGnLlOn nOOT lIldl lLlCg nave puIsuGu III
the National Committee, a veritable
knockdown and drag out will result. AL
ready there is about as much peace
around here as there is at a dog fight.
Even the colonel and the President in
their happiest hours never were SO pic
turesquely descriptive Of each other as
are the men who are now representing
them in Chicago.
Harry New replied to Dixon's charge
that the Teactionaries are numbering the
Republican party with the remark: We
murder II, hey? Why, they are not only
planning to murder II, but to mutilate
the corpse afterward.'
Huh commented Boies Penrose, who
stood putting a black cigar. as he lowered
over the other committeeman, mot even
assault has been committed" Then he
added, refiectively: Not yet"
Perkins Goes to Cleveland.
George W. Perkins, growing suddenly
sensitive about questions as to when he
was going to open the pay window for
Roosevelt, departed in the afternoon for
Cleveland. He sat in some Of the coun-
cils in the morning, and left predicting
an overwhelming victory for the colonel
Perkins place as a strategist was taken
by Walter Brown, who started all OF
Tafts present troubles when the National
Committee met in Washington in De-
cember. Brown was made an honorary
member of the vigilance committee, as
was also Senator BOrah, who quit buck
ng the steam roller at the Coliseum long
enough to sit with the vigilantes at both
heir meetings.
The fear that the colonel, despite as
surances to the contrary, is likely to drop
into town and start something at any
moment still hangs menacingly over the
Taft tribe. Mckinley said this afternoon
that the colonel will be here before the
committee gets down to the contests in
Indiana and Kentucky, which will be
about Wednesday.
Prepare for Defeat.
Just about dinner time one Of the
yigilantes proposed a plan for use in
he event Of defeat. Wen have a ma
ority Of the members Of the National |
Committee after the convention" he said. |
All we need to do is to organize our |
convention on the floor, nominate our
President and Vice President and have
he new national committee recognize |
hem as the regular party candidates"
Fine" said one Of the committee. |
Wen tell the delegates we're going to |
10 that. 1t will help scare them into |
inc"
n 4dLL sGlltlllG AlAdl AAlC ENhOoENGll pGO- Il
lie cannot talk about coherently Is that /
4 heaving out all the California dele
-ates unanimously on the ground that 1
he primaries were illegally called The /
taft people know that they cannot get
way with this, as the Californians were
lected by an overwhelming majority.
3ut they say that two delegates are at
east in doubt, and they hope in the shuf-
e TO win them.
All Leaders Are Desperate.
Back Of all the tumult and the shouting
) a situation which is enjoyable to no.
ody but such Democrats as are on the
ide lines. The Taft leaders who are In
ommand are deliberately forcing the
omination Of a man foredoomed to de-
eat not because they are for him, but
ecause they want to keep their grip
n the party machinery. Penrose and
rane, both defeated in their own States.
ave no hope save through the nomIna-
on Of Taft, and are desperate. Neither
sure Just how far the delegates will
blow them and neither cares II the OUT
ome is the temporary wreck Of the
arty.
These two bosses have used various
xpedients to get the other commit
semen behind them Ralph Williams,
Oregon, is an example. Williams.