Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-30

committee of the convention and as
serts that each contest was settled
logically upon it's merits. The state
ment was submitted to the cabinet at
recent meeting and received the ap.
prevail OF the presidents official
family.
The statement, which is lengthy
document of IA printed pages, is de-
tailed denial of the charge that the re-
nomination of President Taft was &C.
complished by the seating Of fradu-
lently elected delegates to the conven-
ton. It takes up individually the 23S
contests Instituted by the Roosevelt
forces against Taft delegates who
were seated, and presents evidence In
each Of these cases to show that the
Taft delegates were regularly elected.
Contests Not In Good Faith.
A resume of the statement, prepared
BY Charles D. Hilles, formerly Presi-
dent Taft's secretary, and now chair
man OF the republican national COM
mittee, takes up each contest briefly
This resume opens with the declara-
ton that the Roosevelt contests, as
originally filed before the national
committee, were not instituted in good
faith.
Full Text Of Resume.
The full text of the Hilles resume Is
O. follows:
The total number of delegates sum.
moned to the convention under It's call
was 1,NS, with $40 necessary to q
choice. Mr.. Taft had SCI votes on the
first and only ballot and was declared
the nominee. There were instituted
against 238 Of the delegates regularly
elected tor Taft, contests on behalf OF
Roosevelt. These contests were
ayowedly instigated not for the pur-
pose Of really securing seats IN the
convention, not for the purpose Of adj
ducing evidence which would lead any
respectable court to entertain the con-
tests. but for the purpose of deceiv
Ing the public into the belief that Mr..
Roosevelt had more votes than he
really had, as the conventions and pri-
maries we're in progress for the selec-
ton OF delegates. This Is not only a |
necessary inference from the charac-
ter Of the contests. but it was boldly |
avowed by the chief editor Of the
newspapers ownedsb Mr.. Munsey,
who has been Mr.. Roosevelt's chief
financial and newspaper supporter.
The two hundred and thirty-eight con-
tests were reduced by abandonment,
formal or in substance, to seventy-four.
The very fact of these 1854 frivolous
contests itself reflects upon the gen.
uineness and validity of the remainder.
The seventy-four delegates include six
at large from Arizona, four at large
from Kentucky, four at large from In.
diana, SIX at large from Michigan,
eixht at large from Texas, and eight
at large from Washington, and also
two district delegates each from the
Ninth Alabama, the Fifth Arkansas
the thirteenth Indiana, the Seventh,
Eighth and Eleventh Kentucky, the
third Oklahoma, the second Tennes-
see. and from each of nine districts,
the first, second, fourth, fifth. seventh,
eighth, ninth, tenth and fourteenth Of
Texas.
Contested Deleeates-at-Large.
Arizona.
In the Arizona convention there
were ninty-three votes. All the dele
eates-six In number-were to be Sc
lected at large. The counties were en-
titled to select their delegates through
their county committee, or by primary.
In one county, Maricopa, a majority
OF the committee decided to select its /
delegates, and minority to have q
primary. In other counties there we're !
some contests, and the state commit
tee. following the usage Of the Nation
al committee, gave a hearing to all
contestants In order to make up the
temporary roll. There was clear ma
1ority OF the Taft delegates among the
uncoutested delegates The commit
tee made up the temporary roll, and
then there was a bolt. sixty-four re-
naming In the hall and twenty-five
withdrawing therefrom. The case Of
the Taft majority was 50 clear that 1t
Is difficult to understand why a con-
test was made.
Indiana.
In Indiana, the four Taft delegates 7
at large were elected in state con-
vention to which Marion county, in
which Indianapolis is situate, was en-.
titled to 1928 votes. A primary was
held in Indianapolis. at which Taft
polled 5000, and Roosevelt 1,400 votes.
This gave Taft LOG delegates in the
state convention from Marion county,
and II they were properly seated. the
control Of the convention by large
majority was conceded to Taft. At
tempt was made to impeach the re-
turns from Marion County by charges
Of fraud and repeating. These charges
were OF general character, without
specification, except as to one ward,
out of fifteen wards and then the i'm
peaching witness admitted he could
not claim fraud enough to change the
result In that ward. The national
committee upon which there were If
teen anti-Taft men rejected the Roose-
welt contestants and gave the Taft
delegates their seats by a unanimous
vote. Senator Borah and Frank B.
Kellogg, both Roosevelt men, made
speeches in explaining the votes in Il
which they said that the case turned
wholly on the Marion county primary
and as there was no evidence to i'm ;
peach the result certified, the title of
the Taft delegates was clear. This
is the convention whose proceedings
called forth such loud charges of
theft and fraud from Mr.. Roosevelt
Kentucky.