The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-22
ROOSEVELT ASKS DELEGATES TO REFRAIN FROM VOTING, BUT IF THEY VOTE HOLDS
 THEM TO OBLIGATION TO VOTE FOR HIM

be deeply discreditabie to any man to accept the convention nomination under these circumstances and any man thus accepting it would have no claim to the support of any Republi- can party on the grounds of having forfeited all rights to expect the sup port of any party on any grounds"
 Among the delegates who were un- seated by the national committee who met with Roosevelt, to-day, were sew eral who wore badge "Steamroller- ed but still for Roosevelt .
 The IA Washington delegates who were in attendance were loudly ap- ence room. Roosevelt shook hands meeting.
 Tt was 10:44 when Chairman Root called the convention to order and in- troduced as the chaplain of the day, Rev. John Wesley Hill, of New York. Hill has been very successful in cam paigning for Taft and the. Pennsylva- mia delegates laughed when he was announced but all stood reverently during prayer. When he prayed that the country shenld he spared from 1.restlessness and disturbance" there was a litter from the Pennsylvania delegation and as he concluded some one whistled, '"root Foot" and d laugh went up.
 The credentials committee imme- dfateIy reported in favor of seating the Taft delegates-at-large from Mis- sissippi. There was a, minority re- port but the majority declaration was o64 fo<3 1,xyo xyiyy Uafn ho Tof delegates were placed on the perma- nent roll by a viva voce vote in the End, 5th, 9th. Eth, Mississippi dis tricts.
 There was so much disorder when the votes were taken that Root could not be. heard even by the delegates in the front seats. The delegatessweEe seemingly intent in having horsepIay and there was hooting, bowling, cat calls and jeere.
 The committee was unanimous in continuing on the temporary roll the delegates seated by the national com Ynittee in the 4th North Carolina, srd Oklahoma and End Tennessee dis tricts and this action was approved by q viva voce vote. There was silence when Washington state report was read, seating the Taft delegates. This was, with the exception of the 4th California, the most bitterly fought contest before the convention. Be fore the report was read 'ChAirpau Root asked that consideration be Etvl en to the reading clerk. Delegate P. N Howard, of Jackson, : Miss, arose and shouted: "I rise to9a point of order. claim that the steamrol- Ter is exceeding the speed limit
 A wild cheer went up from the Roosevelt menetbutyit was only "a mild zephyr to the roar that M spread through the hall when Root announc- ed: ''The point of order is we'll taken. I will say that some of us have some hope of. getting home for Sunday
 There was no interruption when the majority and minority reports on Washington were read. The com- mittee held that the Taft convention was regular and that the Roosevelt men had made fraudulent contests before the state committee. The mi- nority report fatly called the attempt to seat the Taft delegates a .'steal pure and simple" and designed to rob the people of their. rights.
 Where primaries were held, it was said. the Roosevelt men beat the Taft adherents to 1.
 E Mrs. William J. Bryan sat along side her distinguished husband in the press box and listened with evident interest to the reading of reports in the Washington cases.
 The minority report, in the Wash- ington case was read by J. J. Sulli- van, Ohio. He said that every Roosevelt member on the credentials committee believed that the seating of the Taft men on the Washington delegation was "direct steal.'' The Roosevelt forces always had a clear minority in. the state convention, he said, and the Taft contest was char acterized as trumped up.'
 { Hugh T. Halbert, of Minnesota, argued in favor of the minority report He declared throughout the Roosevelt men had decided only on the merits of the case in every instance. He crit icized the rules of the committee on credentials and insisted that in the present case the people of Washington would be, robbed of their rights if the Roosevelt delegates were not seated.
 Delegate Dovell, of Washington,