The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-06-27
TAFT WON WITH
SOUTHERN VOTES
Nomination Obtained by Combination
of Delegates From Democratic and
Contested Districts.
STEAM ROLLER IN PLAY.
Was Used By Organization to Settle
All Questions By Might Instead
of Right.
VICTORY WILL BE COSTLY.
Rank and File of Republican Party
Disguised With Tactics of the
Presidents Backers.
VICTORY WILL BE COSTLY.

One question that is being asked
all over the country today is, How
was Taft nominated when a major
ity of the delegates from Republican
states preferred another candidate?"
The steps taken which resulted in
his nomination were as follows:
Early in the spring, it was seen
that Taft supporters were in the ma
jority in the national Republican
committee. 1t also developed that
when delegates were being elected
to the Chicago convention there Of
ten happened to be two sets of dele
gates from the same district Each
claimed to be the set entitled to rec
ognition as having been legally
elected. These contests were not
trumped up charges but were based
on plain cases of double elections.
AS the highest official Republican
body, the national committee had
the right to hear the contests and
decide which parties were legally en-
titled to seats. These hearings were
held shortly before the convention
and resulted in nearly every case,
in the seating of the contestees who
were favorable to Taft The deci-
sions of the national committee were
based on personal preference and not
fact. Even in the fragrant cases of
California, Alabama, Arizona and
Washington, the vote was the same.
1t was the first manifestation of the
steam roller
Having lost their fight before the
national committee, on which men
who had been repudiated by their
party and refused reelection were
sitting and voting, the Progressive
leaders decided to carry the fight into
the convention ITSELF They believed
that the delegates would not ratify
the action of the national committee
but would decide the cases on their
merits.
Immediately after the call of the
convention was read, Governor Had
ley introduced the matter of contested
delegates voting and it was ruled that
the roll as made up by the national
committee was the one which would
put the convention into being. This
was the first decisive blow to the
Progressive forces as it meant that
the contested delegates would be used
in putting into power an organiza-
ton that would be friendly to their
cases. This proved to be true and
Elihu Root was elected chairman.
Soon after the election of Chairman
Root, Governor Hadley introduced a
motion substituting seventy-elgh1
Roosevelt men for seventy-eight Of
the delegates seated for Taft, also
making the provision that the contes
tees could not vote Chairman Root
ruled that the contestees could not
vote in all cases except their OWL
and on roll call the motion was lost
the votes of the contested delegates
swinging the total to their side O.
the column.
The matter was then left to thu
credentials committee of which eacl
state had one member. This commit
tee in each case reported in favo
of the findings of the national com
mittee and in each case minorit.
report was read in which the asser
ton was made that the merits of tn
case had not been considered an
protesting against the action of tn
national committee.
The reports of the committee wer
submitted by states. Alabama cam
first and in accordance with his pre-
vious ruling, Mr.. Root refused to al
low the two contestees to vote, bu
the other seventy-six did vote and a.
voted for the Taft delegates. TIL
situation in Arizona was the sam,
On roll calls, both minority report
were tabled and the report of the ms
jority adopted.
In the California case, each sid
was given an opportunity for debat
and the matter was thoroughly dis
cussed. It appeared that the tw
Taft men had carried their distric
ff.onfinnad on last n xA.l