The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-06-13
Den0unces With Great En-
phasis Action of Commit
tee on California Cases
ARE STOLEN AND
GIVEN TO MR.. TAFT
Declines to Say Whether He Is Going
to Chicago or Not-Will Not
Comment on Statement of
William Finn

moment" said Colonel Roosevelt tonight
of supporters of President Taft on the re-
publican national committee.
The former President was aroused to
fighting mood by the news which
reached him today over his private wires
| from Chicago. He denounced with all the
emphasis he could command the action
of the national committee in deciding the
contests for seats In the nation conven-
tfon from Kentucky Arizona and Cali
fornia He declared that the 81 Taft sup
porters on the national committee have
shown their profound and abiding dis
loyalty 10 the party which in theory they
represent and which In practice they have
betrayed
He said that of the 81 national commit
teemen who have robbed the republicans
of California of two of their delegates
and have presented the stolen goods to
Mr.. Taft. there is just one man who
is entitled to speak for the republicans
of his state
The colonel expressed the opinion that
the national convention would not ratIfy
the seating of the Taft delegates from
California
What do you think the "a Roosevelt
delegates already seated from California
will do If the convention declines to adj
NIT the other two?" the colonel was
asked.
Not Making Any Prophecies
'I am not going to try to say what
they will do" he replied. Il am not maxi
ing any prophesies."
Colonel Roosevelt declined to comment
upon the statement of William Finn of
Pittshurg and other Roosevelt supporters
that the members OF the electoral COLI
lege from several republican states which
have been carried by Roosevelt at the
primaries would cast their votes for him
in case President Taft is renominated
When he was asked If he had decided
whether he would go to Chicago, Colo
mel Roosevelt replied smilingly:
I'm not going in the next half hour
anyway l can assure you that this is not
a Disguise as he pointed to himself,
"and that my real self is on the way
to Chicago"
Colonel Roosevelt's statement in part
follows:
single county of Maricopa The county
committee of that county had the op-
ton of selecting delegates to the state
convention or of calling a primary to
give the people the right to vote At a
meeting of the county committee all the
Roosevelt men, Joined by two of the Taft
men. ordered a primary TO be held
throughout the county. A minority of
the county committee held a rump meet
ing and selected Taft delegates to the
state convention. At the primaries the
Roosevelt delegates were elected by a
vote of $50 as against less than % for
Taft
Il call special attention TO the fact |
that six Roosevelt delegates from Ari-
zona are excluded by the national COM |
mittee because they represent the peo-
pie of Arizona and the six Taft dele |
gates are admitted because they do
not.
Thefts in Kentucky
"In Kentucky the Taft Bradley forces |
were guilty of grosser frauds than
anywhere else in the country. There
was no form OF rascality which II was
not clearly proved before the national |
committee that the Taft men had re-
sorted to in order to get Taft dele
gates.
"In the Eleventh district the theft |
of the delegates was perhaps more |
flagrant than elsewhere The Taft men |
not being quite willing to |
steal two men were and did actually |
steal one man.
I'm California the progressives could |
have obtained all the delegates with
out resorting to. a primary. The tempta
- tnlr hA 1alA
gates without risking primary.
Governor Johnson wrote to me for !
NV views. saving that he felt that even /
at the cost of surrendering the advan- !
tage the old primary law gave us In |
the state We should be true to our prin- |
ciplen and give the people chance to |
vote at primary for whom they want |
ed l wrote back that I entirely agreed |
with him and urged the passage of the |
primary law Accordingly the
progressives in California, the support |
ers of myself and Governor johnson. |
gave up the certainty of having all
the delegates for us and as matter |
of principle and justice passed the pri-
mary law. Every reactionary paper !
In the state was pleading for such a
law because they hoped to win under
it, The legislature of California de-
creed that In California as in oregon,
South Dakota and North Dakota, the
delegates should be all elected at large.
All parties and all factions acquiesced
lin the law and the supporters of three
republican candidates for President
made campaign throughoutsthe state
Taft Agreed to Law
MFR. Taft sent a special letter TO
California, which showed his entire ac-
quiescence in the law. There were no
candidates in the districts at all and
until after the primary was held there
was not a suggestion made about the
district delegates.
After the primary every decent man
in California acquesced but lieuten-
ant of Mr.. Patrick Calhoun. the man
whom Mr.. Heney indicted. has made |
the contest and the national commit |
tee has actually seated two Taft-Cal- |
houn delegates from California. Gov
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