The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-22
ROOSEVELT PARTY
RUNS CONVENTION
Victory Won After a Long And Bitter
Fight For Each Inch Of Advantage
-Parmenter in the Chair.

Guthrie, Okla. March IA - The
Roosevelt faction in the republican
state convention asserted itself at the
first opportunity Thursday afternoon,
but it was only after long and bitter
fight that the victory was won. The
convention hall was a scene of tumult
when the state committee seated
twelve Taft delegations from counties
in which there were protests, in order
to form the roll for the temporary or
ganization.
Hostilities started even before the
announcement of the temporary organ
ization. Chancellor Bradford, of the
Methodist University of Oklahoma,
had trouble getting through with his
address of welcome. When he said
THE recall is dangerous dynamite and
let us be careful how we handle it."
an uproar began, the Roosevelt forces
putting on a demonstration. When he
mentioned the names of several prom
inent republicans and failed to men,
tion that of Colonel Roosevelt, was an
other season of pandemonium and
there were cries of Shut up" and
sit downi" from the crowd The
chancellor finished his address with
difficulty.
1t was after o'clock when the con-
vention got down to work
The heavy fighting began when the
committee had seated the contesting
Taft delegations and recommended the
election of Frank Greer as temporary
chairman. The Roosevelt men refused
to accept Greer as chairman and nom
mated B. M. Parmenter, of Lawton.
There was bitter protest from the
Roosevelt forces against allowing the
delegations seated by the state COM
mittee to take part in the temporary
Organization and Rough Riders swarm
ed to the platform, where they sur
rounded State Chairman Jim Harris,
shouting their arguments against the
regular procedure.
For time it looked like hopeless
ly divided convention and two sets
of delegates to the national conyen-
ton
Harris was firm, however, and when
a vote finally was taken, Parmenter
was elected temporary chairman, re-
ceiving $S4 votes to 1874 for Greer
The convention then started in on
a harmony program and Parmenter's
keynote speech was followed by an
address by Greer
Things went smoothly after the fight
to control the machinery of the con-
vention and, following the appoint
ment of the regular committee, num-
ber of prominent republicans were call
ed upon for speeches.
The voting strength of the twelve
delegations seated by the committee
for the temporary roll and of Logan
failed to file a contest, was 81
The counties protested were Beck
ham, Bryan, Cherokee. Coal, Delaware,
Greer, Johnston, Mcintosh, Pittsburg
Stephens, Tillman and Tulsa. 1t was
expected that there would be more
than twenty protests, and that the
Taft forces would secure control of
the convention in this manner, but the
move never was carried out
The convention recessed at $3.50 un-
til 1880 p. m.
A fight over the organization of the
convention was assured, Thursday
morning, when the credentials com
mittee of the state central committee
reported favorably on twelve Taft del
egations.
A number of Taft delegations were
seated to participate in the temporary
organization, owing to the fact that
contests had not been filed by Roose-
welt men and that protests against the
Roosevelt delegations had been made
by the Taft forces. The report of the
subcommittee was adopted by the
state committee without even beiug
read and only in twelve counties was
it indicated which delegation had
been seated.
The Roosevelt faction declares that
this program cannot be put through,
and that they will put up the fight of
their lives on the floor of the con
vention to prevent it.
The state committee is heavily Taft
in sentiment and recommended as the
temporary officers Frank Grer of Lo-
gan county as temporary chairman.
Linn G. White of Alva as secrt tary,
and Jesse Curd of Mcintosh county as
assistant secretary.
The convention was adjourned from
12 o'clock until O'Clock to allow the
credentials committee to submit it's re-
port
What Vinita Don't Need.