The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-09-27
HARR|SSURRENDERS
TO ROOSEVELT

been named as republican national
committeeman from Oklahoma and
that Arthur H. Geissler of Oklahoma
City succeeds him as chairman of the
state committee directs attention IL
the republican situation in this state
Well informed republicans have no
doubt read with surprise as well as
interest the report made by Chairman
Hills of the national committee at tie
committee meeting in New York
Wednesday to the effect that all of
the Roosevelt electors originally nam
ed on the regular republican tickets
had been replaced except in the states
of Kansas, Nebraska and California.
| The inference to be drawn from this
is that Mr.. Hills is not informed as
to conditions in Oklahoma and that
Harris has represented to him that the
regular republican electors in this
state will vote for Taft if they should
be elected The Bull Moose organiza-
pledged to Roosevelt and every wei
informed Taft republican in this state
knows that there is not now the slikht-
est prospect that any Taft voter will
have an opportunity to vote for the
candidate of his choice. This situa-
ton makes it pertinent to review some
,onapf yannhlfcou bictOru Ac z
ter of fact the loyal Taft republicans
ave had Jim Harris under suspicion
for more than two years. AT the
meeting of the republican editors of
the state held in Shawnee more than
two years ago Everett Purcell, post
master at Enid and editor fthe Enid
endorsing the Taft administration
against the advice of Harris The
state chairman at that time pretended
of course. to be a Taft supporter but
for the sake of harmony in the party
he opposed the aggressive action adj
vocated by Purcell
The loyal Taft men have not for
gotten Harris for his course in the
state convention which elected dele
gates to the regular republican con-
vention at Chicago. They made their
plans to force the Roosevelt followers
to bolt, and send a contesting delega-
Stion to Chicago. They could have car
ried out their plans if Harris had stood
by them, but at the critical moment
he surrendered to the Roosevelt fol-
lowers and was reelected state chair
man They have accused Harris CT
making deal at that time to main
tain his own position in the republican
organization When Taft was nomi.
mated and it was evident that there
would be a Roosevelt bolt of some
sort, at least one Taft republican call
ed the attention of Harris to the fact
that the electors nominated as regu'
lar republicans were practically all
Roosevelt men and urged him to take
steps to see that regular Taft sup
porters were put on the ballot for the
August primaries There was time to
do this when Taft was nominated but
the charge is made by republicans
that Harris deliberately neglected to
take advantage of this opportunity for
the protection of Taft's interests. The
straw that broke the camels back and
started the open and public protest
against the course of Harris on the
part of the Taft supporters was the
meeting of the republican state cen
tral committee at Guthrie recently
when Harris, with practically all of
the proxies in his vest pocket had
himself recommended for national
committeeman and passed a resolution
endorsing the whole republican ticket
as nominated in the convention and
e2rimaries including the Roosevelt cleo
tors. Another sore spot with many 0f
the loyal Taft mem is the fact that
Harris has not taken advantage of any
opportunity to purge the republican or
ganization OF Roosevelt followers, In
, Garfield county he appointed to fill
vacancy in the state General commit
tee the editor Of newspaper support
ing Roosevelt and oppostug other reg
.ular republican candidates
These events have lod up to the deal
which has been consummated between
Nthe Harris organization and the Bun
Moose organization The efforts on
the part of the Bull Moose state com
mittee to get a ticket an the ballot
were bluff to force the Stand.pat re-
publicans into line with their plans,
The bluff has worked ont e. teo salts
faction of the Bull Moose orSaN'a't'eA
and it is said to the sroai dehset q
Bird Mcclure and Dick NNgk@R toe |