The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-10

delegates at large from Indiana then
was -rcalled.
cambridge Colby. of New York, ap-
peared as attorney for the Roosevelt
delegates. He charged first that the
attempt to organize the credentials
committee of the Indiana state con-
vention on the night before the con-
vention had been illegal. Mr.. Colby
said this committee adopted a rule
which gave its fivt Taft members the
opportunity to choose members from
the Third, Sixth and Thirteenth dis
trlcs as to give them control. He de-
clared the Roosevelt men selected for
the committee from the Third and
Sixth districts had been unseated by
the Taft forces on that committee
which he said then took up the con-
tests and made up the temporary roll
for the next days convention. He
charged that 124 contested delegates
were thus seated by thu credentials
committee. The next day when the
committee assembled he continued,
these 124 contested delegates were al
lowed to vote on their own right to sit
in the convention. Without these votes
and the Taft side 648. The Taft forces |
thus had secured control of the con- |
vention.
Mr.. Colby said the Roosevelt forces |
actually had seven of the thirteen
members of the credentials committee |
but the rule laid down by the Taft |
rorces allowed the latter to secure the |
control.
Fraud Is Denied.
Merrill Moores of Indianapolis began |
the argument in behalf of the Taft
elegation-at-large which is headed by |
Chairman New and former Vice Prest- |
dent Fairbanks. He began by assert |
ting the Roosevelt attorney had not |
given all the facts to the committee |
Referring to the matter of control Of |
the committee on credentials, Mr.. /
MooreS said ten members of the COM
mittee, six Taft and four Roosevelt |
men had arrived at the committee |
room at nine o'clock when the COM
mittee organized
Mr.. Moores denied there had been
any fraud in the Indianapolis pri-
marles as had been alleged. He pre-
sented affidavits from public men
and city officials that the primaries
mad been properly conducted.
He presented figures to show that
the vote in the Indianapolis primaries
had been more than six thousand for
Taft and something more than 1,40O
for Roosevelt. Senator Borah asked |
how many uncontested Taft and |
Roosevelt delegates there were in the
state convention. Mr.. Moores said
the Taft forces were in the minority
unless some of their contested dele
gates were allowed to vote on the
contests.
Mr.: Moores presented an affidavit
by Will r. Wood of Lafayette to
prove that the Roosevelt delegates,
headed by ex-senator Beveridge, had
been nominated at a "rump' state
convention held without order" in
the back of the hall. James Hem
took up the Taft delegates argu-
ments. He said all delegates in In
dfanapolis were selected directly by
wards
A county committee of credentials
decided contests in the city, Mr.. Hem
enway said. The Roosevelt leader,
Linton A. Cox, recognized it's author
ity by appearing before it to present
evidence. In the Ninth ward, where
the vote was Taft 1e1, Roosevelt 153,
than 43 men with Roosevelt badges
had gone into the polls, but the en-
tire election board testified that its
count was correct. e-rt as- Il
Four More for Taft.
In the Indiana case the committee
again gave the decision for the seating
of the Taft delegates at large, adding
four to the seventytwo given the Taft |
side last week in the cases from Ala
bama, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia.
This four, however. was the first
Taft gain from the north.
The vote on the roll call was unani-
nous, 81 to 0, in favor of seating Taft
delegates Senator Borah voted for
the Taft delegates as did all the other
Roosevelt members. Colonel New did
not vota.
The Indiana delegates at large thus
confirmed on the temporary roll of the
are Colonel Harry S. New
and ex-Vice President c. w. Fair
banks of Indianapolis; Representative
James E. Watson of Rushville and
Joseph D. Oliver of South Bend The
defeated contestants are ex-senator
Albert J. Beveridge of Indianapolis
LET nf "a Rnh
Representative Frederick Lands of
LogansDcrt and Charles H. Campbell