The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-28
TAT MEN CONTROL
STATE CONVENTION
Elect Four Delegates-at-Large and Adopt
Resolutions Opposing Roosevelt Plat
form---Contesting Delegates Are Named
to Chicago Meet

The Taft delegates to the Indiana
State Republican convention Tues
day, by counting in all their con-
tested delegates, had control of the
meeting by the narrow majority of
los in the total vote of 1439.
Control by either side depended
on the temorary chairman of the
convention, who ruled whether or
not the contested delegates should
be allowed to vote on their own
right to sit in the convention. If
they were not allowed to vote, the
Roosevelt forces would have a ma
jority of the uncontested delegates,
would have seated enough Roosevelt
delegates to make a majority and
would have elected their candidates
for delegates to the national conven-
ton.
The convention did not elect its
temporary chairman; he was select
ed by state chairman Fred Sims,
and was expected to rule as he did
in order to allow the Taft forces to
control. The Roosevelt supporters,
in all probability, would have done
the same thing if they had been
able to get control and do it.
Chas. w. Fairbanks, Harry S.
New, James E. Watson and Joseph
d. Oliver were elected as delegates
at-large to the National convention
at Chicago in June, and instructed
to vote for Taft. There was no con-
test allowed in the election of dele
gates by the chairman. He did not
give the Roosevelt men a chance to
place anybody in nomination, and
took a viva voce vote on the election
of delegates, declaring, regardless
of the yells of ayes and noes, that
they were elected. 1t would have
made little or no difference, however,
if vote had been taken by ballot,
as lines were closely drawn and only
a few votes could have been chang
ed.
Contesting Delegates Elected.
After the breaking up of the
regular convention most of the
Roosevelt delegates gathered in the
rear of the hall and elected as dele
gates to the national convention AL
bert j. Beveridge, Fred Lands,
Chas. H. Campbell and E. NJ. Lee.
They will contest the seats Of the
other delegates at the Chicago con-
vention.
A Stormy Meet.
The convention during the most of
its short session was a stormy one.
Everything was all right until state
senator Will Wood of Lafayette,
who was made temporary chairman,
had proceeded well along with his
speech and was making an argu-
1nent in favor of the administration.
This the Roosevelt men did not
think was fair, and they refused to
let him proceed with his speech,
interrupting him at every effort for
a period of perhaps 25 minutes. He
was not equal to the occasion, either
in voice, in his remarks or in deal
ing with the temper of the conven-
tion. The proper speech at the
time, calculated to bring both sides
to the realization of the party
situation In the state, would have
had a remarkable effect on the ac-
ltions of the convention.
| Only one ballot was taken, and
that on the report of the committee
on credentials. The majority report,
seating 40 Taft delegates and 4
Roosevelt delegates, was adopted by
a vote of 772 to 667, leaving a ma
jority for the Taft committee report
of 105. 1t was on this vote that
the contested delegates voted to seat
themselves. There were contests
against 106 Taft delegates. Marshall
county's vote was 10 for Roosevelt
land three for Taft.
The Resolutions.
The resolutions adopted take q
bold and strong stand against the
proposed measures to give the peo.
pie greater freedom Of expressing
their opinions. ssThe initiative
referendum and recall" says the
majority report, "would weaken and
destroy the strength and perpetuity
of our system Of representative
government with the executive
Legislative and judicial depart
ments discharging their respective
duties and forming harmonious
=