Atlanta Georgian., 1912-06-06
TAI 7 WINS FIRST
CLASH;B|C
IS NOW On
Roosevelt Men viii Not Try to
Unseat Opposing Commit
tee Members.

CHICAGO, June 6.-The national
committee of the Republican par
ty held it's first pre-convention
meeting at 2 o'clock this after
noon. With the rap of the gavel that
called it's members to order one of the
bitterest fights that the Republican
party has ever known was ushered in
The first fight will go to Taft. That
was conceded on all sides today.
There will be no contest over the seat
of Victor Rosewater. acting chairman
Of the national committee and commit
teeman from Nebraska. This was inti-
mated strongly from the Roosevelt
headquarters. 1t was announced boldly
from the Taft seat of war.
The committee has heretofore oper-
ated only under temporary rules. 1t
has decided to frame permanent laws
for its own government. and today a
report of the permanent rules commit
tee, headed by Committeeman Brooker,
of Connecticut, will be considered. The
rules will make two things explicit
the manner of hearing contests and the
limits of the term of committeeman.
They will include a provision that the
contests shall be heard by territories
and states in alphabetical order; that
each side shall be allowed not to exceed
80 minutes for the presentation of each
contest over delegates at large and if
teen minutes for district delegates; that
tests may be punched and heard all at
the same time; that the same evidence
may be used in various cases from the
same state; that no delegate whose
election was not in accordance with the
call and whose name was not filed at
the time fixed by the call shall be seat
ed except that where there is no con-
test the delegate may be seated on a
majority vote of the committee
Hearings Open to Newspaper Men.
The one innovation will be a deci-
sion to hold open session OF the com
mittee while hearings are under way,
The hearings will not be "too open, .
however. A limited number of news
paper men will be allowed to listen to
the stories. Then they will be shooed
out before the committee votes.
This does not meet with the full ap-
proval of the Roosevelt men. Senator
Dixon today voiced the complaint of his
faction.
I'VE court. full publicity" said Mr..
Dixon. This proposal is the height OF
foolishness 1t is when the roll Is called
that the contests are decided. When
the vote Is taken the public should be
present If the newspaper men are ex-
cluded during the voting 1t would be
the height of underhand methods"
Another move planned by the COM
r1ittee is disapproved by the Roosevelt
men. Victor Rosewater will be elected
assuring that he will serve until the
convention is over. Rosewater was ap-
pointed acting chairman after former
Governor Hill, OF Maine, elected at the
December meeting of the committee.
died He is a staurct Taftite. It was
admitted by various members of the
committee that Rosawater would be
elected after the roll call today
Defeat Roosevelt Single Object.
In fact, the entire Taft program,
htnted before the arrival Of Congress
man Mckinley, has crystallized today.
Rosewater will be elected chairman. He
will be official chauffeur of the steam
roller. The committee viii seat all the
Taft delegates. At least, they will seat
them until TAFT is certain that he has
enough delegates to nominate, and un-
til the moral effect" on the supposed
ly wavering Southern delegations IL
sufficiently impressed. Root will be
made temporary chairman. Root will
also be advanced for permanent chair
man.
The Taft program has one object
only: Defeat Roosevelt.
1t is an open secret about headduar-
ters of the Taft faction that Senator
Roots keynote address will be in a sad
minor, so far s the Roosevelt faction
is concerned. He has been selected for
the permanent seat. Roosevelt support
ers affirm. because Roosevelt has let 1t
be known that he will fight him.
About the time that Root receives the
second election at the hands of the
notwithstanding to the prophecy
of the Taft men-Colonel Roosevelt,
with his followers. will file from the
hall and the trump convention" of the