The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-05-09
EACH DELEGATE LEFT GREE
no VOTE AS HE WISHES

EACH DELEGATE LEFT GREE
TO VOTE AS HE WISHES
Boston, Mass.-Afte two confer
ences the eight Roosevelt delegates
at large, elected at the primaries on
Tuesday to the Chicago convention,
decided not to take any joint action on
the attitude adopted by Col. Roosevelt
in releasing them Of any obligation to
vote for him, but to leave each dele
gate free to act as he sees fit.
A statement issued today by Math-
ew Hale, chairman of the Roosevelt
committee, says:
'In view of the complicated politi-
cal conditions following m state pri-
may, | decided to call a meeting OF
the eight delegates at large to discuss
the situation. ] had not then heard
anything about Col. Roosevelt's state
ment regarding the delegates at
large. The delegates who assembled
here, | believe, saw the newspaper ac-
counts of the colonel's statement.
with the knowledge on the part
of each delegate that he had been
fairly and %squarely elected and by a
large majority over the Taft delegat-
es. is was the unanimous opinion that
they should stand together and vote
for Roosevelt. Consequently, a joint
statement tic this effect was signed
by each delegate present.
Later in the day and after care
fully considering the position SO
forcefully taken by Col. Roosevelt,
the situation was again talked over
with the delegates, and they decid-
ed to take no joint action but to re-
scind their agreement and leave each
individual delegate free to determine
for himself his responsibility to his
constituents and to act accordingly.
The total preferential vote for the
three republican candidates., with the
returns from the town of Gonsnell
still missing, was a sfollows:
La Toilette, 1,756; Roosevelt H.
1853. Taft, 74.S0S.
The Colonel's Position.
Oyster Bay, n. Y.-Col. Roosevelt
Yesterday afternoon pronounced his
claim to the eight delegates at large
to the republican national convention
elected for him in Massachusetts on
Tuesday. He telegraphed hat NE
would expect them to vote for Pfesi-
dent Taft, taking this action, he said
because of the fact that President
Taft carried the state on the presi'
dental preferential vote.
Col. Roosevelt announced his deci.
sion in a statement, copies of which
he telegraphed to each of the eigh'
) delegates at large elcN ted. The state
ment follows:
"In Massachusetts the ballot con-
tanned the names of eight candidates
for delegates at large, with, printed
Il ulueI each, llp 10. plCuSCd "
vote for Theodore Roosevelt" ant
also contained a calumn in which the
voter was to express his preference
whether l or Taft should be nomin'
ated. 1t would seem unlikely that
. majority of the voters would vote fol
the delegates pledged to me and al
the same time express a preference
for Mr.. Taft, but apparently this is
what has happened.
"Such being the case, and on the
assumption that the preferential vote
l is for Mr.. Taft, l hereby announce
} that l shall expect these delegates a
large to disregard the pledge to sup
port me, and support Mr.. Taft; and
if any one OF them hesitates to do sc
shall Immediately write him and
urge him with all the emphasis AND
insistence in my power to take the
: course indicated and support Mr.
Taft in the convention.
"In this fight l am standing for
certain great principles which | re-
gard as vital to the present and flu
ture welfare of this nation. My sue.
cess is of value only as an incident
to securing the triumph of these
|ess..s ,iples. Foremost among these
RIM eiples lis the right OF the people
RI ale, and the duty of their repre-