The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-31
WILD AND VAGUE RUMoRs.

| what is going to be done by certain
partisan factionists in Chicago Mr..
McHarg has notified the public that
the naming Of Senator Root for tenn
porary chairman of the National Re
publican Convention would not be per
mitted. because Col. Roosevelt did not
like it.
Then il was stated that there would
be a revolt in case the National Com
mittee decided the question Of contest
cd delegations unfavorably to certain
candidate; also, that the delegates
! chosen by primary elections were TO be
accorded higher standing and a more
important influence upon the conven
tion than delegates named by conven-
tions.
All these rumors have simply meant
that from the first there would be a
revolt against the usual methods adopt
ed by the Republican party in holding
its National Conventions. There would
be no yielding to precedent, there
would be no authority conceded to the
actions Of former National committee
men or Of former National conventions.
All Of the traditions, precedents, and
procedure that had been known In the
past was to be swept away, and an
entirely new deal had in which the in-
terests of but one candidate would be
considered, and everything else would
be trampled under foot.
We cannot imagine the actual carry.
ing out Of any such destructive pro-
gramme as this. 1t will be necessary,
first of all, to recognize the National
committee and its authority in settling
contested cases; in selecting the tenn
porary officers for the convention, IN
order that there shall be any conven-
tion at all. If anv faction goes to
Chicago with the idea that it can bull
doze the party authorities, set aside
the party organization and party pre-
cedents, and carry things with a high
hand, regardless of right, of regularity,
OF order, and Of settled principles, that
faction will wake up to the realization
not only Of the enormity of its offense,
but Of the failure of its party-wreck
ing programme The official organiza-
tion of the Republican party will per-
form its usual functions at Chicago.
Those who have contests will be given
fair hearing, but they will not be al
lowed to override the party authority
and set aside the party organiza ton.
The men comprising the Republican
National Committee are the rightful
,,IL t II, 8
holding the convention The right of
the committee to namc a temporary
chairman has never been disputed, nor
do we see how it can be successfully
disputed The right of the National
Committee to hear and determine con-
it must be admitted now.
Those who undertake a programme
contrary to the usual procedure are in
revolt against the party, and their ac-
tion would mean party disorganization
and PARTY ruin. Inasmucb, however,
as any one who seeks the nomination
at Chicago must necessarily depend
upon the party vote for his election, it
is impossible to see how that person or
his friends could expect to gain any.
thing by engaging in any deliberate
scheme for wrecking the party in the
first place; for with the party wrecked
and with the Democratic party in hope
full unity and In perfect working or.
der, what possible chance would there
be for the election of the choice of
the malcontents in Chicago after they
had subverted the organization and
brought ruin on the party?
It is natural enough that there
should be this sort Of talk, in view of
all the cxtravagauces and recklessuess
of the Roosevelt campaign; but when
it comes TO the point of actually TAX
ing the threatened steps toward wreck
ing the party. it seems impossible that
even the most rong-headed support
ers Of Col. Roosevelt could wish to
complete that Job; they must neccssa.
rily pause before challenging the au-
thority OF the party organization it
self and undertaking to smash that
organization unless it will conform to
their views.
And so we dismiss these wild and
vague rumors as unworthy of public
| credence. and as impossible of execu-
ton. They are not only incredible in
themselves. but it is incredible that
any one who wishes to have Republic.
an votes, ard who must depend upon
those votes for his election. should
| first OF all wreck the party and destroy
! all sentiment of Iarty allegiance. II
is for these very ,ractical reasons that
We ignore most of the rumors as inn
possible, even though some of the more
reckless Of fact ion NAV gravely ut
er them, When ~ comes to the pinch,
however, they WIN not undertake to
put them into effect nor can we i'm