The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-10
LESS Than FOUR
THOUSAND LEAD.
President Taft Proves Victorious
In Massachusetts.


cept Colonel Roosevelt's decision that
they should vote for President Taft at
the Chicago convention, although
elected as Roosevelt delegates, has
further complicated the situation aris-
ing from the state primaries. The
situation is acknowledged by party
parallel in the political history of the
commonwealth.
Although the Republicans of the
state selected President Taft as their
candidate for denomination by a ma
jority Of 1856 over Colonel Roosevelt
on the presidential preference ballot
at the same time they elected by de-
cisive vote the entire slate for eight
delegates at large pledged to the for
mer president.
After two conferences the eight
Roosevelt delegates at large decided
not to take any joint action on the
attitude adopted by Colonel Roosevelt
in releasing them from obligation to
vote for him. but to leave each dele
gate free to act as he sees fit A state
ment issued by Matthew Hale, chair
man of the Roosevelt committee, says:
Calls Meeting Of Delegates.
in view of the complicated political
conditions following our state primary
/ decided to call meeting of the
eight delegates at large to discuss the
situation had not then heard any,
thing about the delegates at large. The
delegates who assembled here, | be-
lieve, saw the newspaper accounts OF
the colonel's statement
with the knowledge on the part of
each delegate that he had been fairly
elected and sQuarely by large ma
jority over the Taft delegates it was
the unanimous opinion they should
stand together and vote for Roosevelt.
Consequently joint statement to this
effect was signed by each delegate
present. ...e
Later and after carefully consider
ing the position SO forcefully taken
by Colonel Roosevelt the situation was
again talked Over with the delegates
and they decided to take no joint &C.
ton, but to reScind their agreement
and leave each individual delegate
free to determine for himself his re-
sponsibility to his constituents. and
to act accordingly"
In his request to the delegates at
large Colonel Roosevelt declared it to
be his wish to abide by the will of the
people and that therefore the dele
gates, though elected as pledged to
him, should vote for Mr.. Taft, who had
received the presidential preference
vote One by one the delegates, as
they were heard from, however, pro-
tested that under no circumstances
would they cast their ballots other
than they had been pledged.
viii Stand by Roosevelt.
Charles s. Baxter, who heads the
delegation, said he had always been q
Roosevelt man, was elected as
Roosevelt man and expected to con-
tinue a Roosevelt supporter. Arthur
J.. Mason and George w. Coleman de-
clared they would absolutely refuse
to abide by any such request" James
P. Maginis took the position that he
had been elected as Roosevelt dele
gate and he could see no way of evad-
ing the direction" the remaining dele
gates expressed themselves similarly.
Colonel Roosevelt secured ten more
delegates in the district elections and
President Taft carried nine districts.
SO that Taft and Roosevelt each has
eighteen delegates from the state to
the national convention.
A somewhat similar situation was
created on the Democratic ballot.
Speaker Champ Clark, who had no
Pledged delegates on the ticket, won
two to one victory over Governor Will
son in the presidential preference con-
test. At the same time delegates at
large pledged to Governor Foss of Mas
sachusetts were elected to attend the
Baltimore convention, though the name
of Governor Foss did not appear in
the presidential preference column.
Roosevelt followers have announced
their intention of asking a recount in
the Eighth district, while the Taft men
will do likewise in the Ninth on &C.
count of the closeness of the vote.
The total preferential vote for the
three Republican candidates, with re-
turns from the town of Gosnold still
missing, was as follows: La Toilette
1856, Roosevelt 7ll53, Taft 74S0S.