The Calumet news., 1912-07-29
CONTESTS AT
CONVENTION
NOT GENUINE
He Approves Statement Con-
csrning the Legality of
His Nomination
ATTACKS MINORITY REPORT
Charges of Irregularity are Mali
ci0usly Untrue
ATTACKS MINORITY REPORT
TAFT MEN REGULARLY ELECTED

Washington. July pa statement.
approved by President Taft, defend =
ing his nomination by the Chicago con.
ventiop was made public at the White
House today. 1t reviews every contest
before the Republican National Com
mittee and the credentials commit
-tee of the convention and asserts that
each contest was settled logically. up-
ON its merits. The statement was
submitted TO the cabinet at recent
meeting and received the appI oval of
the Presidents official family.
The statement which is a lengthy
document, OF l14 printed pages, Is
detailed denial of the charge that the
renomipation OF President Taft was ac-
ly elected delegates to the convention.
II takes up individually the 23S con
tests instituted by. the Roosevelt forces
against Taft delegates who were seat
ed and presents evidence in each OF
these cases to show that the Taft dele
gates were regularly elected:
Not In Good Faith.\
resume OF the statement pre-
pared by Charles ID. Hilles. formerly
President Taft's secretary and now
chairman of the Republican National
Committee takes up each contest brief.
~
This resume opens with the declara-
ton that the Roosevelt contests. as
originally filed before the National
Committee were not instituted in good
faith
The total number of delegates sum-
moned to the convention" says the re
sumo, was 1.07S, with $40 snecessarS
to choice. Mr.. Taft had SCI votes
on the first and only ballot and was
declared the nominee. There were In
regularly elected for Taft. contests on
behalf of Roosevelt. These contests
were avowedly instigated not for the
purpose of really securing seats in the
convention, not for the purpose of adj
ducing evidence which would lead any
respectable court to entertain the con-
tests but for the purpose of deceiving
the Public into the belief that NJ.
Roosevelt had more votes than he real
ly had, as the conventions and pIim
aries were In progress for the selection
of delegates The two hundred anG
thirty eight contests were reduced 10y
abandonment. formal or in substance.
To seventy four. The very fact of these
lt4 frivolous contests itself reflects up
On the genuineness and validity of the
remainder"
Attacks Minority Report.
Another appendix is the report of
the Credentials committee to the con-
Vention, in which the statement issued
o} the Roosevelt committeeman at
lacking the majority of the committee
was answered. In discussing tho
charge the report said;
The statement as n whole in its
lnsinuations of combination OF un-
worthy motive, In It's recital of allesed
iScts, is grossly and maliciously un-
lrue II was intended to convey the
impression that the time for hearin5
'ases was so limited as to prevent their
oeins properly presented To the com
inlttee The untruthfulness OF this
statement Is clearly shown by the rec
orus of the committee and the news
paper reports OF it's deliberations. Not
""N did the rules make liberal provis-
'oh Tor time In presenting the cases.
uu' IN every instance where the par
,es presenting the cases or any mem
Der OF the committee, asked, for an ex
enslon of time, II was granted.
me statement OF the Roosevelt mem
oers OF the committee asserted that tie
speed with which the Credentials COM
"i1ee brought In reports made 1t
e'nent that the reports had been pre-
p"reu beforehand" In reply to this
,,''ement the appendix to the White
mouse statement said:
Defends Committee Action.
III regard TO the assertion that re
pu',s We're prepared In advance of the
lion OF the committee on credentials
~, ~ one OF the gentlemen who makes
s statement will state Of his own
PERSONAL knowledge that any reports
~ enps ,mNde." a
'n concluding. the ma toritv .of ,hs