The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05
CRAWFORD STANDS
S0UARELY BACK OF
STATE CONVENTION
U. S. Senator Defines
His Position In a
Statement
CAN'T USE FORCE
Says Taft Men Can't Make
Voters Accept His Taint-
ed Nomination

Huron, S. D.-Unted States Sen
ator Coe l. Crawford stands firmly
behind the state republican ticket and
the action of the Huron state repub-
lican convention which flatly refused
to indorse the administration and the
1912 nomination of President Taft,
and named electors who favored Col
onel Roosevelt as the only candi-
date of progressive principles whom
republicans may support.
Senator Crawford is resting at his
home here after his arduous labors
in the late congress. He talked freely
to correspondent of the Press and
said in part:
1T is of no use to try to read me
out of the republican party. Progress
sve republicanism appeals to me
more strongly than ever. 1t is too
good to leave-particularly in South
Dakota. Under one OF the best and
freest primary election laws in force
anywhere in the United States, the
rank and file of the party, by means
of the Australian ballot, nominated q
full state and congress onal ticket
and indorsed Dean Sterling as the
party candidate for United States
senator dI Il SldlG-Nlut PRIMARY ltlQ
last June. Some of the candidates as
nominated are stalwarts, but the
greatest number are progressive re-
the support of the republicans of the
state.
What Primary Told.
''The votes cast at that primary for
the Follette-Roosevelt progressive
republican principles, and for the La
Toilette candidates for delegates to
the republican national convention,
showed clearly to all except the will
fully blind that the overwhelming ma
jority of republicans in this state are
progressive and anti-Taft. That vote
also proves clearly that the stalwart
candidates who were successful, won
by the aid of progressive republican
votes, or by securing a plurality in
stead of a majority vote. However
that may be. they were legally and
fairly nominated and unless they
choose to leave the party, they are
entitled to it's full and loyal support.
AT the same time, under the provis-
ions of the same primary election
law, the republican voters OF this
state, by a decisive majority, select
ed ten progressive republican dele
gates to represent the party at the
republican national convention IN
Chicago and by an equally decisive
majority elected Thomas Thorson
national committeeman. AS commits
stoned and directed by the majority
of the party voters these delegates
attended the national convention
and performed their duties. They did
not bolt; they divided their votes
equally between Robert M. LaFol-
lette and Theodore Roosevelt. They
are not satisfied that Taft received
majority of the votes OF all the
delegates legally and morally entitled
to seats in that convention. Neither
am |. But the fact that we are not
so satisfied does not put us and can
not nut us outside the republican
party The proceedings of the repub-
lican national convention are we'll
known and there are differences OF
opinion about the matter After read
ing all the records which have been
accessibyt to me, l am obliged to say
that l do not consider that the act
ion of the national committee, dom
mated by Barnes, Penrose and Gug-
genheirl, in excluding from the tenn
porary roll of the convention Roose
Welt delegates from the states OF
Washington, California, Texas anc
the Thirteenth Indiana, is either jus
tifiable or honest Had these dele
gates been seated, as it is clear to me
they should have been seated, Tai
could not have been nominated, bu
some other progressive republican
would have received the nomination
Republicans Not Compelled to in
dorse Fraud.
Republicans, against their homes
convictions, cannot be compelled II
ratify what they regard as bold ant
fraudulent usurption of power b.
such men as Penrose, Barnes ant
Guggenheim, nor can they be driver
ont of their party because they refus
to do so.
''At the South Dakota primary he'll
in June. the rank and file republican
voters voluntarily selected delegate
to represent the several counties in
state convention, which was held a
Huron on the first Tuesday in July
The delegates were selected by tn
majority under sanction of the LAY
and it became their duty, as the reI
resentatives of the party which elect
ed them, to meet and name candlda1
es for presidential electors from tli
state and to make and adopt part
platform for the coming campaign
These delegates, as directed by th
voters in the republican party, in tn
manner provided by law, met in stat
convention and performed their dut.
They adopted platform and declare
their adherence to the republica
party; they pledged their loyal SUI
port to the entire ticket nominate
at the June primaries; they nomina
ed republican candidates for pres
Dental electors in this state. But /