Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-06-10
FALSE Committeeman.

FALSE Committeeman.
On a test vote at the meeting of
the Republican national committee
now in session at Chicago, 1t was
shown that thirty-nine members of
that committee are standing by Pres
ident Taft for the control Of the par
ty and thirteen are supporting Col
onel Roosevelt. These thirteen were
made up of the committeeman repre-
senting the following states: Della
ware, Idaho, California, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Minnesota, New York,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tex
as, Utah, Wisconsin, and the Dis
trict of Columbia. 1t must be con
sidered, therefore, that the commit,
teemen from all the other states are
now at Chicago, working their hard
est in the interests of President
Taft.
Doubtless this in accord with
President Taft's policy, that the peo-
pie themselves are not to be trusted,
but that their governing should be
done for them by a Representative
part Of the people" In President
Taft's mind such men as Franklin
Murphy, of New Jersey; Boise Pen
rose, of Pennsylvania; Murray
Crane, of Massachusetts,, and other
stand-patters are the representative
class who are best fitted to act for
the people,
The followers Of Theodore Roose-
welt believe in the principles Of
democracy, in thai the voters them
selves shall choose who shall be their
delegates and who shall be nomin-
ated as well as elected. The naticn-
al committeeman from each state Is
made a member of hal national
committee in order hat he may rep
resent his party in his state. At the
recent primaries held In New Jersey,
the Republican voters gave a major
ity of over 1900 in favor of Theo-
dore Roosevelt, yet in defiance of this
overwhelming sentiment on the part
of the members of the party, Frank
lin Murphy, who is recognized as the
national committeeman from this
state, is now at Chicago taking part
In the proceedings of that body as a
representative of President Taft, and
Is doing all that he can to secure
the nomination of the man who was
so overwhelmingly turned down by
the people whom Franklin Murphy is
supposed TO represent.
But what is true in the case of
New Jersey Is also true In Pennsyl-
vania, in Illinois, In Ohio, Nebraska
any many other leading states of
the country, where the people decid-
ed In favor of Roosevelt but their
committeeman are backing Taft.
This Ia not representative govern
ment. Murphy, Penrose and others
are not representing the Republican
party In their respective states. They
are representing their own personal
inclinations. When the voters de-
eide overwhelmingly in favor OF
Roosevelt In any state 1t is the duty
of the committeeman from that state
to abide by the result and act in ac-
cordance with the Instructions thus
received from the rank and file Of
the party. II the committeeman e
not care to do this he should resign
and allew n man to be named who Is
a true representative of the party of
the state.
But as it is impossible to put men
on their honor in such matters as
these, ii should be made a law that,
In the first place, direct primaries
for the election of delegates to ma
tional conventions shall be held in
every state; that Immediately after
the election of such delegates those
elected shall meet in their respect
i've states and choose q committee
man to represent that state on the
national committee. Thus when the
national committee meets to plan
for the convention the committee