The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-22

i'o AS0pooiiNoh electoTdl VOTES ana on
voting territories and where the fed
eral oftice-holding trust selects tine del
|egates under the influence of national
patronage with little or no regard for
the issues at stake. 80
Or this 1918 delegates thus select
ed Roosevelt had uncontested and In
struggled for him from states in the
main electing Republican presidents
All, Taft 201, La Toilette Sc and Cum
mings 10; 254 were contested by
Roosevelt or Taft and the remaining
166 were uninstructed,-540 being
necessary to a choice
Injustice Of Republican National
Committee.
From the foregoing it is plain that,
Roosevelt would be nominated unless,
somehow, the complexion of the con-
VenIon was materially changed. This
was the work assigned by design to
and contaminated by the National Re.
publican Committee. The only oppor
tunity for the success of such a pro.
gram against the known verdict Of the
people was offered in the disposition
| OF the 254 contests by the National
Committee. 1t began its hearing OF
the contests June 9th and concluded
! June 18th, 1912. 1t decided as fol.
lows: 235 were given to President
Taft and 10 to Colonel Roosevelt The
contests were grouped together wher.
ever possible and disposed of without
regard to the evidence with unbecom-
ing haste and restrictions. ....-..--
To understand something of the mo-
tive Of revenge which seems to have
such complete control over the Re.
publican National Committee it is nee.
essary to know something of it's per.
sonnet and their political status, &c.
On the committee, President Tafps
voting strength was sc at it's mini.
mum, ii Of whom were from Republi.
can states that had repudiated Pres.
ldo1t Taft and had declared decisive
ly for Colonel Roosevelt; of the re-
+ manning % were from states that
! give no electoral votes to Republican
, candidates; and 4 of the 16 left were
from territories That do not vote at all
Many OF the Taft committeeman had
been discredited and retired by Col
+ onel Roosevelt and their work shows
that they had resolved to defeat him
for the Republican nomination even
at the sacrifice Of the Republican par
) ty.
The Death Struggle in the Conven-
| ton.
No sooner had the Republican Ma
tlonal Committee disposed of the con.
Tests than an appeal in charge of Gov
ernor Hadley was prepared for the
Credentials Committee. In theAmean.
time the Roosevelt forces lined I'D TO,
the struggle for temporary chairman
Senator Root, of New York, was thu
IcanCidate Of the Taft adHerents. Sen.
iat0r Borah, OF Idaho, Was"the candidate
OF the PrOgl essives but Governor M e..
IGoVcrn, Of Wisconsin, was substituted
in an endeavor TO unite all the Pro.
gressiVe strength. Senator Root wa,
detected by only Is more votes than
were necessary TO nominate the can.
tdldatc for president, the vote beinc
5o3 for Root and 502 for McGovern
the election Of Senator Root being ac
Icomplished by the assistance of tn
1 n1oi
Unity seated by the National Com.
mittce.
The Roosevelt forces now determin.
ed to purge the roll of fraudulent del.
egates or to take no part in the &C.
tlons of the convention. Of the 254
contests, at least y wcre-so Wliustly
lGeated as to constitute fraud invoIv-
ing delegates from Alabama, Arizona
Arkansas, California, Indiana, Ken
lucky, Texas and Washington. The
Committee on Credentials like the Ma.
tlohal committee wa under the do.
minlon of the repudiated Republican
bosses 2ld it adopted such unjust rules
ian its proceeding that many Of tho
Roo:eVelt members withdrew. lis
lcompleXion was 80 for Taft and IS
Tor Roosevelt. However, the contests
were presented to it with the result
t1at the fraud Of the National Com
mlttec was confirmed and all the con
tested fraudulent delegates were per-
mitted 10 remain on the roll ar.y. &c
vote in The convention on their own
cases.
The decision Of the Committee on
credentials was brought up for review
by the convention in the Dcncen res
olutlon 10 exclude the fraudulcnt1v