The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05
PRESTON ASSERTS
he WON'T RESIGN
AS AN ELEC70R
Makes First Statement
Of Kind In Let
ter |
ANswERroLEr1F
Maintains State Convention
Was Authorized by Law
to Act for Party
ANSWER TOLETTER
To the Editor of The Republican,

yooi
issue of August oath, saying: II want
to cast a straight Republican vote.
desire that when so cast it shall be
THAT VOTE TO BE CAST UNDER
AND IN HARMONY WITH OUR
LAWS GOVERNING"
Very we'll, Mr.. Silsby. 1t must be ad-
mitted that there is a divided senti-
ment throughout the nation as to the
legitimacy of Mr.. Taft's renomina-
ton. The majority of the republican
voters in this state, have unmistak-
ably expressed themselves in the be
lief that his denomination was faint
ed with fraud and by them unworthy
of approval.
You say you want to cast your vote
"undcr and in harmony with our laws
governing" In 1909 the legislature
provided for the holding of primary
tions,@electing party delegates and
c~omitteemcn, and establishing rules
for regulating the same. On the first
Tuesday in June, 1912, such primary
election was held, delegates were
then chosen to attend the republican
state convention and each county vas
h''ti' w u WI tiI'l w vi WV
egates as fixed by law; on the pri-
mary ballot of Dawson county, two
lists of party delegates were voter
for, one under the head of "Roose-
welt Progressive Republican Princi-
Plies" and the other Taft, World
peace and Progress"; one stood for
Roosevelt and the other for Taft;
Roosevelt received nine hundred
twelve and Taft one hundred ninety
one votes respectively, and pdesum-
ably you voted for the Taft delegates.
AT the same primary election the re-
publican candidates., from United
States Senator down, were voted for,
sand the result constituted the legal
Ny chosen republican nominees, in
Guiding the delegates to the state CON
vention, and they received their certi-
ficates of nomination in strict com
pliance with the law.
Convention Regular. .
The republican state convention
was held at Huron On July 2nd, 1912
composed of delegates chosen in
strict accord with the primary cleo
tion law. That convention was leglti-
mately conducted so that every dele
gate was permitted to cast his vote
on roll call for his choice of all mea-
sure of men before the convention.
There we're no contested delegates.
all were entitled to vote and voted.
The majority selected the officers OF
the convention, and a committee on
resolutions, the state central com
mittee, and the presidential electors.
and adopted a party platform.
A resolution was offered by Con
gresham Martin, seeking to add to
the majority report of the committee
on resolutions, an endorsement OF
the administration of President Taft.
and also endorsing his denomination
and pledging him support, which on
roll call was rejected by a vote oil
more than two to one.
1t matters little who wrote the
platform adopted at the Huron con
vention, it was fairly adopted and no
objections were urged other thar
the one by MI. Martin. asking for
an endorsement and ratification OF
Mr.. Taft's denomination at Chicago,
which the convention would not do.
Failing to secure an endorsement
of Mr.. Taft and pledg'ng him sup
port by the republicans of this state,
in their convention held as by Law
required, the minority now insist
that the electors resign SO that the
state central committee may appoint
five i'm their places pledged to vot
for Mr.. TAFT.
Authorized to Define Party's Position
IL is undcniably true repeat,
%undeniably true-that the law auth
orized the republican state conVen-
ton to define republicanism in South
Dakota and that is just exactly what
has been done.
If the presidential electors should
choose to resign, by what authority
would the state central committee be
warranted in overriding the express
ed will of the republican voters OF
this state by a majority of more than
two to one, refusing to sanctloh
Taft's denomination and to pledge
him support? By their silence IN re-
fusing to pledge him support they
set the seal of ~disapproval upon the
methods adopted at Chicago. III Is
said that ''silence breeds contempt,
if so. it may be some lndlcatloh OF
what the republican voters OF thls
state had in mind at the Huron con-
vention.
No subsequent action of n one
makes Mr.. Taft's nomination less
odious. If Mr.. Taft was the Ieclplent
of a tainted nomination at Shlcaso'
and the republicans OF TINS state
failed to pledge him support at Hur-
on. his nomination. is now no Tess
tainted. If party regularity means
ANYTHING, it means thatSthe action OF
the Huron convention was In harm
ony with out laws governing. Iha'
convention was a convention of the
republican party of this state, re
gular in every respect. and no Tai
man can successfully deny it. If thu
minority say that unless the express
\ ed will of that convention be set a
side. and their chosen presidential
elestors resign and others appointed
pledged to support Taft. then the,
are out of harmony with the laws
governing the primary election o
this state and are out of the party.
Convention Under Law
Ii Mr.. Silsby wants TO vote