The Washington times., 1912-06-17
COMMITTEE TO
STAND PAT. ON !.
THEFT OF SEATS.
Final Decision Made on
h.. the Temporary Roll |
b. Call.
ROSEWATER VISITS
ROOSEVELT'S ROOM
Fight Will Begin Moment Con-
vention Is Called to Order
by Nebraskan. J

by Nebraskan.
CHICAGO, June 17.-Plans today
were perfected for the Roosevelt
battle program in the convention
session tomorrow at conferences of
the colonel's leaders. The roll call
fight will precicipate the first clash.
Seating of the two Taft California
delegates-at-large, inserted by the
committee, is the first State fight
expected to be precipitated.
A series of conferences between
the colonel and his lieutenants has
resulted in the naming of Governor
Hadley Of Missouri as the floor lead
er Of the Roosevelt fighting forces
in the convention. This decision was
commented on today as indicating
the colonel's possible preference for
Hadley as a running mate.
Fighting for a Principle.
Hadley will marshal his forces around
the original plan of battle-to demand
of the convention that the temporary
roll call be made up only of those dele
gates whose seats are uncontested. The
Roosevelt forces are fighting the Cali
fornia mix-Yp as the greatest principle
involved in the makeup of the con-
vention.
That they will make the temporary
roll prepared by the national committee
the temporary roll Of the convention
was the defiant word sent to Colonel
Roosevelt today by the majority OF that
committee. The colonel's demand, made
directly to Chairman Victor Rosewater
last night that only those delegates
whose credentials are undisputed be
permitted to vote on the question Of
temporary organization was brusquely
turned down. After comforting with
other members of the committee today,
Rosewater decided to stick to the orig
inal program.
This insures the fight from the drop
Of the hat" The temporary roll will
be challenged Immediately after the
minister pronounces the opening bene-
diction. Should the Taft men be able
by force Of numbers, to put through
their original plan a double convention
in the same hall is certain.
Rosewater interrupted cabinet ses-
sion" of the Rooseveltites, and had
long talk with the colonel himself. The
gossip today was that Roosevelt told
his unexpected guest a few warm
thoughts about certain members of the
national committee, but refrained from
any criticisms of Rosewater himself.
No Robbery, Is Cry.
Commenting on the California fight,
L
"California will not submit to robbery"
of any of the fruits of Roosevelts VIC
tory there.
These two delegates are in an un-
speakable category that cannot be rec
ognized by decent men," Johnson as,
temporary roll That roll must be
purged of its fraud before decent Re-
publicans can participate in the business
Of the convention. No candidate shall
be permitted to be nominated b. fraud.
The Taft men openly and brazenly ad-
NIT the fraud IN California. and with
this admission 1t is obvious they cannot
and do not represent the Republican
party.
The theft of two delegates selected by
1900 majority in a primary in which
Taft himself acquiesced was so outrage
GUS as to focus attention on the State"
Physical Force Next.
Colonel Roosevelt having approved
fight even though it involves physical
force. and they will be confronted by
a compact fighting phalanx from the
Taft camp determined that their ap-
parent control shall not be overturned.
Many leaders fear bloodshed and
broken heads If the present situation is
not relieved by compromise. The
roll will never be read. The Taft
leaders, through Chairman Rosewater
of the national committee, say that it
will be read a s prepared, and they say
If force is attempted to prevent the
convention proceeding in an orderly
manner that they will call on the
police to eject the 'disturbers" from
the hall.
Just let them try IT," was all that
the Roosevelt men would say, but the
determination expressed In their de-
meanor indicated that they would not
leave without night.
Desertions From Taft.
Claims and rumors of desertions from
the Taft camp continued to fill the all
today. Lusty lunged megaphone mer
wearing flaming Roosevelt badges, pass.
ed back and forth through the crowd.
crying abound the names of men who
they said had signed plegdes repudiatine
the President, and declaring for Roose
Welt. Some of these We're true. Blu
in many instances the claim of deser
ton had no sooner been made than thu
Taft leaders were out with deniais.
The big delegation from Kings county
N Y, has been the subject of mucf
comment. Timothy Woodruff, in an
nouncing that he had burned his bridges
behind him and was now in the Roose
welt camp, insisted that sixteen othe
delegates would go over with him. Tt
offset this Taft men displayed sigma
lures of all but three of his county dele
gation, insisting that Woodruff mean
only single vote, and that all OF tn,
others were for Taft.
Taft Leaders Worried.
Insisting that they had their delegate
20 firmly fixed that only a scattering
few would desert, the Taft leaders wer
admittedly worried. They feared tn
eject of Roosevelt's personality OF
NaverinE delegates who wanted to b,
with the wilmer, no matter who III
might be.
Whenever the Taft leaders heard o
one Of their men passing under tn
Roosevelt influence and they main
tained a secret service that would hav,
done Scotland Yard credit-a Taft MAJ
close Ia the particular delegate wa
Ecnt to get In touch with him and IN,
II he was still all right