Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-06-13
Former President Alleges Vot-
ers Are Now Boiling from
Republican Party Because of
Machine Work.
CALIFORNIA DECISION
PARTICULARLY BAD
Rough Rider Aroused to Fight
ing Mood by Losses in Con-
tests at Chicago; Arizona, He
Says, Belonged to Him.

nv Morning journal Special Leased Wire.)
OYSTER Bay, n. Y. June 12.-"They
are bolting from the republican party
at this moment" said Colonel Roose-
welt tonight of supporters of Presi-
dent Taft on the republican national
committee.
The former president was aroused
TO a fighting mood by the news from
Chicago He denounced the action cI
the national committee in eeiiiaG
contests for seats in the national con-
vention from Kentucky, Arizona and
California.
Colonel Roosevelt laid special I'M
phasis on the seating of the Taft dele
gates from one California district.
The colonel expressed the opinion
that the national convention would
not ratify the seating of the Fatt
delegates from California.
"What do you think the twenty
four Roosevelt delegates are seated
from California will do If the con-
vention declines to admit the other
two?" Colonel Roosevelt was askef.
II am not going to try to say what
they will do" he replied. Il am not
making any prophesies.
Colonel Rooseyelt's statement in
part follows:
"In Arizona Mr.. Taft's national
committeeman acted with great
frankness in their view that the IN
trusion of the people INTO politics 's
an unwarranted impertience calling
for rebuke by the national committee.
The case turned on the single county
of Maricopa. The county committee
had the option of selecting delegates
to the state convention or of calling
a primary to give the people the right
to vote.
"At a meeting of the county com
mittee all the Roosevelt men joined
by two of the Taft men, ordered
primary to be held throughout the
county. A majority of the county
committee held a rump meeting ana
selected Taft delegates to the state
convention. At the primaries tne
Roosevelt delegates were elected by
$50 as against less than 25 for TAFT.
THE national committee, acting on
Mr.. Tafts theory that this ought to
be q government by the people, treat
ed the fact that the voters had them
selves been given the right to say VINO
their delegates should be as a reason
for refusing to seat the delegates
elected by the voters.
II call attention to the fact that the
six Roosevelt delegates from Aroma
are excluded by the national commit
tee because they represent the people
of Arizona and the six Taft delegates
are admitted because they do not.
In California the action of the ma
tional committee was perhaps not
morally worse than in Arizona, put
just little more fragrant. Here | can
contribute out of my personal khoWl-
edge to the history of what was done.
The progressives of California mad
control of the legislature and party
machinery. Under the primary law
then existing which had been passed
by the old republican machine, the
progressives could have obtained all
the delegates without resorting to d
primary. This was, of course, what
they would have done If they mad
been willing to act like the Taft-
Barnes machine in New York, the
Taft-Amalgamated Copper machine
in Montana, the Taft-keating ma
chine in Indiana and the Taft-Gus-
genheim machine in Colorado. Inc
temptation was very strong to take
the delegates without risking pri-
mary.
Governor johnson wrote for my
views. saying he felt that even at the
h. ADVANTAGE
the old primary law gave us, we
should be true to our principles ana
give the people a chance to vote al
primary for whom they wanted
II wrote back that entirely
agreed with him and urged the pas
sage of the primary law. Governor
Johnson and / agreeing that what We
wished was to give the people
chance TO decide for themselves and
whatever out personal views we should
acquiesce in such a decision. Accord
inely. the progressives in California
gave up the certainty of having all
the delegates for us and as matter
of principle and justice. passed the
primary law.
Every reactionary paper IN the
state was pleading for such law oe-
cause they hoped to win under IT, The
legislature of California decreed tha'
In California. as in Oregon. South Da-
kota and North Dakota. the delegates
all should be elected at large All par
ties and all factions acouiesced in the
law and the supporters of the three
republican candidates for president
made campaigns through the state.
Mr. Taft sent special letter to Call