New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-04
TAFT ASKS OPEN
CONTEST HEARINGS
Writes Letter to Colonel Harry
S. New Suggesting Public
Committee Meetings.
LIKELY TO BE so ORDERED
HEADQUARTERS Of Both President
and Elk. President Opened III
the Same Hotel in
Chicago.

and Elk. President Opened III
the Same Hotel in
Chicago.
Ch,easo. June ga letter from President
Taft 10 Harry s. New. chairman OF the SUD
committee on arrangements OF the hepu'"'
can National Committee. suggesting tia'
the meetings Of the national committee 81
which contests are heard he public, was
received at the national committee head
quarters to-day.
The President suggests that MI New IdA'
M with the committee the matter Of open
hearings and that. II found posslnie' 'hs
deliberations over the contests. 2o OF which
have already been prepared for SUBMISSION
be carried on in open sessions
chairman New said tonight the susses
ton of the President would have great
weight with the committee. This. taken IN
connection with the previous request OF
Colonel Roosevelt for publicity OF the con-
test arguments. indicates that the doof5
will probably he thrown open. at least TO
newspaper men. when the committee taxes
ur the contested delegate cases on Friday
morning
Few members Of the national committee
had reached Chicago tonight and of those
here none would make prediction as 10
the action Of the committee
President Tafts letter was the chief sub
iect of discussion at Republican political
HEADQUARTERS tonight and his declaration
for publicity OF the hearings is declared by
his supporters now here TO indicate that the
Taft managers believe their contest cases
are strongly prepared.
The defeat Of the mai ority Of the Roose-
veil contests when presented TO the ma
tional committee would not end the iight
for the seating Of these contesting dele
gates according Ia Roosevelt members Of
the national committee now here. Pearl
Wight national committeeman from Lou
siara and a strong Roosevelt worker. said
to-day that ;he contests, II carried beyond
the national committee, would come before
credentials committee, in which at least
twelve more men would be Roosevelt sym
psthzers.
Taft Headquarters Opened.
Taft headquarters were opened to-day
by Joseph e Healing. Of Indiana Up to a
{,
sentatives Of the President had reached
Chcago-Jonn Ryan and \. a. Early, Of the
publicity bureau. Mr.. Healing tolegraphed
REPRESENTATIVE Mckinley, the Taft cam
paign manager, 30 hurry to Chicago. lie
is expected 20 reach the city tomorrow.
Nh Healing announced that the TAFT
Headquarters staff would include William
Barnes. ir. Of New York; Newell Saunders.
Of Tennessee, Senator ". Murray crane,
of Massachusetts. Senator Penrose. ~
Pennsylvania, ex-senator. Hemingway. 81
Indiana j. r Adams, Of Iowa q. j Die
kema. of Michigan. and Charles u. Hiiles,
Secretary to the President
Roosevelt and Taft headquarters La, c
been established in tie same hotel Alex
ander II. Revell. head Of the Roosevelt
! illinois headquarters. who returned this
morning from oyster Bay. gave out state
mcnt tonight, outlining what he said was
Roosevelts attitude toward convention or
garization. lie said.
We are assured absolutely that there Will
he cleaS majority for Colonel Roosevelt
on the first ballot The only proposition IN
slght IL 10 develop the strength throughout
the convention preliminaries, so that ~
ultlmatclv will bc concentrated I'm the
nomination OF tOiOnpl RbDfeNtlI.
Absolutely nothing else has been. OF viii
be- considered by Colone! Roosevelt or by
his friends prior 10 or during the convcn-
ton.
Edwin W. Sims. who IS acting head Of tho
Chicago Roosevelt headquarters until the
arrival OF Senator Dixon. made public a
telegram received from oscar L. liundIcy,
Roosevelt leader in Alabama. who said
the two delegates from the 81 Alabama dis
trict, instructed for President Taft. had
given out written statement that they
would support Roosevelt because they be-
lieved 90 per cent Of their constituency
favored his nomination.
The Southern delegate situation was dis
cussed by two members Of the national
committee. who reached Chicago to-day.
Henry S ChUbb, committeeman for Flor
ida, declared II was "a reflection on the
integrity Of Florida Republicans" TO hint
that they would not stand by their In
structons for President Taft
"Florda's twelve delegates are instruct
ed for Taft said Mr. Chubb. and they
will vote for him through thick and thin"
General Powell Clayton, committeeman
for Arkansas. said Southern committee
men and delegates would organize before
the convention TO fight any proposal 10
reduce the representation OF Southern
states. The attempt made four years ago
TO reduce representation 10 the basis of
the Republican vote cast IN the Southern
states caught the Southern delegates and
committeeman unprepared, he said: but
IL 1t were attempted again 1t would be
fought in the convention.
Among the committeeman who arrived
to-day besides General Clayton and Mr.
chubb were Cecil Lyon. Of Texas and
Sidney Beber. OF the District Of Column
bia. both Roosevelt supporters.
Victor Rosewater. OF Nebraska, acting
chairman Of the Republican National Com
mittee, is expected to arrive Tomorrow
when the leading figures in the various
campaign headquarters will also arrive
The fight to be made by r. b. Howell
recently elected national committeeman
In Nebraska, 10 take Mr.. Rosewater's
seat when the committee organizes next
Thursday lie not expected to occupy that
body long.