The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-08-22

Remaining 1874 Contests Were Fr;voI
Gus, and Their Prompt Abandonment
Reflects Upon tho Commences ane
Validity Of the Remainder.
Washington. July 29.-Here are tn.
Facts In relation to the contested seat.
IN the Republican national convention
1t Is summary of a detailed state
ment going carefully into all OF the
cases, statement so thorough that Il
takes up 100 pages of printed matter
This statement is signed by Mr.. Victor
Rosewater. chairman, of the former Re
publican national committee: by MIR. J
ii. DeVlne OF Colorado, chairman of the
committee on credentials of the Repub
tlcan national convention. and by MIR
Charles -. Hilles, chairman of the
present Republican national committee
The total number of delegates sum.
moned to the convention under its call
was l.O1S. with $40 necessary to q
choice. Mr.. Taft had 561 votes on the
first and only ballot aud was declared
the nominee. There We're instituted
against 23S Of the delegates regularly
elected for Taft contests on behalf OF
Roosevelt. These contests We're avow.
eddy instigated not for the purpose of
really securing seats in the convention.
not for the purpose Of adducng evil
dence which would lead any respect.
able court to entertain the contests, but
for the purpose of dereivine the public
into the belief that Mr. Roosevelt had
more votes than he really had. as the
conventions and primaries were in
progress for the selection of delegates.
This is not only necessary inference
from the character of the contests, but
1t was boldly avowed by the chief edi
tor OF the newspapers owned by Mr.
Munsey. who has been Mr.. Roosevelt's
chief financial and newspaper sup.
porter. The 238 contests were reduced
by abandonment to seventy-four.
The very fact Of these 1914 frivolous
contests itself reflects upon the genu-
tneness and validity Of the remainder.
The seventy-four delegates include six
at large from Arizona. four at large
from Kentucky. four at large from In
diana. six at large from Michigan,
eight at large from Texas and eight at
large from Washington. and also two
district delegates each from the Ninth
Alaba ma. the Fifth Arkansas, the
Thirteenth Indiana. the Seventh.
Eighth and Eleventh Kentucky. the
Third Oklahoma. the Second Tennes.
see and from each Of nine districts, the
First. Second. Fourth. Fifth, Seventh.
Eighth. Ninth. Tenth and Fourteenth
Of Texas.
CONTESTED DELEGATES At
LARGE.
Arizona.
In the Arizona convention there we're
votes. All the delegates
six In number-were to be selected at
large. The counties were entitled to Sc.
lect their delegates through their coun.
ty committee or by primary. In one
county, Maricopa. a majority of the
decided to select its dele
gates and minority to have a pri.
mary. In other counties there were
some contests. and the sttae commit.
tee. following the usage Of the national
gave hearing to all con.
testants In order to make up the tenn
porary roll. There was a clear major
lty of the Taft delegates among the
nncontested delegates. The committee
made up the temporary roll and then
there was bolt, siXty-four remaining
In the hall and twenty-five withdraw.
ing therefrom. The case of the Taft
ma jorty was so clear that it is difficult
to understand why contest was made
Indiana.
In Indiana the four Taft delegates at
large were elected in a state conven-
ton to which Marion county. in which
is situate, was entitled to
l2S votes. A primary was held in In.
at which Taft poled 5000
and Roosevelt 1.40O votes This gave
Taft JOG delegates in the state conven.
ton from Marion county, and if they
were properly seated the control of the
by a large majority was
to Taft. Attempt was made
20 impeach the returns from Marion
county by charges of fraud and repeat,
ing. These charges We're of a general
character. without specification exceDt
Is to one ward out of fifteen wards.
md then the impeaching witness ad
nitted he could not claim fraud enough
% change the result in that ward. The
rational committee. upon which there
we're fifteen anti-Taft men, rejected
he Roosevelt contestants and gave the
Taft delegates their seats by unani
nous vote. Senator Borah and Mr.
Frank b. Kellogg. both Roosevelt men.
made speeches in explaining the votes
II which they said that the case turned
wholly on the Marion county primary,
md as there was no evidence to i'm
beach the result certified. the title of
he Taft delegates was clear This is
he convention whose proceedings
allied forth such loud charges OF theft
md fraud from Mr. Roosevelt.