The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-06-20
THIS IS YOUR
FIGHT SAYS
COLONEL

O'Clock last night the radical
Roosevelt followers have had no
other thought than that they
would nominate the colonel at a
conven ton other the one presided
over by Temporary Chairman Eli
hu Root. At what hour this ac-
ton would come, by what i'm
mediate steps it would be pre-
ceded-these were regarded as
mere details.
Since last Wednesday evening
Orchestra hall has been under
contract. For strategical reasons
details of the Roosevelt plans
have been withheld. But no eff
fort has been made to obscure
the fact that Colonel Roosevelt
regards the die as cast, and the
birth of a new party at hand.
The only 'if" in the PROPOSE
ton, when today's business be-
gan, was that preceding the sug-
gestion that the role of the Coli
scum convention be purged of its
eighty tainted" names. That the
entire Roosevelt following would
consent to this was not antici-
pated.
The application last night of
gag" law by the credentials COM
mittee-their determination at
first announce dto have no pub
licity and to limit debate to five
minutes on a side-was gladly
seized upon as the occasion for
the revolt whic hthe Roosevelt
people have seen coming for sew
eral days.
"That settles it," exclaimed
Roosevelt i'm his suite at 10
o'clock lats night. "This is where
we ought to quit. We have wait
ed long enough. Tell our people
to quit the committee and get
ready to quit the whole PROPOSE
ton"
A few minutes later the colonel
addressed his delegates in the
Florentine room briefly and told
them he would have more to say
to them at a. m, after he had
had an opportunity to talk to the
Roosevelt men on the committee
on credentials.
In the meantime the Taft men,
bers of the credentials commit
tee had continued in session and
had decided to change their orig
inal rules so as to admit repre-
sentatives of the press associa-
tions and to allow more liberal
time for the hearing of each case.
While this action was being
taken the Roosevelt delegates as
sembled in the Florentine room
for Roosevelt's address.
''This is your fight" said
Roosevelt. "You gentlemen are
the legal and fairly elected ma
jority. The only question is, will
you let yourselves be tricked out
of it?
Politicians Are Trying to Cheat.
~ said on the stump and many
of you heard me, that II L fail to
get the endorsement at the hands
of the people, 1 shall have moth
ing to say. But IL i am tricked
out of what is my just due by
action of the professional bosses,
shall have lot to say. 1t is
this second situation we now face.
The politicians are trying to cheat
us. Will you Let them do it?"
A shout of Noes went up.
The speech was followed by the
widest enthusiasm, and the dele
gates took up modification Of
the battle cry of. 1--WE want Ted
dy." shifting 1t to "We'll have
Teddy"
While the demonstration was
spreading the colonel received
word of the action of the Taft
members of the credentials com
mittee amending their rules.
Quick to see the strategy of the
Taft movement Roosevelt ordered
his supporters back into the SEES
sions of that body with instruc-
lions to Ego through the delig-
erations with view of presenting
a minority report at the conclu-
sion of the re-hearing of the con-
tests" ~
The move of sending the men
back into the compittee merely
meant that unless some break
came in the committees deliber-
atoms which made 1t impossible
for Roosevelt longer to retain the
more radical of his followers, the
actual break now regarded as In
evitable, would come upon the
taking of the vote to reject the
Roosevelt supporters minority
report Of the credentials commit
tee.