The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-29
CLAIMS CONTESTS WERE
ONLY RAISED To
DECEIVE PUBLIC

U(ULlF[ UOllU
econ ttnued from Fire, Page
yertiQn.- runs n ahaH G.1Q1 words
and takes up in detail the political
9re-conE entlon situation iu each State
In which there were contents The
detailed resume by States ts preceded
~ the folowlng general statement
Contests We're Faxed.
The total number or the delegates
summoned 10 the convention under
its call was LOIS. with $40 necessary
Ahet,4t---- III aft ran 56I votes
on the fret and only ballot and was
declared the nominee There we're m
stitutei against 22s If the delegates
regularly elected for Taft contests
an behalf u Roosevelt These con
tests were svowedly snsugnted not sor
the purpose Of really securing seats
in ihe convention. not for the pur-
pose Of sddueIng evidence which
would lead any respectable court ~
entertain the contest, but for the
purpose II deceivlng the public into
the belief that Mr., Roosevelt had
mare Yates than H. really had. as
the conventions and primaries We're
N progress for the selection Of dele
gates This Is not only a necessary
inference from the character Of the
contests. but II was boldly avowed
by the chief editor Of the newspapers
owned by Nj Mpnsey, who has been
Roosevelts chief financial and news
paper supporter. The 23S contests
were reduced by abandonment for
NAL or In substance to seventy four.
The very fact Of these 1874 frivolous
contests itself reflects upon the gem
uiness and validity Of the remainder %
The statement then takes up the
Roosevelt claims State bv state. wind
ing mp with brief paragraph OF re-
eapitulation. in which the anonymous
writer Of the statement says;
1T Is not essential to make Mr.
Tafts title infisputabin that all mer
agree on every one Of the issuea raised
They were decided by tho tribunals
which uniform party usage had made
the proper tribunals to decide such
contests. n those tribunals acted
IN good faith a mistaken Indictment
would not invalidate their decisions
As a matter Of fact n examination OF
the facts shows that the tribunals
were right in every instance Thort
Is not the slightest evidence that they
We're moved other than ny mer,
desire 10 reach right conclusions
On the other hand, the action Of thu
Roosevelt men n hiring ug $50 con
tests that they promptly abandoned
strongly tended 10 show the lack o.
good fajth in the prosecution Of al
Of them Those who support Presi
dent Taft can we'll AFFORD to stant
on the record in this case and Il
asseVerate without fear Of successfu
contradiction that rhe delegate
whose seats were contested were a
fairly seated in his convention 8
in any va tho story Of the party
Arizona and Indiana.
regard to -t-s-fft4sftstf t4t.ft-
ga ties at large from the several State.
me document I0akes>the following aa
serriou
In the Arizona convention ther
WAS clear ma joritv Of the Taft del
egates among the uncoutested dele
gates, The committee made up IN
temporary roll, and then there ws
a bolt, siXty-four remaining in m
hall and twenty-five witndra win
therefrom. The case Of the Taft ina
FORTY was SO clear that il il Difficult
10 understand why contest wa
made
TN Indiana. the four Taft delegate
at large. were s}+ctt 4 fn N state cogl
vention to which Marion county. 4
which Indianapolis IL situated wa
entitled ia 12s vates The primar
was held in Indianapolis, at VIII e.
Taft polied 1000 and Rooseve'
1900 votes This gave Taft l06 del
egates in the State convention fro1
Marion county and II they were pros
erly seated the control ~ the con
vention by a large majority was cor
coded 20 Taft. Attempt was made I
impeach the returns from Mario
sounty by charges Of fraud and re
peating. These charges were Of ger
eral character. without specialization
except as to one ward out or lftee
wards, and then the impeaeh ng WI
ness admitted he could not e'4p
fraud enough to change the resa]t 4
that ward. The national cummittc,
uuou which there were fifteen anti
Taft men. rejected thu Roosevelt con
testants and gave the TAFT delegate
their seats by a unanrmous Nule Ser
ator Borsh and Mr.. Frank y Eetlagi
both Roosevelt men. made speeg At
IN explaining the votes In wh.C
they said that the case tanned who
~ on the Marion county primary an
as there was no evidence 10 impedc
the result certified the title Of tn
raft delegates was clear This is "a
convention whose proceedings calle
forth such loud charges OF theft an
fraud from Mr. Roosevelt
I'm Kentucky, contest was Hle
sgainst only three OF the four dele
gates at large. The fourth Taft dele
gates seat was uncontested tn
three contestants admitted they wer
not elected by the convention wnlc
seat the Taft deleRf<ns or by an
other They only contended that
the Roosevelt forces had had ma
sortty thew would have been elected
In Michigan. the state conventio
had In II about 200 delegates Their
were only two counties IN dispute q
contest One was 1gne county. /
which Detroit is situated, and tn
other was Calhoun county The eEi
dence Jeff no doubt that the Taft me
csrrfed by = very barge majority
Wayne county. but ii Was immater Ia
whether this was true or not becsus,
leaving out both Wayne county an
Calhoun county. the only counties s
contest. the Taft delegates 0utnum
Aa~As hy several hundred the Ronse'
Welt delegates
~ Texas there were AS counties