The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05
PRESTON ASSERTS
: he WON'T RESIGN
AS AN ELECTOR
Makes First Statement
Of Kind In Let
ter
ANSWER ~roLErTER
Maintains State Convention
Was Authorized by Law
to Act for Party
ANSWER
To the Editor of The Republican

To the Editor of The Republican:
l quote from George A. Silsby's
communication, appearing in your
issue of August oath. saying: II want
to cast a straight Republican vote. ]
desire That when so cast it shall be
counted just as | intended it, AND
THAT VOTE TO BE CAST UNDER
AND IN HARMONY WITH OUR
LAWS GOVERNING"
Very we'll, Mr.. Silsby. 1t must be ad-
mitted that there is a divided senti-
ment throughout the nation as to the
legitimacy of Mr.. Taft's renomina-
ton. The majority of the republican
voters IN this state, have unmistak-
ably expressed themselves in the be-
lief that his denomination was faint
ed with fraud and by them unworthy
OF approval.
You say you want TO cas- your vote
under and i'm harmony with our laws
governing In 1909 the legislature
provided for The holding of primary
Notwithstanding party nomina-
tions,-electing party delegates and
comitteemen, and establishing rules
for regulating the same. On the first
Tuesday in June, 1917, such primary
N'o WV VI tCo N1I'
then chosen to attend the republican
state convention and each county was
entitled to a certain number of del
egates as fixed by law; on the pri-
mary ballot of Dawson county, two
lists of party delegates were voter
for, one under the head of "Roose-
welt Progressive Republican Princi-
pies" and the other TAFT. World
peace and Progress'; one stood for
Roosevelt and the other for Taft,
Roosevelt received nine hundred
twelve and Taft one hundred ninety
one votes respectively, and pdesum-
ably you voted for the Taft delegates,
AT the same primary election h re-
publican candidates., from United
States Senator down, were voted for,
aand the result constituted the legal
" chosen republican nominees, in
Guiding the delegates to the state con
vention. and they received their certi-
ficates of nomination in strict com
pliance with the law.
Convention Regular.
The republican state convention
was held at Huron on July End, 1912
composed of delegates chosen i'll
strict accord with the primary cleo
ton law. That convention was legltl-
mately conducted so that every dele
gate vas permitted to cast his vote
on roll call for his choice of all mea-
sure Of mcn before the convention.
There We're no contested delegates.
all were entitled to vote and voted.
The majority selected the officers OF
the convention, and a committee on
resolutions, the state central COM
mittee. and the presidential electors,
and 1lnnfnI ~ nnrIy n1attnrm
A resolution was offered by Con
gresham Martin, seeking to add to
the majority report of the committee
on resolutions, an endorsement OF
the administration of President TAFT,
and also endorsing his denomination
and pledging him support, which ON
roll call was rejected by a vote oil
more than W. to one.
1t matters little who wrote the
platform adopted at the Huron con
vention, it was fairly adopted and no
objections were urged other than
the one by Mr.. Martin, asking Tor
an endorsement and ratification OF
Mr.. Taft's denomination at Chicago,
which the convention would not do.
Failing to cur an endorsement
of Mr.. Taft and pledging him sup
port by the republicans of this state,
in their convention held as by law
required, the minority now insist
that the electors resign so that the
state central committee may appoint
five in their places pledged to vote
for Mr.. Taft.
Authorized to Define Party's Position
1t is undcniably @ repeat,
%undeniably true-that the law auth
orized the republican state conVeh
ton to define republicanism in u
Dakota and that is just exactly what
has been done.
If the presidential electors should
choose to resign, by what
would the state central committee be
warranted in overriding the express
ed will of the republican voters OF
this state by a majority OF more thah
two to one, refusing to sanction
Taft,s denomination and to pledge
him support? BY their silence in re-
fusing to pledge him support they
set the seal of disapproval upon the
methods adopted at Chicago. 1t Is
said that "silence breeds contempt,
if so. il may be some indication o.
what the republican voters OF thls
state had i'm mind at the Huron con
vention.
No subsequent action of I'M one
makes Mr.. Taft's nomination less
odious. If Mr.. Taft was the reclplen'
of a tainted nomination at Chicago
and the republicans of this state
failed to pledge him support at Hur
on. his nomination. is now no les
tainted. If party regularity mean
anything, it means that the action o
the Huron convention was 'in harm
cny with out laws governing n
convention was a convention OF tn
republican party of this state, re
gular in every respect, and no Tai
man can successfully deny it. If tn
1 minority say that unless the express
\ ed will of tina convention be set a
side. and their chosen presidentls
elestors resign and others appointed
pledged to support Taft, then the
are out of harmony with the Id"
governing the primary election Q
+b;c state and arc ont of the party.