The Detroit times., 1912-04-04
Claims Roosevelt Has Small
Lead in City, But Taft Folk
Say They Made Sweep
MORE DOODLE CHARGES!
Presidents Friends Are Accused
of Trying To Buy Off
ColonePs Delegates

days, and they are buying on our
delegates to the county convention, "
said Chairman Nichols. Of the Mich
igan Roosevelt committee, "Wednesday
morning.
1--WE have 80 of tie delegates from
the city precincts Cor Roosevelt.
Eighty-eight delegates are 10 De
chosen from the townships. Only
three or four townships have thus
far held their caucuses. You can
say that the result % the causes III
the township will decide the issue
Members of the Michigan Roose-
Welt committee charged, Wednesday,
that the county committee had de-
liberately plotted their downfall
when they set the day for the con-
yention on Friday, three days after
the city caucuses.
This Is the first time ! ever knew
of county convention being delayed
SO long after the caucuse4 we're held y
said Mr. Nichols Generally, the
convention is held next morning.
What is the inference? You can IN
terpret that as we'll as l.
Other Roosevelt workers were not.
as conservative as Mr.. Nichols. They
charged that the convention da e
was set for Friday 50 that the ma
chine crowd would have ample or
portunity TO "get to- the Roosevelt
delegates before they went into the
convention. The Roosevelt delegates
thus reached by the Taft people
would remain away or go to the cou-
vention as Taft delegates.
Roosevelt Man Flops
One glarii.s instance OF a Roosevelt
worker going over to the Taft people
occurred in the seventh precinct of
the Eighth ward, where Noah Rounds,
clerk in the city treasurer's office,
was working in behalf OF Roosevelt.
The Roosevelt people had picked him
for delegate from the precinct. He
was elected as a Roosevelt delegate,
but coolly informed the Roosevelt
people, Wednesday, that he intended
going TO the convention as Taft
delegate. His flop angered some OF
the Roosevelt workers.
Roosevelt voters went to the booth
and asked for Roosevelt slips" said
one Of the Roosevelt workers They
were told that there were no more
Roosevelt slips, that they would have
to vote for Taft or not at all"
The Roosevelt committee was di.
recting all its energies, Wednesday, to
holding the delegates in line Every
where they went they had evidence
OF Taft workers having preceded
them, they say, with offers or money
and political preferment in the future
il they would flop. This was one OF
the most discouraging phases of the
situation TO Mr.. Nichols.
Sentiment among the people in the
townships favors Roosevelt 10 to L.
according TO the Roosevelt people. and
they look for a great majority OF the
delegates. Only three or four eau.
cuses have been held thus far in the
townships, and they elected Roose-
welt delegates.
The Roosevelt people, however,
have the influence of the county
machine TO contend in the townships
Up to the Townships.
THE result in the county conyen-
ton is now up TO the township dele
gates. beyond a doubt" said Mr..
Nichols.
John ID. MacKay, manager of the
Taft campaign in Wayne county, and
all the Taft workers, for that mat
ter, were making claims of victory,
Wednesday morning.
I'VE have 1870 out of the III dele
gates in the city" asserted Mr.. Mac.
Kay. There are SO delegates from
the townships and we will have so of
them"
We have just heard from some
wards which were not in the returns
received last night" continued Mr..
MacKay. In the Twelfth ward we
swept everything, the IL delegates
from the ward being all for Taft. We
haven't heard from the Fourteenth
ward, but We broke there better than
even, | know. In the Sixteenth ward
we swept everything from the river
to the city limits The Eighteenth
has not been heard from. In the Sew.
enteenth we have 10 out OF 16 dele
gates. We only fought over two dele
gates and We broke even on those
two, losing one 10 the Roosevelt
crowd.
There is nothing to 1t but a Taft
delegation from Wayne county"
The Taft forces were complaining,
Wednesday. that the police force had
been used too freely in the booths.
Too Many Police, Says Mackay.
I'm one precinct they had five pc.
| licemen at a booth" said Mr.. Mac.
Kay. Il never heard OF policemen
being at party caucuses. They had
no warrant or right TO be there"
! This was answered by the Roose.
welt people saying that policemen
were at the booths 10 see that the
Taft people did not lock up the booths
and run away before s o'clock. which,
! II is charged, they did in dozen or
more instances. Notwithstanding the
presence OF the officers. The only ad.
vantage to the Roosevelt people I'M.
! der the circumstances Is i'm having
/ the policeman's evidence that the
booths were not kept open until
s o'clock.
! Another thing. Mr.. Nichols sent ont
word for copy OF the credentials 10
be returned 10 the city clerks Office. "
said Mr. MacKay. The city clerk s
office has nothing 10 do with the
credentials. The credentials are "a
4 be returned TO the office OF the county
clerk or the chairman OF the county
committee.
we are not making any extraya
CANT claims, but we will control the
convention absolutely"
Much comment was caused in the
Roosevelt camp Wednesday by the