Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-09-12

lE tNt 4NI IS
ndlser Rsflsstofs since shsES has
been some mild criticism perhaps
through Misunderstanding. OF the
votes cast hy myself, ~ chairman
OF the county COMMITTEES, By Mr..
Andrsson. candidate for senator;
and Mr.. Rice, candidate for reDres-
entative. at the meeting OF the Re-
publican party council at Topeka,
! nhail Be- greatly pleased II you
viii grant space for the following
statement:
II should first be understood that
the law makes as members Of that
council and places upon US the obli-
CATION Of carrying out the wishes
of the majority as expressed in the
primary and assisting in the max
ing OF platform in accordance with
the principles Of the party. We
might have refused to vote, as some
did, but have always believed
that the man who hides is more
censurable than the one who votes
his honest convictions, even though
his Judgment may be wrong.
The statement that we voted ito
keep the Taft electors Off the Re-
publican ballot, thus making It i'm
possible for the Republican voters
to cast their votes for President
Taft in November" is incorrect.
To make the analysis Of the sit
uation perfectly clear let us go back
q little: Ten presidential electors
were selected in the district and
state conventions in the manner
prescribed by the national commit
tee. Eight Of these men stated that
in their opinion the nomination Of
President Taft was not fairly, se-
cured and declared that they would
vote for Roosevelt. This was not
satisfactory to the Taft people and
they cirulated nominating petitions
for eight more electors pledged to
vote for Mr.. Taft. No one attempted
to prevent them from doing this.
The names of the ten Taft cleo
tors and Of the eight Roosevelt
electors were all placed upon the
primary ticket and the contest was
clear cut and fair. The Roosevelt
electors carried this county and the
entire state by vote Of almost two
to one. Kansas being entitled to
ten electors, the two Taft electors
receiving the highest vote were also
elected.
Only ten lectors can go on the
Republican ticket and as the matter
now stands these will be the men
who were elected at the primary.
The eight candidates for electors
who were defeated are in no sense
electors. The party council could
not remove them as they had been
entirely eliminated in the primary.
II swas ~ even suggested the
two Taft men who we're elected as
electors in the primary be removed.
Attorney General Dawson ex-
planned to the party council that 1t
had no authority to remove any
elector. He stated that If the eight
Roosevelt electors should resign the
state committee could then fill their
places and that 1t could place on
the ballot the eight Taft men who
were defeated at the primary or
could select any other eight men
whom 1t desired.
The Taft men then submitted q
resolution asking that the Roose-
welt electors be requested to resign
and that the state committee place
in their stead the names of the
Taft candidates for electors who
had been defeated.
Mr.. Rice. Mr., Anderson and my
self voted against this proposition
NOW in all fairness let me ask:
Had we any right to ask these
men to resignf
would it be right for Mr.. Akers
candidate for state treasurer, ant
| for Roosevelt, to ask Mr.. Dawson
candidate for attorney general, ant
for Taft, to get off the ticket.
4 Would it be right for any Roose
welt man on the county ticket t