Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-06-19
LOSS Of FIRST SKIRMISH DOES
NOT DAUNT THE ARDOR Of THE
SUPPORTERS OF ROOSEVELT


Roosevelt leader. and on the othel
by James E. Watson OF the Taft
forces. AS preliminary to the days
expected hostilities all three shooH
hands land retired to their corners
Governor Hadley and Watson ar
ranged for an equal division of the
three hours debate that was to be
allowed on the Roosevelt proposition
to substitute a roll containing 81
Roosevelt delegates in place of 81
Taft followers seated by the national
committee.
Before calling the convention to
order Chairman Root and the other
officers of the convention posed for
series of pictures. This helped to
delay matters several minutes beyond
the scheduled hour, II o'clock
Chairman Root finally pounded the
table with his gavel at 1916 and or,
dered the seargeant-at-arms to clear
the aisles.
Fifteen minutes passed before
Chairman Root again took up his
gavel and with emphatic blows on
the table insisted upon quiet and or.
der Then pounding the table again
Root announced:
The exercises mean the busi.
ness of this day-will be opened with
prayer by the Rev. Joseph Stolz."
Senator Root announced unfinish-
ed business of the day--the motion OF
Watson that the convention proceed
to the appointment of the regular
committee and the substitute motion
of Governor Hadley that the Roose-
welt list of delegates be substituted
for the temporary roll He also an
nounced the agreement to three
hours debate and asked if there was
objection. There was not. 1t had
been agreed in advance that there
should be no parliamentary points OF
order against the Roosevelt motion,
the Taft forces agreeing to fight the
matter out before the delegates
AS Governor Hadley advanced to
the front of the stage to open the de-
hate - ,o,,nd of obaore FROM th,
Roosevelt forces greeted him. When
the tumult subsided Governor Hadley
began an explanation of the situation
confronting the convention.
He reviewed the events of yester
day leading up to the ruling of Ma
tionaI Committee Chairman Rosewa
ter, which quashed the Hadley motion
to purge the temporary roll.
I'VE could nave met Immediately
and forcibly this arbitrary and un
parliamentary ruling" said Hadley
and he was roundly cheered. Instead
we chose to wait patient until today
Governor Hadley read the "indict
ment" of the national committee as
uttered by Colonel Roosevelt in his
Monday night speech in this city ant
| it called out a big cheer.
"It may be true that there are many
persons who do not agree with US
that Theodore Roosevelt should bt
our candidate for president, but ther'
can be no difference of opinion tha
his voice today is the greatest of th'
western world said Hadley.
He then read a statement from 1.
members of the national committe,
protesting against the action of thu
majority in seating many of the dele
gates, particularly in the California
Texas and Washington cases.
! Governor TIadley made an earnes
plea that personalities be left out o
the debate, declaring the question
was clearly one of principle an,
that it should not be involved by any
thing else.
Hadley was given the closest atten
tion throughout In closing he dc
clared that when the vote on the sui
roll came he would contend that O.
the question submitted only those de
egates whose seats were not contest
ed be allowed to ballot.
"All law, all precedents agree h
said, that no man should be judg
in his own case"
Hadley was followed by w. T. Do'
ell of Washington who argued
favor of the Taft delegates seated b
the national committee from Wasl
ington.
Mr.. Dovell characterized as reel
lessly false, the statement credited t