The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-06
THE NATIONAL CON-
M|TTEE HOLDS ITS
FIRST MEETING TO-DAY
First Skirmish Will Go to
Taft in the Election of Vic
tor RoseWater as the Ma
tional Chairman.
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the delegates may be seated on ma
jority vote of the committee.
Hearings to be Open.
The one innovation will be a deci-
sion to hold open session OF the COM
mittee while hearings are under way.
The hearings will not be too open"
however A limited number of news
paper men will be allowed TO listen to
the stories. Then they will be shooed
out before the committee votes.
The decision to hold open" hear
ings was definitely reached last night.
1t was decided after William 3. Nc
Kinley, after the Taft forces, Harry S.
New, chairman of the subcommittee
on arrangements; one or two others Of
the conservative" factions held
long and animated conference. The
whole situation was canvassed. McKin-
ley then formally asked in the name
of President Taft that the public be
allowed through the newspaper men
to attend the hearings. Mr.. New
agreed to lay the matter before the
committee. Old line members of the
committee will be requested to vote
for it, They will vote as requested.
This does not meet with the appro-
val of the Roosevelt men. Senator Dix
on today voiced the complaint of his
faction
I'VE court full publicity said Mr..
Dixon. This proposal is the height Of
foolishness 1t is when the roll is call
ed that the contests are decided. When
the vote is taken the public should be
present If the newspaper men are ex-
cluded during the voting it would be
the height of underhand methods"
Another move planned by the COM
mittee is disapproved by the Roosevelt
men. Victor Rosewater will be elected
permanent chairman of the committee
assuring that he will serve until the
convention is over. Rosewater was ap-
pointed acting chairman after former
Gov. Hill of Maine, elected at the De-
cember meeting of the committee,
died. He is a staunch Taftite. 1t was
admitted by various members of the
committee that Rosewater would be
elected after the roll call today.
The Taft Program.
In fact the entire Taft program hint
ed before the arrival OF Congressman
Mckinley has chrystalized today
Rosewater will be elected chairman.
He will be official chauffeur Of the
steam roller. The committee will seat
all the Taft delegates. At least they
will seat them until Taft is certain he
hes enough delegates to nominate him.
self, and until the moral effect upon
the supposedly wavering southern del
egates is sufficiently impressed. Root
will be made temporary chairman.
Root will also be advanced for perma-
nent chairman.
The Taft program has one object
only-defeat Roosevelt. From the Taft
headquarters, where these plans were
given out, covered with the proper re-
serve on the part of those who stand
for them, comes the prophecy that
Roosevelt and his followers will bolt.
From some of the ardent Roosevelt
supporters who have not needed the
admonition of Senator Dixon to allow
him to do all the talking, comes the
assertion that the Taft men are trying
to force bolt.
The selection OF Root as perma-
nent chairman is the fact pointed to by
these men to prove their assertion
The selection was made after a long
conference of conservative" leaders
that lasted until after midnight. The
conclusion was reached by Harry New.
II think there is no doubt" he said in
response to a question, but that the
temporary officers of the convention
will be made permanent" 1t is an open
secret about the Taft headquarters
that Senator Roots keynote address
will be in sad minor so far as the
Roosevelt faction is concerned He has
been selected for the permanent seat,
Roosevelt men affirm, because Roose-
welt has let it be known he will fight
him.
Signal For Bolt.
About the time that Root receives
the second election at the hands of
the Notwithstanding to the pre-
dictions of the Taft men-Col. Roose-
welt with his followers will file from
the hall and rump convention of the
ex-president's followers will begin.
On the prophecy of a bolt Senator
Dixon and those closely associated
with him are assiduously putting on
the soft pedal. The talk grieves Sena-
tor Dixon greatly. 1t is preposterous.
as he views the situation, to conceive
candidate with enough delegates to
elect him on the first ballot should
bolt.
Both Mckinley and Dixon gave out
statements of delegates strength Dix
on claims SGT for the Colonel, gives
Taft Ill, figures 100 uninstructed and