Arizona republican., 1912-08-04
Full Statement by Chair man of Republican Ma tional Committee, Sum mary of Which Was Printed Last Monday
CONTESTS INSTIGATED TO DECEIVE PUBLIC
Examination of the Facts Shows That Tribunals Which Decided Contests
 in Favor of Taft Were Right in Every Instance

hlSIlG III hVSIy 4llOGdl1CC CThe following is a complete state ment issued by Chairman Hilles of the republican national committee in reply to the charges of fraud in the decision of contests before the Chi cago convention. A summary of the was printed by The Re publican Monday morning.
 WASHINGTON - Here are the facts in relation to the contested seats in the Republican national convention. It is a summary of a detailed state ment going carefully into all of the cases, a statement so thorough that 1t takes up 150 pages of printed matter. This statement is signed by Mir. Victor ROSewater. chairman of the former Re publican national committee: by Mir. ] H. Devine of Colorado, chairman of the committee on credentials of the Repub lican national convention. and by Mir Charles b. Hilles, chairman of the present Republican national committee The total number of delegates sum mOned to the convention under its call was LOTS, with $40 necessary to a choice. MT Taft had 561 votes on the first and only ballot and was declared the nominee. There were instituted against 23S Of the delegates regularly elected for Taft contests on behalf of Roosevelt. These contests were avow- edly instigated not for the purpose of really securing seats in the convention. not for the purpose of adducing evi- dence which would lead any respect able court to entertain the contests. but for the purpose of deceiving the public into the belief that MT Roosevelt had more votes than be really had. as the conventions and primaries were in progress for the selection of delegates This is not only a necessary inference from the character of the contests, but 1t was boldly avowed by the chief edi- tor of the newspapers owned by Mir Munsey. who has been Mir. Roosevelt's s chief financial and newspaper sup porter. The 23S contests were reduced by abandonment to seventy-four.
 The very fact of these 1G4 frivolous contests itself reflects upon the genu- ineness and validity of the remainder The seventy-four delegates include six at large from Arizona. four at large from Kentucky, four at large from In. diana. six at large from Michigan. eight at large from Texas and eight at large from Washington. and also two district delegates each from the Ninth AlaDa ma. the Fifth Arkansas. the Thirteenth Indiana. the Seventh. Eighth and Eleventh Kentucky. the Third Oklahoma. the Second Tennes see and from each of nine districts. the First. Second. Fourth. Fifth. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. Tenth and Fourteenth of Texas.
 CONTESTED DELEGATES AT
 LARGE.
 Arizona.
 Tn the Arizona convention there were ninety-three votes. All the delegates six in number-were to be selected at large. The counties were entitled to se- lect their delegates through their conn ty committee or by primary. Tn one county, MaricOpa. a majority of the committee decided to select its dele gates and minority to have a pri- mary. In other counties there were tee. following the usage of the national committee. gave hearing to all con testants in order to make up the tenn pOrary roll. There was a clear ma ior- fty of the Taft delegates among the uncoutested delegates. The committee made up the temporary roll and then there was a bolt. sixty-four remaining fin the hall and twenty-five withdraw ing therefrom. The case of the Taft majority was so clear that it is difficult to understand why a contest was made.
 Indiana.
 Tn Indiana the four Taft delegates at large were elected in a state conven- ton to which Marion county, in which Indianapolis is situate, was entitled to 12S votes. primary was held in Tn. dianapolis. at which Taft polled 6,O0O and Roosevelt 1,400 votes. This gave
 
 tion from Marion county, and if they were properly seated the control of the convention by a large majority was conceded to Taft Attempt was made to impeach the returns from Marion county by charges of fraud and repeat ing. These charges were of a general character, without specification except as to one ward out of fifteen wards and then the impeaching witness ad mitted he could not claim fraud enough to change the result in that ward The national committee. upon which there were fifteen anti-Taft men. rejected the Roosevelt contestants and gave the Taft delegates their seats by a unaui nous vote. Senator Borah and Mir Frank B. Kellogg. both Roosevelt men made speeches in explaining the vote,