Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-28
Fairly Complete Returns Indicate
President Will Have SO of
States 80 Delegates.
ROOSEVELT FORCES PROTEST
Claim Complete Breakdown Of
Election Machinery Made the
Primaries q Farce-Want
Others Held.

New York. March 26.-To-day's State
wide republican primaries for choice OF
delegatos to the republican national con-
vention at Chicago resulted in the cleo
'ion of organization candidates in prac-
ucn'ly every district where there was n
contest according TO unofficial returns.
fairly complete in many instances. at
hard at a late hour tonight
Claims that at least SO of the 90 dele.
gates will be for Taft and not mo.,
than seven for Roosevelt were made hr
State Chairman VIM. Barnes. Jr. and
John W. Hutchinson. director Of the
eastern branch of the national TAR
bureau. Chairman Charles Fl. DUEL of
the Roosevelt city committee declared
that the primaries, characterized By
complete breakdown Of the election ma
ciiinery,' had been farce" He assert
ed that an effort would he made by tho
Roosevelt supporters to secure Il real pr,-
mary In this city with a full express on
OF republican opinion.
Governor Dix should he called upon to
convene the Legislature in special ses-
sion." declared Chairman DUEL in state
passing n presidential primary law go that
there may be an honest expression Of the
wishes Of the voters Of the State as to
whom the delegates shall support In both
national conventions In no surer way
could Governor Dix meet the wishes Of
the people.
RALLOT MIX-UP UNPRECEDENTED
Chairman Duells statement as to the
workings Of TIE primary law were ba sed
IN part upon the mix-up In the d!strtou-
ton Of the primary ballots which old cam
| raigners said was the worst with,n mem
! orv here Samuel s Koenig. chairman of
the republican county committee, speak
ing for the organization. alluded but
briefly to the opera ton Of the new law.
The primaries Of New York county
gave the voters an opportunity to ex-
press HONESTLY and accurately their
inee." Mr. Koenig declared. When in
formed of the statement on the laws
workings made by Chairman Duell
the republican county chairman. de-
clined to comment upon 1t. AS to the
result Of the balloting. Chairman Koe-
mig said:
with 1872 election districts missing
President TAFT in the primary con.
test In New York county to-day re.
ceived 2s.%o2 and Colonel Roosevelt,
14,111 This indicates that the Presi-
dent has beaten Colonel Roosevelt ir
this city this year more than TO /
1t was the most remarkable victory
ever achieved by the organization
when we consider that Colonel Roose-
welt Is a resident Of New York W.
hope now that the primary contest i:
over that all republicans will unite II
support of the President"
Instances where there was failure Il
reoeive ballots at all or they arrived
very iato at the polling places were re
ported in increasing numbers az tn
night wore on. As an instance II wa
reported from Richmond county, Slater
island, that out of IS election district
only 70 were supplied with official bal
lots In q districts no primary election
were possible. the use Of unofficial ballo.
not being permitted by the official
there
Revised returns from all 81 the IS con
gressional districts IN New York county
with returns complete from 7sl electio
districts out of tho sSs election districts
' gave the following totals:
. Organizat ton o, 63S; opposition 70 1cG. or
r ganization plurality li.e05.
> The total vote thus far shown. ~ g.
3 is less than half of the number of or
v rolled voters. The number is approximate
$ ~ 5000,
POLLS OPEN HALF AN HOUR.
/, After the polls had closed at nine o'cloc
in some instances only about half an hor
after they had had opened, on account {
= the delay in tine delivery Of ballots. Rooss
, welt supporters said that the mix
9 would lay ground for n contest es 10 III
validity Of the election. n was the firs
trial Of the new primary law. Ballots I
a many of the districts ranged from 10
a II feet long and so great had been III
;, haste to get them to the polling place
that in some cases the ballots were :
: sections. there having been lack OF tim
to paste them together.
The democrats who elected delegate
= only to their State convention and men
:, bers OF organization committees. had II
+, tie trouble about the ballot, but the RI
:. publicans, independence league voters an
prohibition voters were In many instance
. obliged 10 give up their plan OF vot!n
on account Of the long delay in the arriv'
~ ballots Notwithstanding that at SON
i, polling places voters stood for sewers
hours waiting for the miX-up to
- Strengthened out. there was no disorder
:, importance. the voters seeming to ha,
% sufficient satisfaction by venting the
t. complaints In ridlcule Of the system.
County Chairman Kocnis declared du
ing the night that his organization was
. no wise to blame for the ballot miN-up.
; EMBARRASSED BY LITIGATION.
IA He declared that the matter of ha
n lot delivery was in the hands OF u
= board Of elections President Britt
"A the board OF elections declared that
l. and his colleagues had done all th'
N was physically possible TO get the IN
lots around on time, but the printe
ia had been embarrassed by the unusu
Ct size OF the ballots and handicapped
18th hour litigation which the Roos
welt committee instituted over II
question OF positions on the ballot
The republican county committee !
sued the Following statement on II
:" matter late tonight
In every case where II was report
V. that the official ballots had not he'
m delivered. the inspectors were advis