The Irish standard., 1912-05-04
MASSACHUSETTS
RESULT TIED
PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT BY
1865 MAJORITY.
T. R. HOLDS DELEGATES
Complicated Situation Arises Through
Peculiar Vote of the Bay State
epubIicans.-champ Clark
Defeats Wilson.

entail vote for the three Republican
candidates. with returns from the
town of Gosnold still missing were
as follows:
La Toilette. 1,756; Roosevelt, IL,
1873; Taft, 74,S0S. I.
The refusal of the Republican dele
gates at large to accept Colone!
Roosevelt's decision that they should
vote for President Taft at the Chi.
cago convention although elected as
Roosevelt delegates, complicated the
situation arising from the state pri-
maries. Tho delegates at large de-
cided not to take any joint action on
the attitude adopted by Colonel Roose-
welt, but to leave each delegate free
to act as he sees fit.
Although the Republicans of the
state selected President Taft as their
candidate for denomination by ma
jority of 3.GO5 over Colonel Roosevelt
on the presidential preference ballot,
al tho same time they elected by q
decisive vote the entire slate of eight
delegates at large, pledged to the for
mer president. Colonel Roosevelt Sc
cured 10 more delegates in the dis
trict elections and President Taft car
ricd nine districts, so that Taft and
Roosevelt each have Is delegates
from the state to the national con-
vention. A somewhat similar situa-
ton was created on the Democratic
ballot. Speaker Champ Clark, who
had no pledged delegates on the tick.
ct, won a two.to-One victory over Gov
erence contest. AT the same time,
delegates at large, pledged to Gov.
ernor F0ss Of Massachusetts, were
elected to attend the Baltimore con-
vcntion, though the name of Govern.
or Ross did not appear in the presl-
dental preference column.
Roosevelt followers have announced
their intention of asking a recount in
the Eighth district, while the Taft
men will do likewise in the Ninth, ON
account of the closencss Of the vote.
In his request to the delegates at
large Colonel Roosevelt declared it to
be his wish to abide by the will OF
the people and that therefore the dele
gates. though elected as pledged to
him. should vote for Mr.. Taft, who
had received the presidential prefer
ence vote. One by one. the dele
gates, as they were heard from, how
ever. protested that under no circum-
stances would they cast their ballots
other than they had been pledged.
A slightly different Interpretation Of
the primary law, as respecting dis.
trict delegates. was brought forward
by Judge Thomas =. Riley, chairman
Of the Democratic state committee.
Judge Riley asserted that all district
delegates should vote for the candi-
date of their party who carried the
presidential preference vote of the
state. whatever their pledges, unless
the vote whereby they were elected
as pledged delegates happened to be
greater than the vote of the district
given to the opposition candidate, who
received the presidential preference
choice.
A contest, which the managers of
the Taft campaign promise to carry
to the very doors Of the national con-
vention II necessary, is threatened as
q result of the independent candidacy
of Frank Sieberlich of Boston.
Mr.. Sieberlich was not on the regu.
lar slate of Taft delegates, but had
his name entered on the ballot as an
Independent pledged to Taft. The
name was placed Immediately above
the e1afa of eiphf dolopataa at 1arro
also pledged to President Taft 80 that
many voters followed down the COL
umn, crossed the name of Sieberlich
as we'll as the eight others pledged
to Taft, thus marking nine names.
On the ground that this marking
invalidated the ballot hundreds Of
votes were thrown out by counters In
cities and towns all over the state.
the number running as high as 300
and 400, is estimated, in New Bed
ford. Gloucester and Lynn.
Taft managers claim that the loss
to the Taft ballot was so heavy from
this cause that the president would
have won the entire list of eight dele.
gates at large had the full vote been
counted, besides securing delegates in
some of the more closely contested
districts. They contended that mas.
much as the delegates named were
marked separately the intent Of the
voter was shown and all the ballots
30 marked should be counted, omit
ting the name on the list Of nine
which received the smallest vote.