The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-06
NO ROUGH HOUSE TACTICS.


1t is natural that in this political
campaign of exceeding strenuosity,
there should be all sorts Of rumors
ahoat, Col Roosevelt's tactics have
been so murderous to all party affila.
tIons, so domincering, so reckless OF all
other claims or interests than those of
his own personality, that it is not sur
prisinC to see in the dispatches the
most startling suggestions as to what
bis plans are with respect to the COM
ing National Republican Convention.
II is even suggested that he himself
will be on the ground with trained
band of athletes and cowboy toughs to
ride rouChshod over the convention and
TO enforce his will upon that BODY in
spite Of the admitted majority against
him. This, OF course, is Incredible,
though the fight will be desperate.
The initial moves will be made this
morning, when the National Commit
tee assemblies First. there will be an
| effort made to GUST the regular mem
bcrs of the committee before thev have
had the opportunity TO perform the
functions delegated TO them by the last
Republican National Convention. 1t is
stated that the Roosevelt interests will
not wait until the ratification by the
National Convention Of the names pre-.
sentcd by the States for National Com.
mitteemen, as has been the universal
practice in the past, but will insist
that the State nominations make the
National Committeeman without regard
to the convention action by way OF
ratification. The sophistry Of this is
evident on the face of it, for it re-
auires ratification by the National
Convention for any act whatever, to
constitute it tho act Of the National
party, or to give it National scope;
and when we consider that the uuiver-
sal practice has been TO present the
names OF the committeeman in the con-
vention itself after the nominations for
President and Vice President have
been made. it will be seen that the
Roosevelt programme in this is rcvo-
lutionary. 1t is not only that. but il
deprlves the party OF having any real
National Committee at all; for if the
action of the States alone is to gov
ern, these States can change the com
mitteemen at any time they choose, and
there Will be no tenure Of Office for
the National Committeemen as has
heretofore been the case, if this change
is to be made without any authority
10 Nat
forestall its action.
The next move on the programme
VIII be the attempt TO defeat the com.
mittee's choice Of Senator Root for
temporary chairman at the convention.
Necessarily, in order TO make a fight
against this that would have any chance
of success, the Roosevelt claquers viii
have to ignore the decisions of the Ma
tional Committee in contested cases,
and insist that their contestiug dele
gates shall be admitted to vote On the
question. Here will be the opportunity
for bolt if Roosevelt is determined
on bolt, as the rumor is, For. since
most of the contests are merely frac-
tious and for the purpose Of making
trouble, it will bo necessary for Roose.
welt to insist that his delegates shall |
DC seated In spite of their (assumed) |
rejection by the National Committee. |
Here the award Of tickets bv the com.
mittee will have an important bear |
ing, for only the delegates whose seats |
are contested whose right to the seats
is affirmed by the committee, will be
accorded the tickets for seats in the |
body Of the conventions; delegates de-
feated In their contests viii have no |
seatlngs. Another class OF contests
VIII arise where delegations have been
divided and double delegations have
been set in with "a half vote 10 each
delegate. Wherever this might appear.
the seating capacity Of the delegates
portion OF the hall would be over
crowded, and IL will remain for the
committee TO make "A fair apportion.
ment OF the delegations in such case
In spite Of disduieting rumors. we
are not at all Inclined 70 credit anv
programme OF violence on the part of
Col. Roosevelt or any one else. The
plug-ugiy' methods OF holding con.
ventions are things of the past. No
overpowering by, physical force, no AT
tempt 20 pack the convention with
lighting men, will avail. 4 great party
VIII be able to protect itself against
any such methods, even il they were