The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-16

In the California case the delegates to
the national convention were elected
by direct vote at statewide preferen-
t1al primaries. The national commit
tee first. and then the national repub-
lican convention, nullified the state
state primary laws. In Arizona and
Washington the control of the state
conventions depended on which of two
rival delegations We're seated from
certain counties-the one set elected
by the republican voters at primaries
regularly called and the other set ar
hitrarily appointed by boiling minori-
ties of both committees The state
committees in eac case seated the
appointed delegates and the national
committee approved that action.
The cases here discussed cover in
their narrowest application thirty
votcs-California 2. Arizona 6, Wash
ington Ia. and Texas at large s. The
change of these thirty votes would
have defeated Taft; they would have
reversed all the important actions of
the convention.
There was no form of trick or
fraud which did not lind favor in the
eyes of the conspirators. / have mere
~ cited a few cases. so conspicuous
that the facts cannot he truthfully dis
pnted, and sufficient in number to
show by actual figures hat the NOM
~ination of Mr.. Taft could not have
been procured except by their inclu-
sion. The men responsible for the
thief, of the delegates in question car
ed not one rap for the rights or
wrongs of any of the cases. They
We're concerned only with getting the
requisit" number OF delegates. They
did steal as many as were needed;
they would have stolen rs many more
As might nave been needed.
mo free people can afford to sub
nit to government by theft. If the
vii! of the people is defeated by fraud.
then the people do not rule, If those
who are thus foisted on them repre-
sent the special interests instead of
the people, then the interests and not
the people rule.
"Whcn the people are denied their
only thoroughly efficient weapon the
direct primary. against this usurpa-
tion. as was done by the ruling in the
California case. then under the svs-
TEN thus established the people can
not rule. The only remedy is to break
from the system. 1t is useless to oun
sci patience until h next convention.
because the organization is already
complete to nullify the action of the
people as effectively then as it was
done this time.
The same arbitrary powers have
been conferred on the national COM
mittee that were exercised this time,
and that committee. which is to act
in 1916, is already elected. 1t is COM
posed of men the majority of whom.
under the lead of one of their num-
Der. Mr.. Barnes. have already shown
by their votes in the convention that
they are prepared to repeat in 1916
the u%surpation of 1917. Every state
in the union might pass presidential
primary laws and all these states
might vote for the same candidate.
hut if that candidate We're not salts
in office, it could, and would. reverse
the action of the people. On a square
issue of power between the republican
national committee and the republi-
can voters the committee has won and
has demonstrated that it can win
again. The organization has frankly
abandoned the pretense of making eff
fe"tivc the will of tbs people.
III the American people are really
fit for self-goNernment. they will in
Stantly take ny the challenge which a
knot of political constructors have so
insolently thrown down. %on-resis-
lance TO sue treason against popular
would be almost as repre-
hensiole rs active participation there
in. Both n great moral issue and q
fundamental principle of s~elf-govern-
ment are involved in the action of the
so-called republican convention at
Chicago: and we cannot submit to that
action without being false both to the
basic principles of American democ-
and to that spirit of righteousness
and honesty which must underlie
every form Of successful govern
m emf