The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-07-18
OLD GANG GET
TOGETHER At
CONVENTION
G. o. p. Gathering at Tacoma
Looks Like Duplicate Of
Aberdeen Meeting.
OLD LEADERS ON JOB
"Handpicked" Delegation That
Went 10 Aberdeen Is Out
Again in Force.

fAAOMAf NhFHg ffAf 10 RI
cept for IL change ~ scene and the
lapse OF two years. the picture pre-.
scented at Masonic hall here when
the republican state convention be.
gan It's session at II O'Clock this
morning II practically a duplicate
on the Taft convention In Aber.
deem IN May. 1919,
Tho personnel OF the delegates
IN remarkably the same
Moro than onehRif the hand.
picked" delegates 10 the Aberdeen
convention from King county.
Pierce county and the other con.
tested counties are here NJ the TIA
coma convention today.
All Rlngleadcrs on Hand
All the ringieaders Of that con.
vention, all those referred TO AZ
bosses OF the republican party. are
hero and actively participating,
both In the convention itself and IN
the pre- convention councils
The question then resolves itself:
Have the republican leaders or
bosses changed their spots7"
II " useless 10 discuss whether
the rank and file OF the republican
party are progressive or reaction.
AIRY.
stayed Away From Caucus
The rank and file did not care
straw what the state republican
convention Will do. for the rank and
file consistently stayed away from
tho caucuses preceding the various
county conventions. and In many
cases there weren't enough OF the
rank and file to hold caucuses.
In King county. with a voting pop.
ulatlon OF over 100000. there were
only coo republicans 10 constitute
the rank and file which participated
in the caucuEea 10 elect the county
delegates. sun. King county has
iss delegates at tho state oonven.
ton.
Are they Representatives OF the
rank and fileg
It's Same Old Outfit
A glance at their names will dis.
pei any such delunlon. Name after
name Is merely a duplicate OF the
'handpicked" delegation Of i2i by
which the Taft machine was able 20
steal the Aberdeen convention in
1914.
Have these "hsndpieked" del.
e0ates. now returning TO the
state convention presumably a.
representatives. Of the rank ard
file. turned q new ieaff
Have they turned progressive.
or are they stiil cllnaing 20 the
apron strings Of the men who
had done the Manipulating be-
foref Are they still Of the
same brand Of reactionaries
who see fire and birthstone In
allowing the people the control
Of their own government
through the Initiative. referen.
dunn and recsiif
To sum II up. the so-called rank
and file" OF the republican party did
not care enough TO change the per.
sonnet OF the q. o. r. leaders.
Have the leaders. the same lead
ers who ran the republican party TO
ruin IN 1919. reformed on their own
initiativeg
The platform to be adopted today
may answer that question.
Demand Open Primary
Snohomish county delegates
failed to follow IN the footsteps OF
the "standpat" delegations In their
caucus by denouncing the secret
primary.
They promulgated a resolution |
demanding election OF delegates 20 |
county and state conventions and |
calling on the next state legisla- |
ture 20 amend the direct primary |
law so as 10 give 10 the fun mem
bership OF the party n voice in such
selection"
The adoption OF the resolution
viii be fought for on the floor OF
the convention by the Snohomish
delegation.
Presentation OF the resolution r.
certain TO precipitate a fight.
Powell Temporary Chairman
John II. Powell OF Seattle was
elected temporary chairman unani
mously. Representative Sam Sum- |
ner OF wenatchee was elected tenn
porary secretary.
The convention adjourned until
this afternoon. when reports OF the
rules, credentials and platform
committees will be heard.
The features OF the morning SEES
sion we're long letter from Sena- !
tor Wesley LORtMER Jones and /
John II. powell's address.
While not saying so in so many |
words. Jones letter intimated that
II is his desire to see Roosevelt the |
candidate OF the republicans for the |
presidency in 1916.
He said Taft's administration is
unsurpassed for legislative accom-
plishment, and that the progressives
and republicans divided over non
essentials.