The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-06-18
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 to Aberdeen Is Out
Again in Force.

TACOMA. wash, May is.--Ex.
cept for a change OF scene and the
lapse OF two years. tho picture pre-.
scented at Masonic hall here when
the republican state convention be.
gan It's session Mt II o'clock this
morning is practically n duplicate
OF tho Taft convention In Aber-
deon In May. 1912.
The personnel OF the delegates
is remarkably the same.
More than one-half the hand.
picked" delegates 10 the Aberdeen
convention from King county.
Pierce county and tho other con
tested counties are here at the TIA
coma convention today.
All Rlnglesders on Hand
All tho ringleaderH Of that cod.
yention, all those referred TO as
bosses Of the republican party, are
here and actively participating,
both In the convention itself and IN
the prc-convention councils.
The question then resolves itself:
Have the republican leaders or
bosses changed their spots7"
II iB 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 a
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 10 hold cAucuses.
In King county. with n voting pop
uiation OF over 100000. there were
only 600 republicans 20 constitute
the rank and file which participated
In the caucus.s 10 elect the county
delegates. stu. King county has
1853 delegates AZ the state conyen-
ton.
Arc they representative OF the
rank and fiie7
It's Same Old Outfit
A glance at their names will dis
pei any such deiusion. Name after
name IN merely duplicate OF the
'handpicked" delegation 81 12i by
which the Taft machine was able 20
steal the Aberdeen convention In
1919.
Have these "hsndpleked" del.
egatcs, now returning 10 the
state convention presumably az
representatives OF the rank and
file, turned new leaf7
Have they turned progressive,
or are they stlli eiInoing TO the
apron strings OF the men who
had done tho Manipulating be-
fore7 Are they still Of the
same brand Of reaetlonsries
who zee fire and birthstone In
allowing the people the control
Of their own government
through the Initiative. referen-
dun, and recali7
To sum IL up. the so-called frank
and file" OF the republican party did
not care enough TO change the per.
sonnet OF the q. O. T.. leaders.
Have the leaders. the same lead.
ers who ran the republican party 20
ruin in 1912. reformed on their own
inltiative7
Tho platform TO be adopted today
may answer that question.
Demand Open Primary
Snohomish county delegates
failed 10 follow IN the footsteps OF
a.. fscs.-a..~s. a.tawa,f... a.. ,N.f.
caucus by denouncing the secret
primary.
They promulgated resolution
demanding election OF delegates 70
county and state conventions and
calling on the next state legisla-
ture 10 amend the direct primary
law $50 as 10 give 10 the full mem.
bership OF the party a 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 is
certain 10 precipitate a fight
Powell Temporary Chairman
JUN H. fVNfll VI DfAAiAt WHr
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 ses.
sion we're a long letter from Sena-
tor Wesley LORIMER 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