Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-04
Self-Stylcd Boss Of Party
AronscS All the Good
Republicans.
TO BOLT CONVENTION
Saws He viii Not Abide bv
Decision Of the Okla
homa Voters.

Special to The World.
OKLAHOMA CITY. March 3.-Rc-
publicans coming mere from all sec
tions of the state are expressing sur
prise and indignation at the tactics
pursued by James A. Harris in his eff
forts to make himself national com
mitteeman again. They want to know
by what authority Harris has changed
the method of selecting national
committeeman.
The state convention shall be held
for the purpose of selecting a chair
man and secretary of the state com
mittee, u national committeeman, -four
delegates at large to the national con-
vention, and four alternates." That
is the wording of the call.
although not generally under
stood" says the statement, Mr.. Har-
ris is sending out over the state, "the
maner of selecting and electing of "A
national committeeman is simple. For
instance at the convention held in
Chicago next June the delegates from
Oklahoma will. by vote, name their
choice for national committeeman
and the national convention as a
whole will confirm this action"
The Republican state committee
members are being asked if they made
ing a national committeeman after
the call was issued last December.
The committee made no change. The
call has been published in nearly
every Republican newspaper in the
state and is well understood. In fact
il is generally understood, and only
Mr.. Harris alone has attempted to
change IT.
Sclf-Styled Boss
In his effort to change the method
of selecting a national committeeman,
taking it away from the state con-
vention and vesting the power in the
national convention, Mr. Harris has
again shown that he regards himself
as the boss of oklahoma Republicans.
He has not the authority of a single
member of the Republican state com
mittee except himself to make this
change. Instructed delegates to the
national convention in Chicago next
June have nothing to do with the Sc
lection of national committeeman,
as shown by the call of the Repubi-
can state committee.
If Mr.. Harris can take this matter
into his own hands and have the
national committeeman for this state
elected at the Chicago convention,
what right will he leave the Repub-
licans of the state to act for them
selves on any subject? That is what
the Republicans all over the state
want to know.
Some of the Republicans coming
here want to know if Mr.. Harris is
going to have the state chairman
selected at Chicago. too, and if he in
tends to have the four delegates at
large from oklahoma named at that
time. If he can take away the right
Of the state convention to name ma
tional committeeman he certainly has
the same right as to the state chair
man and the delegates-even down
to the alternates.
Won't stand for II.
A good many Republicans are con
tending that they are not willing TO
turn the party over to Mr.. Harris in
that way and permit him to be the
whole thing Some of them are old
fashioned enough to still contend that
the party ought to have "A voice in the
selection of its state and national
committeeman. They will contend
for it from this time forward, having
been fully awakened to the result that
may follow If Mr.. Harris is permitted
to change the call of the state com
mittec at will.
Harris was present at the meeting
of the state committee in December
when the call for the state convention
was issued and voted for it. fixing the
date and the purposes of the conven
ton. He found no fault with the call
at that time Later he took upon
himself. as the supreme boss of the
party, the authority to change the
manner of selecting national com
mitteeman.
Hundreds of Republicans in the
districts where delegates to the ma
tional convention have been elected
have been under the impression that
the national committeeman was TO be
selected at the state convention, as
the call indicated. They do not un-
derstand the purpose Of instructing
delegates to the national convention
to vote for national committeeman
as the national committeeman has
not yet been named by the state con-
vention.
Now they know that this change of
orders came from Mr.. Harris. who
has set himself up as the boss of the
party. He has attempted to sweep
aside the call of the state committee
and by trading. taking advantage OF
the voters who believed that he would
stand by the call and in other ways is
attempting to make himself national
committeeman again by his own Pc
culiar method.
This method is simple as Mr..