The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-23
COMMITTEE NJ KES


ing Carl e. Schmidt, chairman of
the national committee Of the Ameri-
can independence Conference: Jere-
miah O'Leary. VIII r. Macdonald and
Frank Seiberlich were elected as men,
bers OF the special committee and
were instructed to place before Mr..
Hughes written document, setting
forth the demands of the organiza-
ton.
These demands were signed by the
full membership OF the national COM
mittee in attendance at the Detroit
meeting. They appear in the official
records of the organization under the
heading, Statement read to Charles
E. Hughes by the conference special
committee
THE records do not disclose the
precise date or place of the personal
presentation of the demands to Can
didate Hughes. The conceded fact,
however, is that jeremiah OLeary,
as spokesman of the special commit
tee, reported to the Chicago meeting
on September 80 that the meeting
with the Republican presidential cam
didate had been held and that Mr..
O'Leary RECALLED his followers with a
detailed report of the interview
Calls Attention to Telegram.
The demand made on Mr.. Hughes
calls attention to the telegram OF
congratulation sent Col. Roosevelt af-
ter his Lewiston speech. 1t calls at
tentlon to the pro-British and anti
American utteranCes of Mr.. Roose
welt, which, 1t says. are "actuated by
race prejudice and desire to serve
British interests
Mr.. Roosevelt is charged with at
lacking large part of the American
people, while failing to mention any
OF the fragrant, arrogant and con-
tinual transgressions upon American
rights by Great Britain"
The transgressions cited include in
reference with American commerce
and mails, the British boycott and
blacklist. denial of American right to
build up a merchant marine. seizure
of passengers aboard American SHIPS,
capture and retention of American
ships and brutal treatment Of Ameri-
can citizens taken into British ports,
4 3 well as those found in British ter
ritory British interference with
American charity and the Red Cross
and other offenses are enumerated,
After expressing the belief that
these aggressions OF Great Britain
are a political issue and that il is the
duty of the nation to defend it's ma
lonat honof, the demand continues.
Hughes Is Given Document.
I'VE. therefore, designate Carl r.
Schmidt. Will r. Macdonald, jeremiah
a. O'Leary and Frank Seiberlich as
our representatives to place before
Mr.. Hughes this document. and we
further respectfully request and en-
power them to secure from Mr..
Hughes definite statement for the
benefit of a broad and liberal Ameri-
canism that has been offended by the
British propaganda. creating, as it
does racial antagonism in our coun-
try with resultant destruction and
surrender of American rights, whether
or not he will administer the presi-
dency Of the United States In accord
ance with the spirit Of the fathers
and the whole American people in
stead Of at the hehest OF present
day tories. materialists and war par
! f{sans. who proclaim the false doc
trine that American patriotism is he
ing British suhserviency. and the
+ spirit Of 80 is a reasonable hyphen-
, ism"
The official minutes Of the Chicago
meeting show that the report Of the
Hughes interview made verbally by
o'Leary, was in substance that Can7t-
date Hughes had assured She special
committee Of the American lndcpend-
onCe Conference that he had sent the
congratulatory telegram to Roosevelt
before he had actually read the Lewis
, ton speech. According to NJ. O'I4eary.
Mr. Hughes had merely glanced over
the newspaper headlines and COM
ments and had felicitated Mr. Roose-
Welt upon what apparently was a great
Republican utterance. O'Teary fur
/ Their told the conference, substantially.
that Hughes promised that his future
conduct in speech ma king should he
entirely satisfactory to the interests
represented by the committee
General Oxuna Killed.