Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-06-03
Seats Are Refused Both
Factions on Ground of
Fraud and Strong Arm
Methods Used.
Democratic Ch airman
Visits Open Session
and Has His Picture
Taken With Hays.

Chicago, June 2.-Pre-conven-
ton atmosphere got its first
real stir Wednesday from devel-
opments in the Republican ma
tional committee and movements
among forces gathering for the contest
next week.
Testimony before the senate commit
tee investigating campaign expenditures
that sums of money had been paid to
delegates in Missouri. counted as sup
porters of Governor Lowden. held the
center of attention for while and the
talk of a knox-Johnson candidacy be-
came the topic of the day. Some of the
gossip connected John r. King, national
Committeeman from Connecticut, and
formerly General Woods manager, with
the knox-Johnson movement, hut Mr..
King declined to say anything for pub
hcation. Johnson headquarters merely
pointed out the California senator has
placed himself on record as refusing
second place.
Cummings Visits Hays.
The committees hearings of contests
was enliyened by some hotly debated
cases. and also by a visit from Homer
s. Cummings, chairman of the Demo
cratic national committee Mr.. Cum
miings. availing himself of the open ses-
sion. visited the hearing room. where
he became the center of good natur,
ed reception. He was photographer
with Republican Chairman Hays, and
looked over the Coliseum for ideas to
take to San Francisco.
In its days work on the contests the
committee threw out both sets of dele
gates which asked seats for the flfth
Congressional district of Missouri. the
Kansas City district. Heated controversy
was aired in a long hearing.
In the Mississippi contests the com.
mittee decided to seat the delegates at
large headed by National Committee
man Mulyihill. but did not decide on the
contests from the Eight congressional
district because it was necessary TO nave
a subcommittee look over the proofs.
Fraud Charges Made.
Tho contest from the Fourth Mis-
sorr; district was quickly disposed of
nv seating the regularly reported deiega-
ton. uninstructed, but claimed by tue
Wood forces. One of the contestants,
John Alhns. of st. Joseph. who was
mentioned in testimony before the senate
committee as having been paid S2,ooo
from the Lowden campaign fund. did not
appear to press his case:
The real sensational fight OF the day
came on the contest from the Kansas
City district, which the committee IL
noliy solved by refusing to seat any
body. Charges of ''strong arm poh,
tics. meetings broken up by mustard
gas bombs, women intimidated by ne
sroes. the gag rule, flew thick and fast.
Committeeman denounced the situation
in the district as "disgraceful and faint
ed with fraud" and after voting down
bv close vote motion to seat the
regularly reported delegates, Robert
!. Flick and Jesse L. Martin. decided to
seat none of the parties.
Reduces Total to 932.
This action reduced the total number
of votes in the convention from 3s4 TO
9S2 and furnished the first case in
which district will be left without rep
resentatio&3 in it's deliberations.
The net results of the days work
were to bring the number of contests
disposed of up to 81 out of the 1a
filed.
The Georgia and Florida cases con-
tinued to hang fire in sub committee.
Many of the committeeman expressed
their satisfaction with the decisions OF
of Wednesday. although there were pro-
posals to straddle some contests and
split the votes of delegations between
the contestees and contestants. Com
mitteeman Howell of Nebraska led the
sentiment which argued that I the com :
mittee would check the quadriennial
flow of contests if it were to make def
mite decisions and send word back into
the districts that no compromises would
be tolerated. The committeeman who
favored this course argued successfully
that by splitting delegations to settle
contests. contests were being invited
Chairman Hays had a brief confer
ence during the day with Lieutenant
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, who visited
the committee room and gave out q
statement reiterating his support of
General Woods candidacy.