The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-20
Too Early to Venture Forecast;
Plans of Big Sextet.
There'Il Be 678 Delegates in
the Chicago Meeting.
Whoever Gets 400 Votes Will
Be Man of the Hour.


pendent of The Chicago Tribune, write:
his paper that it is entirely too early
to make even the remotest estimate
of actual or probable strength of any
or all of the candidates. The one
thing which is Immediately evident,
however, is that there are six men al
ready in the field each of whom has
right to expect that his own state
will stand solidly behind him, at
least for a few ballots.
Fight on Floor to Be Lively.
Between them all, counting only the
delegates from states having favor
lite sons" and eliminating all outside
strength whatsoever, there is nue.
leus of between a fourth and third
of the entire convfntiOn, and that
nucleus split up among six candidates,
the chances are that added strength
from outside states will 90, to a great
er or less degr-e, to all of the six men,
with the result that the nomination
will be practically impossible on the
first ballot and on all subsequent bal
lots until one or more of the six aban-
don the fight and throw their strength
If they can throw ito one of those
remaining in the field.
President ROosevet's withdrawal
makes it reasonably certain that each
of the six candidates will have his own
state in the long run.
Taft will have Ohio, or large por-
ton of it. A few districts may go
to Foraker but if they do will not
affect the result, but, on the contrary
will increase the chance of deadlock.
In New York state Hughes has as
yet made no effort to secure the dele
CATION. If Roosevelt had remained in
the field the New York delegation
would surely have gone. to Chicago
more. or less unpledged. As it is,
competent Judges insist that Hughes
will get the solid delegation from his
own state, and this is important, be-
cause New York has more representa-
tion than any other state in the union.
Knox, Fairbanks, Cannon, and La
Toilette, in all probability, will be
able to depend upon their own states
for a ballot or two and possibly a good
deal longer.
Votes in the Convention.
Under the call issued by the repub-
lican national committee there will be
97S votes in the convention at Chicago
The rule or representation is to allow
two delegates for each representative
and senator in congress.
There are now in the house, includ-
ing the new men from Oklahoma, 39l
members. There are ninetytwo sena-
tors, making the total membership of
the Sixtieth congress 4S3. Doubling
that gives 966 as the membership of
the convention from the states.
There are six territories-new Mex
leo, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Porto
Rico, and the Philippines-each of
which is given two votes. This adds
twelve delegates and making the to-
tai membership of the convention 97S
under the national committee call.
There is some reason to believe the
committee overstepped its authority
in reducing the representation of Ari-
IONA and New -nexico from four to two
each. The last convention, which ere
ated the national committee, allowed
the organized territories and Alaska
six votes each, and the proceedings of
the convention do not indicate that
the committee had any authority I
reduce the representation.
1t is assumed this authority for it.
self however, and the temporary roll
will therefore be made up of only
91S delegates, representing all the
states and territories.
Necessary to Nominate.
OF the total number it will require
400 votes to nominate a candidate for
the presidency. How many of these
any one candidate will have is thing
which no man can predict now, and
which hardly can be determined until
the last delegate is elected, which will