The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-26
TAFT AFTER SOUTH'S VOTE So Says Political
 Gossip. WARM FIGHT IN MARYLAND Much Speculation as to Negro Delegates to Convention.
 - senator Martin of Virginia Says That Taft Would Be the Easiest
 Man for Democrats
 to Defeat.
BY ALFRED J. STOPPER.

Washington Aug. 25.-(Special. )-- Gossip among Congressman and other politicians who are dropping into town, indicates beyond any doubt that the managers of the Taft Presidential boom are going to commence early to secure the delegates from most of the Southern States. Men whoAdo not take kindly to the big Secretary of War, are known to realize that a wink or nod from the administration would go a long way in fixing the average dele gate from the land of Dixie
 But some people do not think 1t could be possible that President Roose- welt and professional civil service re- formers like Attorney General Bona parte, would for a moment openly sanc- tion 1t if Federal office holders were to go out and hustle in the interest of Judge Taft. Of all the men in public life Colonel Bonaparte has been the loudest in protesting against Federal office holders running political meet ings and keeping the rank and file of parties from having a liberal share of the delegates to conventions, state. mu- nlcIpal and national Tn a couple of weeks he is billed for a speech before the National Civil Service Reform As- sociation up fin New England. And vet when it comes down to getting mixed up in rather slimy politics by force of circumstances, Colonel Bona parte has to take q bitter dose just like some other men high up in gov ernmental circles.
 Day after day the Baltimore Sun is pouring hot shot into Republicans in Maryland, who claim to be decent and , respectable for supporting ticket and platform created by Congressman Mudd and Jackson. They were the whole convention, The Sun asserts. Colonel Bonaparte has always pro-
 .-k& Nxf.- n. pair of Congressman. The Sun de- nounces them unmercifully for their brazen deeds, and predicts that when the voters of Maryland get a whack at the ticket 1t will be buried out of sight. "Bill" Jackson openly boasted last year to a lot of reporters that he bought his way into Congress. Most everybody down on the Eastern Shore of Maryland knows he spent money Iayishly, and the general belief Is he put out not less than $50,0O0 to defeat the Democratic nominee, It may have been as much as $75,0O0., Bill" Is millionaire and makes plenty of money in the lumber business.
 Colonel Bonaparte and other Baltf- more reformers were so shocked over .Bill's" admissions that he was forced to come out in his own organ and say that he had been misrepresented. The reporters had witnesses to prove that he dtQ make the SldleiuSutS DOHd- parte is said to hold his nose almost every time he comes in contact with Mudd and Jackson. Conditions are such that the Attorney General is com- pelled to fellowship with them politi- cally It would tickle him very much if Maryland were to go Republican this year. In addition to being able to control the Legislature Bonaparte would expect to be elected United States Senator in the place of the ven- erable Senator William P. Whyte. However, should the Democrats lose control of the Legislature the Attorney General would not be knee high to a puddle duck. Either Sid" Mudd or fBill" Jackson would scoop in that Senatorship. "Bill" is supplying the cash to run the campaign, and if there are any Senatorships lying around loose in the next two years he will want one for himself and the other for Sid" The administration has not treated Bill" and Sid" with any com sideration, and it is safe to say they will see that Secretary Taft does not have the Maryland delegation to the next National Republican Convention.
 Against Mr. Taft.
 Evidences are multiplying since Judge Taft made his Columbus speech, that strong combinations are going to be formed against the Secretary in the
  account of the official pap" most of the Republican politicians who have been heard to express opinions are in- ciined to concede that the admtnistra- tion forces will be quite apt to control fully two-thirds of the Southern dele cations in the event Senator Foraker and his lieutenants are thoroughly walloped in Ohio. Quite a number of well informed Republican politicians. however, will tell you that Secretary Taft hasn't any certainty of getting a practically solid delegation from Ohio. As the sentiment runs now they say it looks as if the Taft crowd might be able to control the State convention ana select the four delegates at large, and probably get much more than majority of the district delegates, but they could not bind all the delegates bv the unit rule That does not go in ohio like 1t does in New York, Penn sylvanla and other States. Every friend of Senator Foraker who comes on from Ohio brings the news that that fiery statesman has his blood up His speeches and interviews all indi- cate that he is going to fight to the last ditch, no matter what the conse- quences. and while he wants to come back to the Senate, his friends assert that he is not going to permit Taft or any other Buckeye to walk over his po- liticaI corpse if he can help IL.
 Much speculation is going on as to how many negro delegates will be sent to the Republican convention. The guessing places the number at not over twenty. and most people would not be surprised if 1t is as low as ten. The number of negro delegates has dwindled rapidly since the convention of 1898 at St. Louis. when William Me KinIey received his first Presidential nomination. They were pretty thick out there. On being elected, compara- lively few of the negroes were for Me Kinley. Most of them were inclined to favor the candidacy of Thomas B. Reed because he had ripped up the old House rules, had put stop to fli- bustering, and under the new order of things, two negro contestants-one from Virginia and the other from south Carolina-were given seats in Congress without even having the eases debated on the floor of the House. That made the poEtly Speaker from