The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-22
TAFT'S MEN FIGHT FOR HIM  Strugg' to Control the
 Convention. OHIO IS BATTLE GROUND Claim Enough Delegates Now to
 Nominate. Calculations Do Not Give The Big Secretary Much Following h
 The Esst--RooseveIt
 Is Uneasy.
BY ALFRED U. STOPPER

Washington, Dec. 21.-fSpecial.)-- Lively figuring is being done as to which of the powerful factions of the Republican party will obtain control of the national convention at Chicago in June. s-
 The President and his packers are in this fight up to their ears. and until the last delegate is elected the indfca- tions are that a mighty effort will be made by the administration forces to prevent the combinations opposed to the Roosevelt policies from gaining control of the big gathering in the city by the lakes. All the world knows and has known for several months that Secretary Taft Is the administration candidate. In- deed more than two years ago Secre- tary Taft had Presidential aspirations. and that Is why he declined an ap- pointment to the Supreme Court bench. At that time the Western and South ern Republicans had not commenced to assert in so vigorous words that the whole country was wild for the renominaticn of Roosevelt, finally re- sulting in a general movement to force him to run again. regardless of his emphatic statements on the subject and in the face of the fact that he had in numerous White House confer ences with party leaders impressed upon the minds. of hts callers that he wanted Taft to become his successor. What Taft Must Secure.
 The coming Republican convention will be composed of 9ss delegates. In order to control 1t the Taft followers will be compelled to elect 4s5 dele gates.
 The Secretary's nomination is going to depend largely upon the sort Of send-off he gets in his own State Of Ohio. Opinions at this writing differ as to the real situation in Ohio.
 If you will listen to the admirers of Secretary Taft it is all one way in Buckeye Land. Senator Foraker who has been bold enough to announce his own candidacy for the Presidency, and who is anxfous to try conclusions With the Republicans who have declared their intention of eliminating him from Cong,reas because he hsfg not supported several of the Roosevelt policies, will not cut much of a figure in the contest, if one is to believe what the Taft sup porters say. But great many other ohio Republicans seem to think that Foraker Is going to loom up formida- biy when 1t comes to picking up dele- gates in that State.
 lWith the whole force of the admin istration behind the candidacy of Sec retary Taft 1t would look reasonable to suppose that 1t will be impossibls for Senator Foraker to seriously dam- age the Taft boom much less Wrest control oe Ohio from him. But there are Ohio Republicans in Washington right now who firmly believe that if a primary is ordered, and which the Sen ator demands, Foraker is just as apt as not to come out on top and secure for himself the Ohio indorsement sor the nomination.
 Of course, if Taft is defeated In his own baliwick that would knock his Al. .ks nfx,af tnr or if he loses considerable portion or the Ohio delegates he will be In pad way when the Chicago convention meets. It would encourage douoting ones to flock around the standard or some other candidate, and in every large convention certain percentage of delegates naturally wish to get In with the winning crowd. There will he much confusion at this convention on account of the exceptionally large number of candidates in the neid, ana if the anti administration forces prove early that they are able to make in- roads upon the Taft strength the way ering ones will certainly begin to flop'
 If the Taft organizers manage their campaign with tact and system the cha nces are they will control most or the delegates from what, are classed strictly as Southern States. At any rate that is what they have started out to do and if they miss their calcula- lions things will turn out badly for them.
 south Holds Power.
 It is not unlikely that the Southern States will hold the balance of power in the great convention. They cer- tainly would if they were to hang to- gether, but evidences are rapidly null tiplying to prove that the managers of other candidates are going to invade .A,.A. S1,.tw- 1 1t.AA Af purpose being to prevent Taft from starting down that way with enough votes to give him the nomination with those he will certainly get out in the
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