Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-23
angered the Pennsylvania mans
friends not little.
Tha adrnini az, flor. x,rn,a1d 1ilso To

friends not little.
The administration would like to
head off the Knox movement and
something has been done toward fore
Ing the Pennsylvania machine to be
good by supporting Judge John p.
Elkin for the Senate to succeed Pen
rose. Penrose has gone to the White
House and promised to see to it that
Roosevelt policies are endorsed at
the state convention 1t seems, how.
ever, 1T will be impossible to pre-
vent Knox getting the delegation and
that the President is not by any
means sure of getting a second-choice
Taft delegation out of Pennsylvania.
II the nomination goes to the con-
vention completely unsettled and bad
ly split up as to different candidates,
the ready support Of the Fairbanks
men, the Cannon men and Of the dele
cations from many of the eastern
states. should there be long fight
and 1t come to appear neither Can.
non nor Fairbanks stood show Of
nomination.
Under such circumstances the Pre-
sident and his close lieutenants are
keeping close watch of the Knox
movement. The news from Illinois
that the leaders have reached an
agreement to give Speaker Cannon
the 1908 delegation, renomiate Cover
nor Deneen and send Senator Hopkins
back to the senate is also trouble
some for the Taft boom and is giving
the administration concern. There
Is Roosevelt sentiment In Indiana but
80 far the fight, against Fairbanks has
not been taken up and It is becoming
loss and less likely. Fairbanks seems
certain Of the state and OF 2 deleEa-
ton that cannot be used for Taft. An
enti-Taft delegation will also come
out Of Illinois IN all probability.
Thus there are three robust favorite
son movements that are not Roosevelt
or Taft movements. Secretary Taft,
too, has a fight on in his own state
that will be carried into most of the
congressional districts and unless
composed will result in his getting
but part of the delegation from
Ohio
Wisconsin is for LaFollette. More
than this, the fact Stephenson has
been elected to the senate Is certain
to prove a SOURCE of strength to the
LaFollette. forces. There is no doubt
Senator LaFollette has added to his
strength in the remote West by his
speaking tour there this spring. He
may turn in the convention with a
force of delegates from the Pacific
coast that will be surprising to his
opponents.
{.
Governor Hughes is likely too, to
develop strength as a favorite son.
in Massachusetts,, there is. some Crane
talk but It is not likely to become Of
serious Importance. Iowa is show
in no great tendency to crystalline.
Secretary Shaw is out OF considera-
ton
Governor Cummins is hardly expect
ed to make such an effort to get a
presidential delegation for himself
Fairbanks and Taft are chiefly talked
in Iowa and Fairbanks is apparently
in the lead. Speaker Cannon has
many friends there.
In the far. West, there is strong
movement that will eliminate in the
Denver land and forest reserve con-
vention next month, to keep delega-
ttons away from Taft or any man re-
garded as Roosevelt candidate. In
the south, the politicians are playing
for time and talking fair to all corners.
Altogether, while there is much
chaos In the 1908 situation thus far,
the tendency +of recent developments
is not in favor of the Taft movement
backed by President Roosevelt. 1t is
rather in the other direction and fav-
orable to some of the favorite son
candidates on whom the White House
is frowning.
a J. C. .Welliver.