New-York tribune., 1907-06-17
CONNECTICUT
STATE NOW FOR TAFT.
His Many Friends IN Yale AlumW
Would Help HIM.

New Haven June 16 (SpeciaD.-If Arthur r.
| Vorys Secretary Taft's manager Is cahVasSIHs
the politicians of this state in the interests or ms
chief he is keeping mighty close, as none OF those
who would be most likely to meet hm nave seen
him, in spite of advance information rece,Veu I uJ
| them that Mr.. Vorys coming. When ne uoeS
| make the rounds of the Republican leaders, now
ever he will find thrgs i'm an interesting stage VI
! deve elopment. and will not leave the state IN a
fororn state of mind. He will find. as seyerai wen
| informed committeeman said to-day. uiat %
the sentiment throughout the state is strong ioI
/ Mr. Taft, and that some of the most lhiueiitlai
leaders are for the Taft boom, provided PRESIDENT
| Roosevelt cannot he prevailed upon to run again
! With the rank and file of Republicans IN CON-
neCticut il is hitting close to the mark 10 say td
Presidential talk, of which there has been good
deal lately. is first for Mr.. Roosevelt and second
! for Mr.. Taft. a small cotere IS Tor nelther the
one nor the other at present. and may line up
with Vice-President Fairbanks. but their plans are
| far from formulation at this early date and VIII
| depend largely how local political conditions
| turn out year from this summer. There IS no
support TO the Knox movement in this state nor
| IL any talk heard of Foraker. Secretary Taft Is
we'll known in Connecticut, and his Yale connec-
ton will make lot of difference here when -
showdown comes. Scattered all through the Re
publican party leadership in the state are prominent
| Yale graduates who for Secretary Taft nrst
last and all the time. And he is solid with the
voters.
! But what Connecticut will do at it's conventions
year It is impossible to forecast at this time
! Senators Brandegee and Bulkeley pretty well
understood 70 be Fairbanks at this time, but
neither has committed himself and is not likely to
until he which way the cat will jump IN
election two years hence, and. while his seat IS
practically assured he will lose opportunity to
see that his friends go 10 the Legislature ana
nave something 10 say IN the next state coll ,
ton If the Fairbanks boom is alive at that time
Senator Brandegee may feel like forcing hght
for him-providng he remains Fairbanks man,
as he IS understood to be to-day But Senator
Brandegee is chicken in Connecticut politics and
viii hardly force issue Of that sort II he sees
the state Is for Mr.. Taft then, it is to-day.
Local conditions will have a lot to do with the
way Connecticut goes in the convention. The
!
settled and the factions interested in that contest
far from being together. Until it had been
widely accepted that recent state tradition would
be carried out and Governor Woodruff permitted
TO retire at the end OF his two years term II had
also been currently expected that the fight would
come between Congressman Iilley and Lieutenant
Governor Walsh for the governorship But events
of the last few days have given different look to
this situation
It is not widely known that harmony meeting
was held in Hartford last week, and that effort
was made there, though with what success Is vart-
ousy reported to the Lilley and Lake factions
together The Lake Governorship boom dropped
rapidly during the winter and the Lilley boom
fast. But Lake fought it out and flew
flags Of truce At the Hartford conference. called.
IL Is said. by Chairman Kenealy the plan was
broached Of running Lnley for Governor. Lake for
Lieutenant Governor again. Senator Walsh for Con
! grcSsman-at-large and Leader Banks Of the House
for the next Speaker. But few of third party TO
such a contract. who may in the long have
good deal to say about it, were invited attended
! after they were invited. New Haven and Hartford
Republican leaders who could be said 10 stand to-
gethor this time for Governor Woodruff did not
get a look in at the conference. Some of them
don't feel particularly keen about the division OF
the next state slate at this time in such way.
They have been talking little together about IT.,
but feel more amused than sore Among them
some influential men, who don't like the
way tho Governor has been treated by Walsh and
Banks in the Legislature. and have been quietly
advising their friends and lieutenants TO "gO II
easy and refrain from alliances which might make
it inconvenient later on.
Entirely without the sanction of Governor Wood
ruff there are those among these leaders who be-
HeVe that the Republican party I'm this state has
been placed In serious position by the prolonged
hammering Of the Governor In the House and SEN
prevailing public sentiment is that Governor Wood
run has been hampered in carrying out certain
reforms make II imperative that he he elected
again and backed up by House and Senate made
up Of men who would vote In accordance with some
of the public reforms advocated by Governor Wood
run this session and turned down by the Legis
lature. II is possible that, investigation
made. Il would be found that some of the biggest
men in the Republican party In Connecticut feel
this way. and desTOus OF holding up Congress
man Llleys ambitions for another two years and
sending Governor Woodruff back to Hartford The
Governor himself has paid attention to such talk
and this time certainly hasn't the slightest inteu
ton of leaning that way. But he feels that he has
only made toward rCctifyins certain long
standing abuses the state though willing to let
some one else carry the work The feeling is.
however. that possibly the next Governor might not
carry that work unless he were Woodruff. And
this point that the Republican voters of the
state will want complete assurance before they let
Governor Woodruff leave the Capitol