The Washington herald., 1908-02-12

Columbus. Ohio. Feb. 11-Ohlo Republic
cans to-day in Statewide primaries.
called TO determine the choice Of tle
party as between the Presidentalf aspi-
rations Of Secretary Of War William H.
Taft and Senator J. B. FORAKER. named
Taft State convention delegates from
every county in the State. except. posi-
bly,, Knox County.
There alone the Foraker ueutenants
disobeyed their chiefs injunction TO ig-
more the primaries and put up list Of
State convention delegate candidates in
opposition to the Taft list.
The count OF votes in that county alone
viii determine whether Taft delegates
viii be in absolute control. without a
dissenting vote. of the State convention,
March and I, or whether one delegation
VIII be anti-Taft
Primaries We're held in thirty-two coun-
ties. election boards in ffty-six certifying
the State convention delegate lists Of the
Taft managers as elected without oppo-
sition and without primary, under
ruling Of the Republican state central
committee permitting tids procedure where
| only one delegate list was filed.
Contest in Two Counties.
Only in two counties was there a con
test for state convention deIegates-in
Knox, by Foraker men; in Lucas by
Taft Republicans opposed To Walter
Brown. Republican State chairman and
so-caIled boss Of Lucas County. who
named the regular delegate ticket which
appeared under the name Of Taft
The independents, seeking by defeat
ing this delegation TO oust Brown from
power, entered Capt John Craig. mill
/ iionaire ship builder. for the Presidency,
and entered a delegate list under mis-
name wits 4he understanding that the
votes Of the Craig delegation would go
/ 10 Taft If the Craig men won The vote
was heavy in Toledo and its nearby
towns and early indications show hard
fight, with the probabilities of victory
! with Brown
In six OF the eleven Congressional dis
tricts which held primaries for selection
of convention delegates or direct nominal
/ tion Of candidates. the Taft men won. and
/ later primaries undoubtedly viii give them
all except possibly the TwenU-hrst. in
Cleveland.
Court Aids Taft.
In Cuyahoga County, where the Fora
/ ker fight centered. independent priT les.
! the ousting by the electio' Of the
I pro-Taft Republican conn and con-
dUcting Of pT0-FOraker committee prima-
ries, two coups planned by Foraker men
were foiled by decision Of the Supreme
Court here this morning, Just as the
primaries started.
That body refused TO enjoin the Cuys-
/ hoga election board from conducting pro-
Taft convention. affirming the lower
court decisions in the fight for control.
but lodging those courts decisions that
the election board IS final authority on
legality of a party committee by ruling
only the pro-Taft body TO be legal
This foiled the oustiug Of the Taft body
The Foraker men concentrated their
fight in the Twenty-first Congressional
district, seeking TO name anti-Burton and
anti-Taft Congressional convention dele
gates, to split the national convention
delegation of Taft. The vote still Is be
ing counted. with probabilities from early
returns looking to the defeat of the For
aker plan. If Foraker is defeated in
Cleveland, it assures loft forty-six votes
from Ohio. the solid delegation in the
Chicago convention, Taft leaders claim
tonight.