The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
Unin- 9th Con-


Out OF 146 delegates to the Republican
national convention who have actually
been chosen. 112 have been instructed to
vote for the nomination Of Secretary OF
War Taft.
Vics President Fairbanks is the only
other candidate in the field 10 develop
actual. tangible. countable strength. He
has twenty-six OF the thirty delegates
from Indiana. He will get the other four,
AS there is no opposition 10 his candidacy
within his State, says the Washington
correspondent OF the New York Globe in
dispatch 10 his paper.
/ BY far the most important development
OF the week was the Ohio convention. alb
/ solutely unanimous for the nomination of
Secretary Taft. Although but thirty Of
the forty-six delegates have been selected
I in that State. there is no longer any op-
position there to the Taft propaganda.
I The announcement by Senator's Foraker
and Dick that they would abandon their
/ fight against him was feature Of yes
/ terday's developments II had been SUM-
ciently evident 20 them that they could
not hope to split the Ohio delegation. and
the evidences Of unanimity in that State
/ were SO great as 10 destroy the extra
State value OF the Foraker-D insurree-
\ tion. IL is presumed that this changed at
titude on their part betokens a similar
| abandonment OF their fight against Taft
/ in other States, but this is mere assump-
/ ton as yet.
IndOrSement for Taft.
] Although the delegations have not been
completed, these states have. through
their State committees. indorsed Secre-
tary Taft's candidacy. and the Taft man.
ayers claim the entire delegations: Ohio
as: West Virginia. Il: North Carolina. q
| Alabama. -: Tennessee. "a: Louisiana. Is,
! New Mexico. s; Colorado, 10; Oklahoma
I "a; Missouri. So; Kansas. %: Nebraska
I IS: North Dakota, S, South Dakota. s.
| Minnesota. .. total. ~ FlOrida's state
/ convention has also indorsed the Secre-
tary. II the district delegates obey In
! structiOns this Will add ten 10 his total
or 2S. To nominate 497 votes are re-
| quired. OF this number only 10 have
actually been selected at this writing, but
according TO the claims OF the Taft man
/ ayers. the situation Is far more eneourag-
ing In fact than these figures show.
/ For example, two delegations viii bs
/ sent 10 the convention from Louisiana n
/ accordance with that States precedent
/ The Lily Whites and the Black and Tans
as the opposing factions are called Il
/ louisiana political slang, never do pull
| together. The names of the two factions
! sufficiently indicate their separation alons
the color line But while the Lily White.
alone have indorsed Secretary Taft. the
| Black and Tans have indorsed President
Roosevelt
No Feeling Against Roosevelt.
/ No such feeling against President
Roosevelts favored candidate IS dis.
| played here as 20 lead to the conclusion
that the Black and Tans, II seated at tht
! convert rdon. will oppose Mr.. TAFT.
In Massachusetts,. too. Senator'S I.Odg,
/ and Crane have divided Senator Crane
while making il plain that he is not L
! be quoted as against Taft. has insisted
that his only demand is that an unin
| structed delegation be sent TO the conven
uon. Senator Lodge is out for Taft
Secretary Taft's friends confidently claim
twenty-four OF the thirty-two votes from
Massachusetts.
In Kentucky It is known that at the
recent State convention the Taft meI
could have forced through an Endorsement
or the Secretarys candidacy. They die
not. believing such action TO be uuwist
at this juncture. In consequence. the
delegation will likely be divided. Senator.
elect Bradley has declared for Fairbanks
and the Taft men have retorted with z
threat that Bradley Will not go 20 the
convention as a delegate. Kentucky vii
likely give a majority Of her twenty-siy
votes TO Taft, and divide the remainder
between Fairbanks and Cannon It IS not
believed that Gov. Hughes has any tangi.
BILE strength there.
Strength in the West
Boomers in Washington have organized
a Taft League during the week. and
pledged the States delegation Of ten e
Secretary Taft. 1t is evident there will
be cor testing delegation from every dis
trict in Alabama, one for Taft and The
other against Taft and Roosevelt. Ten
nessees Republicans also show signs oi
dividing on the color line in some dis
tTicts where the negro vote IS strong
This vote will go 90 Foraker, II the dele
I gates are seated.
The one other interesting action OF the
! week was the Endorsement OF Speaker
CannOn's candidacy by a Congressional
convention in South Carolina's First dis
/