The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
FROM THE TAFT BUREAU.

/ Although two weeks of the campaign
yet remain. involving the election Of "a
more delegates 10 the Chicago convention.
the work Of the week has convinced press
and public generally that the nomination
Of Secretary Taft on the first ballot Is a
! foregone conclusion. Concessions Of this
character now abound among newspapers
which have not heretofore supported his
candidacy.
During the week now ending, 142 dele
gates were elected, bringing the total
number thus far chosen to 1885, OF the
delegates elected this week. 81 were in
strueted for Taft, bringing his total in
structed strength to 3s4. or to within l0I
/ of the number necessary TO a choice. As
| he is assured of nearly 200 more instructed
+ delegates within the next fortnight. the
/ hopeIessness Of the opposition to his nomi-
nation is made palpable, Only 60 Of the
delegates pledged to him are contested,
SOME on the himsiest pretexts. Those
who have been in charge of his campaign
apprehend no losses from the Taft column
on the score Of these contests. But they
look for material gains from the column
| of uninstructed delegates, which now total
/ l29. and OF which asyast majority has ex-
/ pressed a preference for the Secretary s
| candidacy.
Conceded 10 the Allies.
OF the I42 delegates elected this week,
only twelve were instructed for candidates
other than the Ohio man. The Pennsyl-
vania State convention instructed for
| Senator Knox, bringing his strength up to
4 Is. all in Pennsylvania Gov. Hughes car
ried three more New York districts, max
ling his total strength. all In his own State,
! 3. Mr. Fairbanks, for the first time since
Indiana's 80 delegates declared for him,
added anything to his list, being the two
delegates from the Second Kentucky dis
trict IN other respects the results Of the
primaries in Kentucky were overwhelm-
| ingly for the Secretary of War. indicating
that next week every other Kentucky
/ district and the four delegates t-large
will be instructed for him. The State
central committee this week decided the
contest in the First Kentucky district
against the contention of the Fairbanks
delegates and in favor Of the Taft dele
gation.
Among the States that pledged their
delegates-at-la large to Secretary Taft this
week are West Virginia, Colorado, Arlan-
sas, Maryland, North Carolina, Maine
and Mississippi, the latter being contested.
In Oregon, the home of Senator Bourne,
the Republican State committee signifi-
cantly indorsed the candidacy Of Secre-
tary Taft and the State convention will
instruct for him.
Results I'm Districts.
Other accessions to the Taft list Of
delegates came from the Second, Third
Fifth. and Seventh Arkansas districts;
the Fifth. Sixth. and Seventh North Caro-
lima; the Fifth West Virginia; the Second
Colorado. the Fifth Alabama the Second
and Fifth Maryland, the Ninth Tennessee
the eight Mississippi districts the First
Michigan, the First Maine. the Seventh
and Eighth New Jersey, and the Thir-
teenth Ohio. Contests are threatened from
six Of these districts, as well as from the
eight Mississippi districts
Next week Utah and Wyoming will each
elect six delega gates-at-large, New Jersey,
kentucky. Connecticut, and Alabama four
each. There will be district conventions
also in Alabama, Arkansas. Connecticut.
Kentucky, Missouri New Jersey, and
North Carolina.