The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09
Every Contest, So Far, Settled
in His Favor.
SPOKE IN THE WHEEL.
Was Inserted by Proposing to
Divide Louisiana.
The Move Caused Temporary
Adjournment of the Committee.

4
that has come up before the Republi-
can national committee has been
handled quickly and decisively by the
Taft men but late yesterday from
their own membership came
proposition to divide the Louisiana
delegation with the opposition seating
both the Taft and the anti-Taft dele
cations with half a vote each. The
proposition itself did not come as a
surprise but the, number of members
OF the national committee who
favored the move created some con-
sternation in the Taft camp. The
friends of the secretary of war on the
| committee brought about an adjourn
ment rather than permit a vote to be
! taken. Before the Louisiana case
brought to vote noses will be
counted. Members of the committee
who have been ardent Taft support
ers, who have shown disposition to
yield to the appeals from the allied
forces to compromise in the interest
| of harmony. will be subjected to pres
sure from Washington. To allow time
| for this was the purpose of the sud
| den adjournment.
Manager Frank Hitchcock an
nounced that there will be no com
promise. He is determined to fight
| for the seating of the delegates in
i structed for Secretary Taft and de-
clared that he will insist that the COM
mlttee pass upon all contests To
settle them in any other way, he
| said, would be unfair to the delega-
| tons themselves. He expressed the
1 opinion that the committee should not
| shirk the responsibility of sitting in
| judgment on the merits of every con-
test and in this view he is supported
| by practically every committeeman
| from the west and south and many
| from the north.
Thus far contests have been settled
from the states of Alabama, Arkan-
sas. Florida Georgia and Kentucky
and there has been no division of the
! committee in disposing of any of
them. The reason for this has been
| the rule which denies a roll call on
! any question unless it is demanded by
| twenty members, and the anti-Taft
people have not that many on the
vision of contesting delegations have
become more frequent from day to
day.
The political maneuvering by such
| members Of the old guard as Senators
Crane, Scott and Penrose and Com
| of Kansas has not Been without effect
The growth Of the compromise sug-
gestion was noticed by the Taft men
| but they were not disturbed by it I'M
til they learned to their surprise thai
| the plan for a division Of Louisiana
was favored by Senator Lodge OF
Massa chusetts, and General Powell
| Clayton of Arkansas.
Hasty conferences were held by the
Taft members of the committee dur
ing the hearing of the Louisiana con-
| test, and the decision was reached
that it would be wise to adjourn un-
| til they ascertained exactly where
they stood. This course was followed.
Mr.. Hitchcock called up Secretary
Taft in Washington. Charles P. Taft
| of i
ephoning and telegraphing on his own
account E. c. Duncan of North Caro-
lima and c. A. Lyon of Texas and
some others also grew energetic. What
the effect of the many messages will
be can not be accurately told until af-
ter the vote. Manager Hitchcock feels
that there is far more at stake in the
movement for a compromise in Lou
isiana than appears on the surface.
Similar contests are pending from
Mississippi, Missouri. North Carolina,
| Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee
Texas and Virginia. The plea for a
compromise in Louisiana is based
upon the argument that the negro
question is involved and that some
recognition that would appease the
negro voters Of the south should be
given the Foraker delegation. In al
of the contests mentioned the issues
are involved with the race question.
Sixteen more votes were gained for
Taft by the settlement of contests
Two of these came from Florida, six
from Georgia and eight from Ken
lucky These were all the contests
heard by the committee.
| Representative William B. McKin-
ley, manager of the presidential boom
Of Joseph G. Cannon, arrived to take
charge of the Cannon forces. He is
sued a brief statement in which he
said:
"The action of the Taft people or
the national committee simply demon
strates the weakness Of their state
ments that they had enough votes to
nominate Mr. Taft without the south
ern delegates or those involved in the
contests Our figures given out the
other day are correct, and as the sit
uation now stands we have every rea-
son to believe that no candidate will
have enough to nominate him on the
first ballot"