The sun., 1908-06-07
PRESIDENT IN GOOD HUMOR
The Ssuffing OF the National Committee At
Chicago With Taft Men Pleascs Him.

The stunning or the National Committee nj
ChlcaE0 With Taft Men PIeascs Him.
WASHINGTON. June o.--Visitors TO the
White House to-day found President Roose-
welt in great good humor over the success
sive Taft victories in the Republican ma
tional committee at Chicago. Since early
in April the President has been predicting
that his Secretary OF War would have a
walkover in the contest for the Republican
nomination, and events at Chicago yesterday
and to-day are regarded as tending to verify
his judgment. While the Administrator
has felt pretty certain for the past five or
six weeks that the national committee was
for Taft by at least two to one, there was
some uneasness on that score. The test
vote on the admission of proxies OF Frank
II. Hitchcock. Arthur F. Slater and Charles
G. Phelps, all committed to Taft. relieved the
anxiety and the claim that Taft will get
the Presidential prize on the first ballot
is more pronounced than ever in Adminis-
tration circles.
There was much talk heard here to-day
among Republicans. however, which in
dicated feeling OF dissatisfaction over
the action of Messrs. Hitchcock. Slater
and Phelps in presenting the proxies Of
that these three are paid employees Of the
Taft cause produced a painful impression.
even in portion Of the Administration
circle While everybody who commented
on the subject was willing to concede that
it was not to have been expected that the
Taft management would have obtained
national committee proxies for men who
were unfriendly or neutral, the pretty gen.
arol nnintnn ovnraaaaI WI thof IL vvoa
ing little too far to land the proxies over
to Mr.. Taft's manager and two Of his assis-
tants, all OF whom, IL was declared. were
receiving pay from the Taft campaign
treasury,
National committeeman are supposed
to be influenced by the facts in every con-
tested election case presented to them for
settlement, and rather raw" was a oom-
mon expression used by those who dis
cussed the matter. 1t would have oked
II the three proxies had been held by men
not on the Taft payroll. However. there
are others who hold that all fair in poll
tics and that the thing will be forgotten
soon.
In the meantime the question is being
asked here, where was Arthur /. orys Of
Columbus Ohio, the original manager Of
the Taft Presidential boom while all this
was going on2 Mr.. vorys is in Chicago,
but Mr.. Hitchcock, who came into the Taft
camp u UeT MT. NOTyS HaO uAeQ tnluyb III
Ohio for the Secretary OF War, did not
hand over to him one OF the three proxies
of which Mr.. Hitchcock had become pos
sessed. Instead he gave them to two
young men who have been working under
Mr.. Hitohcook's direction and left Mr.
Vorys out In the cold.
Charles p. Taft of Cincinnati the wealthy
brother of William II. Taft and who picked
Mr.. Vorys as the Taft campaign manager,
is said to want Mr. Vorys. for chairman Of
the Republican national committee II
William II. Taft is nominated for the Presi-
dency. In view OF the supreme position
assumed by Mr.. Hitchcock, it is taken for
granted here that Mr. Vorys has not the
slightest show FOR that honor.
Secretary Taft had long talks with the
President to-day. twas rumored that they
discussed the selection Of Vice-Presi-
dental candidate. Mr.. Taft denied this.
He said laughingly that it would be we'll to
Settle the Presidential nomination before
talking about man for second place
And that was all he would say about poll
lies