Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-12
NOMINATE
TAFT ON THE
FIRST BALLOT
Leaders in Congress Con-
Clude This Must Be
Done for Harmony
Fear in q General Contest
a Stampede for
Roosevelt

Republican leaders In congress are
now working earnestly on a plan to
prevent any break at the Chicago
convention that might disrupt party
harmony and endanger defeat at the
polls in November. Conferences
have been held at both ends Ct the
Aldrich, Hale, Allison and Crane,
and Representatives Payne and Sher-
man of New York, Tawney of Mime
sofa, Jenkins of Wisconsin and
Smith Of Iowa. In fact the meetings
of small groups from this list have
been of almost daily occurrence for
more than week. They have been
directed to a nomination On the first
ballot, by which they mean w. IT.
Taft.
Most of the men figuring promi-
nently in this movement were num-
; bered against Taft early in the cam
paign, but party policy and the
necessity for harmony has awakened
a demand that personal desires be
subordinated to the will of the ma
jority. That the efforts of the group
of leaders back of the harmony
movement have not been barren of
results is indicated by the fact that
to number Of the conferences have
ben called such men as Senators
Hemenway, Penrose, Cullom, Hop
kins and Depew and Representatives
Parsons and Vreeland Of New York,
Boutell and Mann of Illinois, Burke
and Dalzell Of Pennsylvania, Watson
and Lands of Indiana, and others
who are backing the candidacy Of
President Fairbanks, Speaker Can
non, Senator Knox or Governor
Hughes.
No attempt is made to disguise the
fact that the real impetus to such
concerted movement in the interest
of Secretary Taft is the refusal of
Roosevelt to be snuffed out and the
danger of such sentiment spreading
to an extent that might be difficult
of control at Chicago.
At the same time it is said the
movement is not hostile to President
Roosevelt, who admittedly occupies
a position of commander in the Taft
forces. He has made it perfectly
plain that nothing can come of the
renewed calls for his denomination
which have been made in Texas
Utah and California, as he is pre-.
pared to reject any proffer of sup,
port no matter how extended.
The uttermost limit of endeavOl
of the Republican leaders who are
striving to harmonic party differ.
ences is to eliminate all candidates
for nomination except Secretary Taft
but it is not anticipated that all Of
the candidates readily will agree tt
this proposition. Supporters Of Sen
ator Knox, particularly, are said tC
oppose the plan, and one of the
other candidates is holding out sc
strongly that there is no immediate
sign of agreement At the same time
there are leaders in Illinois, Indiana
Pennsylvania and New York wht
are parties to the movement with the
knowledge of the favorite candidates
& from those states.
The selection of Secretary Taft al
the beneficiary of the harmony &C
ton is made because of the fact tina
he Is the only candidate who ha
sufficient instructed votes to promise
an early nomination. The argumen
of the harmony faction is that !
Taft should fail to secure the nomi
nation on first ballot and the allie
were able to hold out against him !
would mean a convention contest o
many ballots. The leaders have littl'
doubt that in such a contingent.
Roosevelt third term sentimen
would threaten stampede, an,
though they have little doubt tina
the president would not hesitate t.
squelch any proposition looking t.
his denomination, the effect of sucl
a stampede can only be surmised
s. The possible dire results upon tn
campaign for election Of candidate
whoever he may be, is one Of TIL
! arguments used to draw the so-calle
allies into the harmony program.
The Republican leaders conced
that their majority In the house ]
likely to be materially reduced a
the fall election and they fear tina
unless all factions are brought ia
gether before the Chicago conventio
they might lose their majority alto
gether
One of the side plans discusse
favorably is the denomination of VI;
Fairbanks as vice-president on tn
ticket with Secretary Taft, whic
they assert would remove Indian
from the troublesome column an
make it safely Republican. 1t is be
lieved also that with the Republica