Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-08
MANYC0NTESTSAHEAD
National Committee Will Or
ganize Convention.
DISPUTES IN THE SOUTH
Opposing Delegations From Many
Districts Likely.
OFFICEHOLDERS SUPPORT TAFT
Alleged Significance of Hitchcock s
DISPUTES IN THE SOUTH
OFFICEH0LDERS SUPPORT TAFT
Alleged Significance of Hitchcock s
Move-Plans of the "Allies."
Coming State Conventions.

It's a fight for blood from this time
on among the contestants for the repub-
lican presidential nomination. No quar-
ter will be asked or given. 1t is to be g
case OF eat 'em up alive. with the strong
est faction as the devOurer. The south
is to he the scene of this sanguinar!
conflict There will be rich pickings foi
the southern man and brother with pull
in republican politics.
The campaign for the republican nom.
ination is at the stage where the issue
is to he vtally affected by the selection
of delegates from the southern states
The action of the Florida convention
Thursday is indicative of a condition Of
affairs which is said to exist in ever!
southern state south of the Potomac. In
all of these states there are at least
two factions of republicans. In some
places they divide on the color line. the
black and tans and the lilly whites
federal officeholders. who might be call
ed the ''inS." and those who hope !ol
office who can he designated as ths
outs.
Oficeholders With Taft.
In this campaign the friends of the
federal officehoders are backing the Taf
boom. Their opponents are not .or any
boom in particular, but are intent upor
sending anti-Tact delegates to Chicago
there to negotiate with candidates AS cir
cumstances may warrant.
The south is bound 10 be the scene o'
the most Immediate contest for delegates
\ glance at the situation shows that the
"allies.'-which is the name given to the
combined opposition 10 Taft-haTc laio
out a campaign pretty much to THEN
own satisfaction. Speaker Cannon is
stopping Taft in Illinois. Vice Preside nj
Fairbanks has Indiana buttOned up. Gov
Hughes is StOp-cock FOR New York
Senator La Toilette holds them in Wis
cOnsin, Gov. Cummns will attend to Iowa
and Senator Crane has nailed down Mas
SachusettS.
So it is the south that must be looked
to as the field for recruits. The main ef'
forts of the allies is to prevent Mr. Taft
from gaining adherents in that section
To that end the allies will make combined
warfare against the common enemy. They
will settle scores among themselves Wher
they get to Chicago-if they have an!
assets Of value by that time.
Hitchcock's Move.
Politicians at the Capitol are not obliv-
ious To the Importance of the entry into
the political arena of First Assistant Post
master General Hitchcock Us Mr.. Taft's
champion. They attach some significance
to the manner of his introduction 10 the
lists. They note that Postmaster Genera
Meyer made formal announcement of Mr.
Hitchcock's decision to assist in the man
agement of MIR. Tafts campaign. They
said today that this will be construed III
the south as an unmiStakable hint that
Mr.. Hitchcock goes into the field with the
best wishes of the national administration
They declared that postmasferS Will fee1
admonished to take heed that Mr. Hitch
cock comes among them backed by the
sympathy of the administra ZION.
| is learned from on" near to Secretary
Tart that Mr.. Norys of Ohio. who has ur
TO this time managed the Secretary s cam
paign. found thai he could not cove" al
the ground that was necessary. and ht
there fore solicited the assistance of Mr.
Hitchcock. Mr.. Norys Will retain th'
main headquarters at Columbus. and will
divide the work with Mr. Hitchcock. who
viii establish headquarters somewhere IL
the east.
The allies are not backward in their ef-
forts in the south, however Knox. Can
non and Foraker have their friends al