Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-08
TAFT MEN SCARED
Notwithstanding R0oseveIl's Dec IinatioD He May Be Forced
 to Lead Again.

trary to expectations, the Chicago convention gives promise of being one of the most spirited political con tests that has taken place in this country since the Minneapolis con- vention in 1892.
 The supporters of Secretary Taft are frightened. No doubt is left as to that. In the last two months the statements made public at the Taft headquarters in this city and in Co., lumbus, O., have indicated that the contest was all over but the shouting; but that is by no means true. On the determination by the republican na- tional committee of the contests pending will depend the result of the conventions work
 A careful and conservative count of noses has been made and it shows that the secretary of war still is short of an absolute certain nomina- tion. As previously pointed out in these dispatches, the apprehension of the Taft supporters is that delegates supposed to be pledged for the secre- tary may be induced to change their votes. This apprehension is based on certainty that the people of the country prefer Roosevelt to anybody else. The situation practically is unique in American politics. One careful observer estimates that four .fifths of Secretary Taft's supporters really are Roosevelt men. If they only can be nailed down. Taft will be nominated; but unless they can be, he is not possibility.
 Several weeks ago, it was announc- led that Secretary Taft would not open headquarters in Chicago until just before the convention, because it was not deemed desirable that there should be even a seeming effort to influence the national committee in its decision. of the contests pending before it. As a matter of fact, the Taft headquarters in Chicago have been open for week. They were open days before the national com mittee began its consideration of contests. Leaders of the Taft move ment, accompanied by lawyers hired to represent the secretary before the committed, were in Chicago several days before the committee took up the consideration of the contest.
 No complaint possibly can be made |of this action. It was good politics and legitimate precautionary measure; but it certainly was mot indicative of that confidence which hitherto has been manifested by the Taft leaders. It means simply that the taft managers propose to do everything they can to prevent the delegates on whom they have counted from deserting under the pressure which is likely to be put upon them.
 It will be necessary, too for the Taft managers to win a goodly num- Der of the contests before the com- mittee In order to be able fairly to count a majority of the delegates to the convention for the Secretary of War.
 The indications now are that the nomination will not be determined in advance of the conventions ballot ing. If the first ballot should show in its early stage, some surprising change to the Taft column, the prob- ability is that there will be enough 'band-wagon-climbers" in the conven- tion to give Taft considerable ma jor!ty and thus to nominate him on the first ballot; but his friends do not like to accept such a chance as that.
 Among those who have studied the situation thoroughly, the belief is general that there is strong like lihood of Taft's nomination; but the nomination will have to be on the first ballot: and that if it is not Taft 1t will be Roosevelt.