The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-10
BAY STATE IS
NON-COmMlTAL
MASSACHUSETTS NOT TO HAVE.
INSTRUCTED DELEGATION.
CONVENTION TODAY
Gathering to BE Largest Ever Held Ia
state-chairman Of Resolutions
COMMITTEES Does Not Believe In !
Pledged Delegation.

COMMITTEES Does Not Believe In !
Pledged Delegation. 4
Boston, April 9.--Political bees are
buzzing In a lively manner in the Hub
today, scores of the representatives OF
the various presidential aspirants ar.
irving in the city today to look after
the political fences of their candidates
in tomorrow's republican state con
vention. It is almost certain that no
preference will be manifested by the
convention for any candidate, Senator
Lodge and other leaders having de-
cided that such an Endorsement would
probably lead to factional fights.
Postmaster General George Won T..
Meyer, who is a close friend and ad-
mirer Of his cabinet colleague, Secre-
tary Taft, will be chairman Of the
convention, which will be held in IRE
mont temple at 1880 O'Clock tomor-
row morning to select four delegates
at-large to the republican national con.
vention in Chicago. George =. Smith,
ex-president of the senate, a believer
in an unpledged delegation, q warm
supporter Of Ex-Governor w. Murray
Crane, and now harbor and land com
missioner, appointed by Governor
Crane, will be chairman OF the COM
mittee on resolutions.
Tomorrow's convention will be the
largest in the history of Massachu-
sets, with 1850 delegates. The appor-
tionment has been made from the vote
Of last fall on an allotment Of one dele
gate for each nrst Is votes for govern
or and n additional delegate for
each succeeding 159 votes or fraction
al part Of that number as large as Is
votes. Interest in the state conven-
ton centers mainly in the effort Of the
Taft people to force a resolution OF
preference for that candidate. They
no longer ask to secure q definite
pledge binding the delegates to the
national convention to vote for the
secretary Of war. The only other
matter Of interest is the selection Of
a fourth delegate-at-large to accom-,
pany Lodge, Bates and Crane.
The four members Of the committee
on resolutions at large are Fred s..
Hall Of Taunton, William w. Nc
Clench of Springfield, Arthur d. Hill
of Boston, and G. Marston Within Of
Whitinsyille.
OF these four men, two are under
stood to- be for Taft and two for an
unpledged delegation. Fred s. Hall,
ex-member Of the governors council,
who a few years ago was a candidate
for lieutenant governor against Eben
8. Draper, and w. W. McClench, vice
president of the Massachusetts Mutual
Life Insurance company Of Springfield,
and a friend Of Senator w. Murray
Crane. are understood to believe in an
unpledged delegation.
All Have Favorites.
They are considered to have lean
ings toward Hughes in the first In
stance, with Cannon as a possible 9 c
ond choice. The other two men, Ar
thur D. Hill Of Boston and G. M.
Within OF iWhitinsville, are supporters
of the president and understood to be
Taft men first and last.
The other members of the com.
mittee on resolutions will be chosen
at the convention, one from each CON
gressional district, SO that there will
be 10 members in all. These will be
by the members Of the
state committee, each naming a man
from his congressional district.
The Eleventh Massachusetts district
convention will be held tonight. This
district comprises a portion Of the city
Of Boston. Four avowed Taft men are
contesting among themselves, Charles
H. lines, Benjamin g. Lane, Frank
Seiberlich and Representative Mock.
The opposition Is represented by I.
r. Clark.
Endorse Speaker Cannon.