The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-03-05
BATTLE
il, the South
for Delegates: to
Convention
Tart Men Seek to POSTPONE All Con-
:, ventions fill April !, oxS May to
Stall Instructions That WIN BE
.. Unfavofabfe.

y washington, D. c., March 1.-As
I was anticipated some time ago, the
Naouth has become the scene OF a
spectacular and terrific contest for
| delegates to the Republican Nation
Al Convention. The TAFT forces ara
making desperate fight to- prevent
the so-calied allies-4the other can,
! didates, in other words--from get
ung control OF the party workers, a
majority Of whom are Negroes. On
the other hand, the allies are exert
ing every energy to obstruct the Taft
boom, which has struck such a lively
gait tn the North and West. Just
now the effort Of the Taft managers
1s to defeat conventional state and
distinct, until April or May in order
to forestall instructions uhfayorabIe
to the Secretary of War, or ito secure
the election Of delegations pledged to
no other candidate ~ In the mean
time, earnest missionary woFk will be
done to win over to the Taft cause
the rebelliouB element, 4 -
1t is admitted by prominent repub-
i1cans In Washingtonr who ARE Inter
ested In the Secretary's {campAfGn
that the Brownsville afeair has Gre
ated serious antagonism on the part
OF Negro republicans against the ma,
tional administration, and its candi-
dates and that only through personal
appeals to their followers In the
South have they been able to post
ppne, conventions which would in
dorse Senator Foraker or Vice Presi-
dent. Fairbanks for. the Presidential
nomination. A5sfma3ogity of the
white republicans In the South are
for Taft, but they are experiencing
great difficulty inH holding, their. Ne
kgeo followers milne and Keeping
s,them from sdpenly tSyolEtng. me
! presence In Washingtnm during the
,lsss two or three y tSf sissaessee 81!
G1SekspR, sHEYsE.Spg~ q. the 3. foEt at
NHw York and once Cfiafrman 6f the
| lrepublican national ! committee, is
looked upon as significant in this
connection ',..t. -
=, Clarkson has conferred with Frank
H. Hitchcock, who is in charge OF the
Taft headquarters in this city, and
since he Is an expert in dealing with
TO infer that his services have been
enlisted. Clarkson is a strong Taft
man, even though he lives in New
York. While the Taft forces are &C.
tive along the line indicated, > several
Of the other Presidential candidates
are working at counter purposes
|, They, too, have emissaries scattered
through the South, who are doing
their utmost to keep alive and inten-
silly the spirit Of hostility against the
administrat Not only is the dis
msisal OF the battalion Of Negro
troops from the shooting up Of
Brownsville, Texas, being .expatiated:
Upon, but the most Is being made Of
the disgruntlement Of Negro politf-
clans over the distribution Of most
Of the Federal offices among white
men.
The allies are urging early conven-
tions, and, while they have succeed.
ed in few instances, the admfntstfa-
tion forces thus far seem to have
managed to thwart their designs. It
is q fierce tug of war, and the uncer~
tainty OF the result Is indicated by
the fact that neither side is indulg-
ing in very confident claims at this
time. It may be said, however, that
the Taft forces appear to be better
organized than the opponents, and.
the Importance Of this cannot be
overestimated.
49,