The Washington times., 1908-06-09

which is as yet exceedingly small-in-
creases from day 10 day, the effort 70
widen the area OF disaffection with the
TAFT methods proves pretty hopeless.
Protest Against Machine.
The delegates merely smile. and as
sumo that the Taft forces are doing tC
The opposition precisely what the OPP
position, if conditions were reversed
would do to the Taft people. There is
about the usual amount of indignant
protest against machine methods. anc
che danger OF turning the party over to
the combination of a coterie Of polite
lans and ali that sort of thing, but It
Is not effective.
Nobody in particular, aside from the
deeply interested and TAFT politician,
seems afraid of the cars Apparently.
there is a general impression that Il
This sort of thing Is necessary IN order
that there shall be no question about
the domination OF the campaign and the
next administration. in the interest of
the Roosevelt policies, then this Is a
Back of all this talk about the meth
DDS of the Hitchcock campaign there
apparently is developing a consldera bic
volume of sentiment in favor of return
10 the Old-Uime plan Of the national
committee selecting its own chairman.
II was not until the Mckinley Hanna
regime that the Presidential candidate
assumed the prerogaJlve OF naming the
national chairman, ana the opposition
TO Taft is strongly disposed to insist
that this year the committee select its
own chairman.
Secretary Taft and Charles P. Taft
have given assurances that the commit
tee will be allowed this privilege. but
the anti-Tafters don't seem very conf
dent that the assurance Is more than a
diplomatic one. As matter or Iact,
the new national committee Is all but
certain to be completely under the
domination of the party nominee, and
10 do whatever he wants it TO do,
While this is strong evidence of dis
satisfaction with the plan Of making
Mr. Hitchcock chairman, yet II is al
most universally believed that he viii
be made either chairman or active cam
paign manager. with some other person
as a sort of nominal chairman
Taft Opposes Compromise.
Armed with the declaration Of secre-
tary Taft that there must be no com
promise in any contest, the Taft men
today went into the meeting OF the Re
publican National Committee to fight
for everything they can set out Of the
Louisiana contests
The result will be the biggest fight
the committee has had in the con-
sideration of contests.
IF a delegate mas been elected he
should be seated. If he has not been
elected he should not be seatd by a
compromise"
This is the message sent by Taft from
Washington TO his managers here, when
# was suggested to them that they
should agree 10 a compromise in some
Of the Louisiana and other Southern
contests in the interest of harmony.
The Secretary's message is taken TO
III - Tr.-r1 al
delegates, no matter what the conse-
quenoes. This stand OF Taft IS regarded
as a challenge to the threats made
by the allies" that the convention
will witness the warmest floor fight in
The history OF Republican conventions.
Will Denounce Taft.
The message was sent by Taft after
Senator-elect Bradley. of Kentucky, had
declared that he would make no further
effort before the committee TO get CON
testing delegates seated, but that, unless /
the anti-Taft delegates in Kentucky be
seated, he personally would make a
speech from the convention floor de |
nOuncing Taft
This statement of Bradley was tele-
graphed TO Taft last night, and his re- /
ply as above came right back. The cal /
lies" had hoped that, whatever action 1
the committee might take on the other 1
Southern contests. Il would split the /.
Louisiana vote. Four years ago the !
credentials committee of the National /
Convention had trouble over the |
Louisiana delegates. and split the dele !
cation between the two COntesting fac /
tons.
Unseated Negro Delegates.
This year. the Allies charge, the I
Lilly Whites" who constitute the Taft
faction, openly admitted that they had
unseated negro delegates. not because
they were Illegally elected, but because
they were negroes The ALLIES" fear
that TO declare against the negro or
BLACK and Tan" faction now, might
ALLEVIATE the negro vote and cause trou-
bic to the party in November.
The consideration of the whole Lou
isiana matter possibly viii occupy about
three hours. The national committee
called the contests up yesterday after
noon. Some opposition by Taft men on
the national committee TO Pearl White.
one of the Taft deIegates-at-large from
Louisiana, threatened 10 give the com
mlttea embarrassment, and the COM
mittee adjourned until today, hoping to
men a chance to compromise. Taft's
message killed this plan, and the com
mittee viii be forced to meet the issue
today.
Still Talk Compromise.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. who
has been acting as a committeeman by
proxy since the initial session. was not
q member today. Committeeman Nc
Coy, of the Philippines. got on the job
himself, and the Senator is completing
his speech as permanent chairman.
When the committee met today to re-
sumo consideration Of the Louisiana
contests. there still was talk OF a COM
promise. in spite Of Tafts declaration.
Walter l. Cohen. co.ored. who heads
the so-called BLACK and Tan" con-
testants, declared that since 1900. the
Republican party in the State has been
reduced from 1900 to $780, with the
prospect that. if the committee recOg-
nizes the factor this year, this party
vote will fall 10 such a low level that
the candidates names will not be print
ed on the official ballot.
Despite Cohens statements, however,
Il is admitted the Taft delegates viii
be seated or else the vote will be split
While the committee was listening to
the contests an extended con Farau0a /