The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-29

.s:-
w. J. Oliver. OF Knoxville. Tenn. is
the prospective Moses Of the anti-Taft
campaign.
II Mr. Oliver can't lead it out OF the
wilderness, the campaign is likely 10 be
permanently lost. He iB the man who
conducted. in large part. the business
arrangements for the BrUwnlow-O Oliver
convention in Tennessee last week He
demonstrated a capacity for handling
large politics which has not often been
surpassed. and he IS the man to whom
the anti-Taft people now look TO save
the South.
Mr.. Oliver viii be in washington to-
day for a conference with the allied
anti-Taft managers. Il is well under
stood that he will be rendered the job
Of managing the South in opposition TO
the War Secretary. II he is willing to
accept. there will be a struggle such
as the South has rot seen, at any rate,
since 1896.
Emancipation from the rule or the
Federal offfcehold=rs," viii be the
slogan Of the oliver fight for the South.
Il was the basis Of mis- contest in Ten
| nessee. and the Tennessee fight resulted
/ in a most unexpected blow 10 tho TAFT
| claims. for Il had been expected that,
| even in case Of a double-header conven-
/ ton. both branches would instruct for
I tart. Instead. the BrOwnlOw-Oliver
/ crowd maintained all the forms Of
/ regularity. are regarded by the poll
ticians as entirely likely 10 seat their
I delegates at the national convention
/ and failed 70 indorse Taft At all
Has Nor Accepted.
The future OF the campaign depends
! on the answer Mr.. Oliver makes 20 the
/ proposals. which. it is stated. VIII be
/ made 10 him before he leaves Wash
/ ington. The anti-Taft people have need
ed an issue. a manager. and some con
! 6dence. in order TO make stand IN the
/ south. Oliver provides all three. HIS Is
! sue Is deUverance from bOss-sf'ip by the
/ ofdcef. olders: his manager will be him
self. and confidence will be based on
the fact that he ''gCs the goods" in the
| Tennessee contest.
The fact is. Oliver has impressed the
antI-Taft people with the notion that he
is the one man who can cope with the
! Hitchcock. campaign in the South For
noer Secretary Hitchcock had one mag
1iscent qualification for management
He was strong with the Federal crowd
| Not tfu Oliver took hold IN Tennessee
did ANYBODY find a weapon with which
10 feht that power Oliver didn't Try any
/, anesse. any smooth game. any flank
movements. any strategy. He was for
the frontal attack.
Down with the Federal crowds boss
ism" became his watchword. He didn't
try cajoling or persuasion. he Issued
his def. and introduced a new idea 1t
was novel. and its novelty made it at
tractive-
There's no real reason why we
should be governed by the ofheeholding
crowd" he argued. IF we've got into
the habit OF il, now's a good time TO
shake OF the habit. Come on boys
/ They came on, and they mixed things
4 handsomely in Tennessee The Oliver
convention was held at the time and
Mace named in the call, while the
| Tcvans-Hale faction didn't get its con-
ventIon pulled off till the following day
The last action Of the Oliver rownlOw
convention was the adoption Of a reso-
luton specifying that the delegation
MAS not instructed. If II gets seated in
the national convention. il is said. its
strength will be distributed among
4 Hughes, Knox. Cannon. and Fairbanks.
Bid for Canal Job.
! Oliver will be recalled as The person
who made the lowest bid on the con-
struction Of the Panama Canal, when
the Administration thought it would try
that method OF building. He made good
in every way required, but was finally
denied the Job, and went away very dis
gusted. Now he is disposed TO demon
strate his possession of business ca
pacity on a large scale by blowing up a
few states and excavating the founda-
tons from under the Hitchcock organ
ization in the South.
| If Oliver decides to undertake, even
in an advisory capacity, the manage
ment Of things at the South, It IS said
| there will be q brand-new sort Of fight
in Texas, where revolution against the
Cecil Lyon faction is ready for encour-
agement; in Kentucky, Alabama, apS
various other States. The Virginia
State convention will be held April 8
and il s declared there is a determined
protest against instructions for Taft
Indeed, II Representative Bascon SlemI
undertakes TO force a Taft instruction
through the convention, he is threatened
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