The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-05
ISSUE NOW HANGS ON
RESULT OF CONTEST
National Committee Will Meet
To-Day to Begin Hcaring-Can-
mons Managers Claim He
Will Show More Strength
Than Has Been
Credited Him.

activity began In earnest to-
day around the Auditorium and
~ Auditorium Annex and the
Coliseum, where the Republic
can National Convention is soon to be
held.
The Cannon headquarters were per-
manently opened in the AUDITORIUM,
and announcement was made by
number of politicians friendly to can
didates other than william III. TAFT
that Foraker headquarters Will be
opened soon in the Great Northern
Hotel. Charles r. Ilurtz, of Columbus
o., is to look after the Senator's in
terests.
Claims OF Two Sides.
Charles p. Taft. of Cincinnati, broth
er of the Secretary of War, came to
Chicago to-day and promptly an
nounced that he expected the secre-
tary to be nominated on the first bal
lot.
He smiled as he cautioned listeners
to remember that he was prejudiced
witness. but declared there was no
would be cast.
Vice-presidential gossip was promi-
nent to-day for the first time. the
names of Senate: ]. p. Dolliver. of
Iowa, and James S. Sherman, of New
York. being mentioned, The claims
of John Hays Hammond the we'll
known mining engineer, We're also dig
cussed.
AT the headquarters OF Joseph 6.
Cannon 1t was declared that the estl-
mates of strength made by the Taft
people We're largely overdrawn. and
John Eversman. the confidential man
~ III
paign, who is now in charge OF head
quarters. asserted that the Illinois can
didatc will not only have more
strength that has been general cred
tied to him, but that the Taft people.
Will not be able to show more than
$50 votes on the first ballot.
Committee to Meet.
The full national committee will
meet Tomorrow a t l o'clock, and will
begin the hearings. in which will be
determined contests involving 229
seats, In the convention.
The number of contests filed is so
large that their settlement has become
easily the most important Of the pre-
convention proceedings.
The nomination OF the Republican
candidate for the presidency hinges
absolutely upon the decision Of the
1AiShAo@Ao u ht3C FA-lIdtlOudl COlllIulLteG
and the subsequent approval Of that
decision by the credentials committee
OF the convention. If half the contests
are decided in favor Of Secretary Taft.
he will win on the first ballot; failure
on his part to capture this number
will put. the nomination in doubt.
Realizing the necessity of keeping
majority of the contested delegates
out OF the Taft column, the representa-
tves of other candidates have pooled
issues in most Of the cases. and, as
allies, will urge their claims before
the national committee. The proceed
ings, therefore, Will be resolved largely
into Taft and anti-Taft controversy.
Contests In South.
Most Of the contests are in States
south of the Mason and Dixon line, and
the interests Of the allies are being
looked after by Major L. c. Bryan. OF
Washington who arrived to-day.
Major Bryan announced that he
would base his argument chiefly upon
the contention that in most Of these
Southern States the Taft forces dis
qualified the negro voters from partic-
ipating in the State and district con-
ventions. and that the delegates Of the
allies We're selected at conventions
from which no class or race had been
barred. There ara eleven State con-
tests-in Alabama, Florida. Georgia.
Louisiana. Mississippi. Oklahoma, Ten
nessee, Texas and Virginia The re-
naming delegates in contests are from
scattering districts in the States al
ready named and in Arkansas, Ken
tucly Missouri. Ohio, Alaska. Arizona
and Pennsylvania.
Fifteen minutes on each side will be
f, No 49,
the district contests. Chairman New
estimated to-day that ii this schedule
is followed, 1t will require ia hours
to consider all the contests.
1t is not likely that the committee
will be able to dispose of more than the
Alabama contests tomorrow. These
are regarded as the pivotal cases in
the entire controversy. All the nine
districts In the State are contested, as
we'll as the four delegates at -large.
The issue in the State and the issue in
the various districts are Identical.
(. Situation in Alabama.
There are two factions In Alabama
politics. and both have sent
sets Of delegates. the squab-
BILE involving twenty-five seats the
One Of the factions is ad-
vocated by Julius w. Davidson and
National Committeeman Charles II.
Scott. and the other by State Chairman
j. Q. Thompson. The claim OF the
Thompson faction Is based upon the
argument that the organization OF
which he is the State chairman, Is the |
same organization which was recog-
nized by the national organization four
years ago, and that It has since con-
tinued to be the Irregular" organization
Of Alabama. Two years ago Thompson
called n meeting of the State executive
to decide whether a Repub-a
llcan State ticket should be put in
the field against Governor Conner and /
other Democratic officials. The ques-
ton was submitred to u urinary, and