The Washington herald., 1908-06-07

Chicago, June 6-The reactionary ele-
ment is mastering up courage The lead
ers tonight assert there is TO be stub
born struggle in the convention over the
platform on which the candidate is TO
go before the country.
The campaign to be waged by the reac-
tlonaries will be in the hope Of softening
some Of the planks in the Republican
platform.
Senator Lodge and others close to Pres
ident Roosevelt have told their friends
in this city that they wished that Vice
President Fairbanks. Speaker Cannon.
and Senator Knox would withdraw as
Presidential candidates. in order that
Secretary Taft could be nominated on
the first ballot.
VIII Remain I'm Fight.
These statements have been accom-
panied by the familiar song. IF Taft
does not get It on the first ballot, Roose-
welt might slip in on a stampede
Neither Fairbanks. Knox, nor Cannon
have the slightest intention at the present
time of retiring from the field. AS a mat
ter OF fact, neither OF these eminent Re-
publicans expects TO capture the nomi-
nation. but their candidates. are TO serve
another purpose.
1t is none other than an effort to COM
pei, II possible, the Roosevelt-Taft com
mittee on resolutions to adopt a platform
In consonance with sound principles of
government as advanced by Republicans.
Whether Fairbanks, Knox, and Cannon
and their associate allies are to be sue
cessful remains to be seen. There are
few now. whether with the allies or op.
posed to them. who do not believe and
declare that Taft will be nominated on
the first ballot in the convention.
Struggle Over Platform.
The action Of the national committee in
seating the Alabama and Arkansas Taft
contestants yesterday and the Florida and
Georgia Taft men to-day leaves no
ground for any other statement but the
platform to be adopted by the committee
on resolutions is quite another matter.
The first step TO bring the Roosevelt
Taft people TO a realization OF the attitude
OF the allies toward the platform upon
which the candidate Of the convention
must make his plea to the people was
taken to-day
1t met with no success.
Warm Time Coming.
As the case stands. the allies at the mo-
ment have little or no chance Of con-
trolling the committee on resolutions. They
may. before the battle is over. be able
to make a few inroads, but for ali that
the sessions of the committee on resolu-
tons promise 10 be the most interesting
the uveliest. the fiercest OF any for a
decade and more.
The sessions Of the committee on ere
dentihls. from present indications. will be
as a Sunday school picnic to Austerlitz
when compared with the sessions OF the
platform committee.
The explanation Of the difference Is that
the futility Of engaging in any struggle
10 undo the work of Hitchcock and Ca
pers is generally recognized. and the du-
plclty. faithlessness, and treachery OF
Southern negro delegates 10 Senator For
aker is an unhappy feature OF the situa-
ton.
But the Republicans have way Of
getting together at least for convention
purposes, and II was generally stated to-
night that either the representative Of
Fairbanks, Cannon. or Knox, or the rep
resentative of all three will, in the con-
vention, second the nomination of Tcft.
Work on Fairbanks.
Every influence is being brought 20 bear
upon Vice President Fairbanks TO accept
a denomination. The chief allies expect
him 20 accede TO their wishes Should the
Vice President decline. he must retire to
private life, and yet he might succeed
either Senator Hemeuway, whose term
expires March 3. 1909, or Senator Bev-
eridge whose tern, exDires March z 1917