New-York tribune., 1908-05-03
WILLIAM II. TAFT.

Since the election of district delegates and del
egates at large to the Republican National Con
ventiOn began The Tribune has kept an accurate
account and published once week an exact tab
uation of the chosen. In these tables.
bearing little resemblance to the sophisticated
returns and speculative forecasts which have
been supplied TO the press. in the interest OF
this or that candidate for the Presidential NOM
ination, we have recorded every instance in
which instructions have been given to a
delegate and have noted as accurately rs
might be the several cases in which dele
gates not under instructions have explicitly
made their intentions known. Thus, as an
example of the rule 10y which our distribution
of the uninstructed delegates among the various
candidates has been made, we may mention
Senator Lodge. delegate -at-large from Mas
sachuSetts. whose action at Chicago is as COM
pletely assured in advance as if he had been
instructed by his state convention TO vote for
Taft If We have made an error here and
there il has been chiefly due to the exclusion
from the several candidates lists of every dele
gate whose vote might reasonably be considered
doubtful In short, we have published the
actual record from week TO week, without III
the slightest degree forcing a conclusion from
the facts which we have coated with the
utmost care ard impartiality.
= There is however. no merit in preserving an
attitude of uncertainty when uncertainty mas
ceased to exist 1t is our conviction, based on
the facts which we have published, and on
probabilities so strong as TO be scarcely dls
tinpuishable from facts. that the choice of the
Repubjican convention for President OF the
United Sites has now been determined ana
that the nomination of Mr. Taft has been fore
ordained If nothing more than what seems
to be already in sight should occur between
this date and June Is our belief is tnal MI
Taft would enter the convention Win Sc
cure majority of the delegates behind him
and be nominated on the first baliot-prop
ably by not fewer than $40 votes out of $50
Rut the tide is setting so strongly in his favor
that the natural process of accretlon is likely
to increase his majority beyond the dlmen-
sions now clearly dscernible. And we ma!
add for the benefit of those who are cohJect
uring the result Of expected contests that coh-
troll Of tho committee on credentials by the
Taft forces is already absolutely assured
On the morning after the New York Repup-
lican State Convention we said in referring 10
its action that Governor Hughes. as the official
candidate of this great state must be regarded
at that stage in the preliminary canvass as an
invaluahIe reserve force on which the national
convention could draw under conditions when
might be found TO exist at Chlcago 1hat
stage has pa ssed. and with it. IN our ophIol,
the chance of any nomination except that OF
NJ Taft The people of New York might gen
orally regret the impossbilty of avoiding
this conclusion If it necessarily meant even
temporary retirement of Mr.. Hughes from
public life at the expiration of his term as
Governor. But that is not its necessary mean
ing. On the contrary, unless the public mis-
conceives the spirit in which he construes his
duty he will not resist overwhelming pup
lie demand that he continue the work he is now
doing until il has been more nearly done
II is consideration not directly related 10
the fulfilment OF that duty, but honorably 10 De
taken into account in the sphere or practical
politics that Governor Hughes as a candidate
for reelection would arouse an enthusiastic
interest in the whole Republican campaign IN
this state which could not fail TO be Of great
advantage to the national ticket. Doubtless the
same element of strength would be measurably
added if Mr. Hughes at the demand OF the
national convention should accept the nom-
ination for Vice President, but 1t is cur convlc-
ton that he could not be persuaded to regard
that as Il claim which he was bound TO ac-
knowledge at the sacrifice of what he con-
siders to be higher obligations.