The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-28
Repub Candidate Makes Listless Canvass.
VOTERS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC
Advocates ot Stumping Campaign
 Regret Their Action.
Reports Come From All Along the Line That Judge Tsfts Recep- tions Have Been Remarkably
 Chilly.

Chicago, Sept. 27.-(Special. )-Can- didate Taft has started out upon his speech h-making junket through the country, advertised for the purpose of putting some pepper into the cam paign.
 Thus far all the pepper that the Republican standard bearer has inc jected into his listless canvass could be placed In the eye of an infant without inflaming the optic or in the slightest degree impairing the vision.
 The fact of the matter Is that Mir. Tafts stumping experiment has fall- en Hat; he has produced absolutely no enthusiasm among the voters, and he has said or done nothing which VIII improve his chances. Republicans are unable to conceal their feelings of dis- appointment over the poor showing which their candidate has made. Mr. Taft's progress thus far and the man. ner in which he has been received is complete vindteation of those Repub- lican leaders who from the first op- posed the plan of having him take to the rear platform. They advocated a front porcn campaign wherein the can- didate should be kept in the back ground. and others allowed to make his canvass upon Roosevelt's record. The advocates of stumpIng campaign prevailed, however. and now they are sorry that 1t was ever begun.
 The contrast between the Demo- cratic simplicity. with which Mir. Bry- an has travelled and the elegance of the Taft accommodations on rail, IS as marked as the contrast between the size and the enthusiasm Of the audi ences which have greeted the Demo- cratic candidate, and those which Mir. Taft has addressed. While one great New York newspaper which Is sup m n Ia ms press association service, has re- fused to have correspondent with Mir. Bryan. ample accommodations arc afforded aboard the Taft special for the special correspondents Of all the large papers.
 Tafta Press Asenta. In addition, for the first time in the history of any campaign. Mir. Taft Is carrying with him three press agents paid by the national commit- tee for the purpose of influencing pub lie opinion.
 Notwithstanding all this the reports come from all along the line that Mir. Taft's receptions have been remark ably chilly and that the audiences have been indifferent to his speeches and involved explanation of his at tltude upon public questions. Al George Ade's Indiana farm, large crowd was gathered because harvest
  people expected a free feast from thef full dinner pail" but were dtsap- pointed when they were charged twen- ty-hve cents for dinner while they waited for the appearance of the can didate. When he did come before them. he talked about a larger navy. stronger army and coast defences something fin which they had little in test. while he ignored the live issues of tariff revision, injunctions. guaran- tee of bank deposits, publicity Of cam paign funds and other questions about which they desired to hear his views The result was that Mir. Tafts speech was received with inattention and lack of anything which approached enthusiasm. Impartial newspaper cor respondents report that the Indiana meeting was not a success.
 In order to obtain a crowd to greet Mir. Taft at the railway station in Chicago, 1t was necessary for the Re- publican mana gers to send out postal card notices to the faithful to turn out with their friends and give the distinguished visitor a cordial well come" Despite this Mir. Taft found few beside the reception committee and regular travellers at the station to meet him upon his arrival in Chicago. Fearing that a demonstration would be made against him. the Republican managers refused an option on hall in the heart of the laboring district. seating l5.o00 people and selected hall in the down town section where the seating capacity Is only 5000.
 To this place admission was by card only in order that none might gain access to the hall who were not In full sympathy and accord with Mir. Tafts position. No one was wanted who might ask an embarrassing question. vet Mir. Tafts speech was supposed to be one In which he would defend his labor record.
 A Picked Audience.
 In a city where hundreds of thoa- sands are interested in this subject. the audience was picked and limited Despite the fact that 2 .000 were invit- ed to hear the candidate. there were more than 200 empty seats In the hall when Mir. Taft began to speak. and there were many more before he con- ciuded. Many of those who had been invited to come. failed to do so: oth- CTS left during the course of his argu- ment and fully one-third of those who did remain were women. There was some enthusiasm at times. but it was of the manufactured rather than the spontaneous kind, and produced by those especially selected to come and applaud. After the speech in the hail there was no overflow meeting on the outside for Mr. Taft to address. de- spite She advertised statement that he would speak from an automobile on the Lake Front to those who could not get inside the hall.
 Mir. Taft's reception In Chicago was in striking contrast to that accorded