Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-17
TAFT DRAFTS SPEECH
Engaged Today in Boiling 1t
Down.
TO BE ABOUT 1000 WORDS
Coming Address to the Notification
Committee.
DEMOCRATS OFFER SUPPORT
Declare That Several Southern States
Will Give Their Electoral
Vote to Him.
TO BE ABOUT 1000 WORDS
DEMOCRATS OFFER SUPPORT
special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HOT SPRINGS, Va. July 17.-William
H. Taft. the republican nominee for
President, has finished the first draft of
his speech of acceptance. 1t contains 1O,-
600 words, and he is engaged today in
cutting it down. When completed he
does not want it to contain more than
1000. 1t is the plan of the notification
committee to make the exercises at Gin
cinnati brief and Judge Tafts speech
will be in keeping with the rest OF the
program. 1t is understood that the speech
contains no new suggestion In regard TO
trust regulations. The whole tone of
the speech. it is said, is that the trust
and railroad problem can be adequately
handled under the standards set by the
present administration.
Senator Jonathan Bourne. jr., of Ore
gon, the original second-elective-term
man, will be here late this afternoon
with his suggestion that Judge Taft in
clude in his speech a pledge that he will
not attempt to dictate the selection of his
successor In the White House, that is,
II he is elected.
..Residuary legateeship is Senator
Bourne's hobby now. but he will be dis
appointed in his attempt to get anything
into Judge Ia1tS speech tnaC WOuIu
fleet on the Roosevelt methods.
Judge Taft's appearance in the ball
room here last night as a waltZer has won
him a lot of new admirers. 1t is doubt
full if he adds dancing to his daily pro-
gram for exercise, but he could do it all
right and enjoy 1t. too. He is u good
dancer.
Judge Taft has arranged a golf match
for this Afternoon with Melville f. In
gals OF Cincinnati. former president of
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
Mr. Ingalls, has a record as golf
PLAYER and has scored very low on the
links here His prominence in the finan-
cial world suggested his visit might have
special political Significance, but it has
been his practice to occupy his cottage
year.
Democrats Promise Support.
Democrats of many southern states are
writing to Judge Taft declaring their pur-
pose to vote for him and to do whatever
NAV be in their power to secure his cleo
tion. Letters Of this kind form one of
the most interesting features of Judge
Taft's daily increasing mail. From DEM
ocrats in Maryland. Kentucky. Tennessee,
North Carolina and Georgia he has let
ters assuring him that. In the belief of
tho writer's. those states VIII give their
in the coming election Although Judge
Taft reads the letters with interest, he
receives information that there is hope
of carrying Georgia, with feeling that.
on the part Of the writer, the wish is
father to the thought. Intense feeling
against the policies of Hoke Smith in
that state is looked upon as the founda-
ton of the bitterness of Georgia demo-
Gratis toward the election of Bryan. as
they look upon Bryan and Smith as
onroaenfin0 the same ideas.
From Maryland. especially. Judge Taft
has a large numb:r Of adv.ces frt N
democrats that they expect to see the
state 60 republican and that there will
he many democratic votes to help carry
Il. Many Of these democratic corre-
,pondents have declared that the nomi
nation Of Mr. Bryan is doubly repugnant
70 them. because they believed his defeat
in two campaign had disposed OF him as
a candidate of the democratic party. and
they believed there would b: a new lead
ership of the party to represent what
they regard as true democracy. Judge