The Washington times., 1908-04-05
TAFT FORCES GAIN.
OPPOSITION GROWS,
RIVALS DECLARE
Big Business" Lining
Up for Secretary, But
People Won't Revolt.
Allies Question Candi-
dates Chance at Polls.
Oliver MayLead South.

Promises Of important additions to
the strength OF Secretary Taft are con
veyed BY the political developments Of
the past week." begins the Taft press
bureau political summary last evening.
'Forty-six delegates to the Republic
an national convention were chosen the
past week. Of which six are instructed
for Taft sixteen for Cannon, twelve are
uninstructed. and twelve are contested"
Thus opens the summary issued In be-
! half Of the allied opposition candidates.
II was a week Of tentative results:
results which were not conclusive; re-
suits liable TO various constructions.
Thus Massachusetts, IS claimed as a, vic
tory for the allied opposition 70 Taft,
and Is Just as confidently claimed as a
| victory for the War Secretary. In truth,
II was neither Its result was about as
| fair a split as could well be imagined.
The delegates viii be instructed in only
one district Seemingly. they are about
equally divided Taft and anti-Tafi-.
They are IN shape to get on the band
wagon IL they discover its color in time.
Big Business" Joining Taft.
j'he campaign Of the allies Is fast los.
in5 its mystery It has become clear
enough Of late that powerful influences
in business and finance are lining up
TO- the War Secretary, under the i'm.
preston that he is going 10 be the win
nuI and also under the spell Of as
sLrances that he Isn't 50 much OF
Roosevelt type person. anyhow" The
| one weakness OF the Taft position is
the danger that the country at large
will get the same impression that big
business has been getting: the impress
sion that big business VIII be safe
! enough with Taft
The allies have been sedulouaIy cult
waiting. OF late, the impression that Taft
has Wall Street. They are admitting
that II Taft goes on gaining strength
with the interests without losing anv
with the people. he Is going to win
They point out that the Sesss.t.s.-- IS
gathering IN very ''reactiona-.s icrcss
which used TO be conceded % Fair
| banks. Cannon. and E-nox; ard thy are
| hoping and praying that the country
may rise up IN righteous indisr alton
against this partnership with Ma-nmon.
in time 10 give somebody else a chance.
Country Won't Rise.
Truth TO tell. the country doesn't
seem 70 be rising very fast 1t refuses
70 become indignant over charges that
Federal oficehoIders are debating the
nomination even as they did in IsSS
when Harrison was nominated by the
pIaceholders and defeated BIZ the peo-
PIE It isn't seemingly worried over
charges that the War Secretary has
gone into partnership with the octopus.
II doesn't seem to care what becomes
Of the colored vote or Of the lahor
vote 1t is just drifting along.
But the allied politicians. on the other
hand. are by no means downcast. They
believe that the very Guiescence Of the
| country at large indicates that it has
been thinking, weighing. wondering
They believe New England's preference
for uninstructed delegations and al op-
portunity TO figure it over at the con-
vsntiOn, presages a likelihood Of con-
servatism aud Of hesitation before the
plunge. They are hoping. and believ-
ing, that the question OF whether Taft
can. be elected Will finally turn the
tide.
II only the allies had had the nerve
to raise weeks ago this question Of
Taft's availability at the polls. and to
keep II at the front. they would stand
better now. But it looks now, TO a
good many people, Ike a last resort
There is good reason for saying that
among skilled politicians the uncertainty
about Taft. IS genuine and deep-seated-
Labor, the colored vote. the protest
against dictatfon by of1ceholders, the
fear that Ohio and Indiana are gravely
in doubt and that New York needs the
magnetism Of a home candidate TO
place il in the Republican column-these
are among the difficulties which they
encounter in trying to calculate the re-
suit with Taft at the head OF the ticket.
II Taft is nominated they feel that II
is absolutely necessary 70 lame New
York man for second place, But Hughes
has said he would not have second
place; and he is rather a stubborn per
son. Who then?
Primaries in Western States.
The primaries in two Western States
will be held this week Wisconsin viii
select delegates to support La Toilette
for President, and on the same day
Tuesday-Minnesota will also hold her
primaries. The la Toilette people ex-
pect to get at least eight delegates in
Minnesota, and all OF Wisconsin, total,
81 New York will come on soon. and
will instruct for Hughes; information
from Kentucky is that the ants fully
expect to get the entire delegation; and,
finally, 1t is promised that before the
end Of the present week W. ]. Oliver, OF
Tennessee, viii be in the harness, taking
charge OF the campaign in the South in
behalf of the opposition to Taft.
Much is now believed to depend On
the decision Mr.. Oliver makes and the
support which is accorded him by the
allies in case he takes up their fight
Thus far the opposition has been para
lived by the fear Of opposing the Pres
ident. That IS. the briefest possible
statement of its position. Mr.. Oliver
Is the first man who has shown the
initiative to go out and announces
squareIy that ne is against the TAFT
candidacy and its methods and per
sonnet; and he won a big fight on that
Platform. It has been a revelation 10