Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-14
ON TO DIXIE LAND"
WatChW0rd Now in All Political
Camps.
TAFT HEADQUARTERS HERE
Allied Opposition States Its Attitude
for Uninstruction.
ONE COMPENSATING FEATURE
Allies Have Assistance of Some Of
the Shrewdest Politicians in the
Republican Party.
TAFT HEADQUARTERS HERE
ONE C0MPENSAT1NG FEATURE

now in all the political camps and an in
vason in force is under way by the ad-
mnistration and the allied opposition. The
object is to round tip and capture the elu-
sive southern delegate to the republican
national convention. Skirmishers are al
ready out, the miners and sappers-the
simile is apt-will follow and the main
guard will come apace.
Mr.. Hitchcock goes ont of the Post Of
flee Department tomorrow and will open
raft headquarters II the Union Trust
building. J he allies for the present will
have their headquarters in the field. An
exodus of Washington correspondents will
occur toward tie eLd of the month to re-
port for the big news papers OF the coun-
try TIE outcome of :iIc scrap. There has
been Litter complaint recently of the al
legged unrelia bility of news from the front
and the political writer's are furnishing up
thsi:' field eQUipGSe tcr a lively campaign.
Politicians =. the Capitol noted today
the significance of the political utter
a1ce5 If tie co.oT ed bishops now in ses-
sion here. and &c duced from them further
evidence thar the adm 'nstration for more
reasons than ore will not have clear sail
Ing IN the south: IT,. opinion is generally
south make tha' region debatable ground
and that the allies have chance for
look-ih at the came alleged to be in prog
ress by the federal ofhceholders.
Attitude Of Allies.
One OF the managers of the allied op-
position to the administrations plan to
capture the south stated today the attf-
tude OF the allies as follows: That they
resist the proposition that a section of
the Union which will not supply one
electoral vote toward the election of a
republican President should send in
structed delegations to Chicago to exert
Ine balance of power in the nomination.
Ihey Will ask those delegates to come to
Chicago uninstructed. and engage in the
councils OF the party made up of repre-
sentatives of all sections. in which all
aspects OF the political conditions which
the party must meet will be considered.
3ubilant and confident They point out
that the only candidate who is going
around the country letting the people see
MIN and talk with him is Secretary Taft,
ana they expect results from his trips.
They say that every one realizes the
personal magnetism Of Mr.. Taft and his
facility In winning friends. He lust
opens his arms and gathers 'em in"
said one Of the Taft men. describing
the Secretary's success in meeting people
1t. is also pointed ont that wherever
secretary Taft alights he meets the ad-
minlstration's friends and the "Roose-
welt people, and stimulates them to re-
newed effort by his presence and counsel
Inere Is no question that the Taft boom
ers are using the Roosevelt sentiment
TO the utmost, and the allies themselves
do not deny that the President is stilI
strong with the mass Of the people.
One Compensating Feature.
The allies. 1t Is said. possess one COM
pensating feature. In that they have the
assistance Of some of the shrewdest poll
ticians in the republican party, who are
working quietly but effectively for unin-
structed delegations. In every section
they keep prominently before the voters
the statement that the President in eff
feet, Is trying to name his own successor,
and they appeal for an open convention
and the judgment of the majority of the
delegates.
An interesting feature of the situation
Is the continual recurrence of the sug-
gestion that IF you don't take Taft YOU
will get Roosevelt That is supposed
TO be for effect upon the reactionaries
alone and to beat down opposition. 1t is
said that it does not possess any of the
elements of a scare for the rampant
Roosevelt people of the west who are
following Senator Jonathan Bourne. They
would be entirely satisfied with Roose-
welt and would ask nothing better than
his nomination.
In New York the reactionaries are say
ing that If it should turn out that the
convention stampeded to President
Roosevelt and he should accept they
would not be so badly off, as they think
the anti-third term sentiment would de-
feat him, Bryan would be elected. and
with a republican Senate and demo-
cratic executive there would be a dead
lock In Congress and no legislation would
be enacted.
Oh. you can get all kinds of political
views, rumors and theories just about
now. They are interesting. if not con-
v1ncing. and at least add TO the gayety
of politics.