Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-05-12
Working Hard to
Bring About
Harmony
TAFT FOR FIRST CHOICE
Danger of Factional Strife
Causing Defeat of Ticket
Insures Peace.

washington, Mdy lG.-IlcpuUllCdIl
leaders In Congress are now working
earnestly on plan to prevent any
break at the Chicago convention that
might disrupt party harmony and en-
danger success at the polls in Novem-
Der. Conferences have been held at
both ends of the capital among such
men as Senator'S Aldrich, Hale, Ali.
son and Crane and Representatives
Payne and Sherman of New York;
Tawney, Of Minnesota; Jenkins, Of
Wisconsin, and Smith, of Iowa; in fact
meetings Of this group have been of
almost daily occurrence for more than
a week They have been directed to
ono enda nomination on the first
ballot, by which they mean William
H. Taft. While no definite result has
been reached, they believe their ef-
forts will be successful.
Leaders Won Over to Taft.
Most Of the men figuring promin-
emily in this movement were number.
ed against Taft early in the campaign,
but party policy and the necessity for
harmony, which have been manifest
in the Republican ranks since the dis
astrous results of the Blaine -Conkling
feud has awakened demand that
personal desires be subordinated to
the will of the majority. That the ef-
forts of the group of leaders back of
the harmony movement have not been
barren of results is indicated by the
fact that to a number of the confer
ences have been called such men as
Senator'S Hemenway, Penrose, Cullom,
Hopkins and Depew and Representa-
tlyes Parsons and yreeland Of New
York; Boutell and Mann Of Illinois;
Burke and Dalzell Of Pennsylvania !;
Watson and lands OF Indiana, and
others who are backing the candida
cies of Vice President Fairbanks,
Speaker Cannon, Charles Knox or
Governor Charles A. Hughes.
Roosevelt Remains Firm.
No attempt is made to disguise the
fact that the real impetus to such a
concerted movement in the interest of
Secretary Taft is the refusal of Presi-
dent Roosevelt sentiment to be snuff
ed out and the danger Of such senti-
ment spreading to an extent that
might be difficult to control at Chica-
60. At the same time 1t Is said the
movement Is not hostile to President
Roosevelt, who admittedly occupies
the position of commander of the Taft
forces He has made it perfectly plain
that nothing can come of the renewed
calls for his denomination which have
been made in Texas, Utah, California
and other states and he Is prepared to
reject any proffer of support no mat
ter how extended.
Would Eliminate all Others.
The uttermost limit Of endeavor OF
the Republican leaders who are
striving to harmonize party differences
is to eliminate all candidates except
Secretary Taft, but it is not anticipat-
ed that all Of the candidates will read
lily agree to the proposition. Support
ers Of Senator Knox particularly are
said to oppose the plan and one of the
other candidates Is holding out SO
strongly that there is no immediate
chance for such an agreement. At the
same time there are leaders in Hin
ois. Indiana and New York who are
parties to the movement with the
knowledge Of the favorite son candi
date from these states.
Taft Has Best Chance.
The selection of Secretary Taft as
the beneficiary or harmony action Is
made because of the fact that he is
the only candidate who has sufficient
instructed votes to promise an early
nomination. The agreement of the har
mony faction Is that II Taft fails to Sc
cure the nomination on the first bal
lot, and the allies were able to hold
out against him 1t would mean a con
vention contest Of many ballots. These
leaders have little doubt that in such
a contingency the Roosevelt third
term sentiment would threaten .
!. stampede and though they have little
doubt that the president would moi
hesitate to squelch any proposition
looking to his denomination, the efec
Of such a stampede can only be sur
missed. The possible dire results upor
the campaign for the election Of th'
candidate. whoever he may be, Is on
Of the arguments used to draw the SO
called allies into the harmony pro
gram.
falrbanks For vlce-Presldent.
Republican leaders concede that thei
majority In the house is likely to b,
materially reduced at the fall election
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