The San Francisco call., 1908-05-15
LANDSLIDE
FOR TAFT IS
NOW ASSURED
Recent Events in Republican
Party Make Nomination
Certainty
Brownsville Affair Postponed to
Aid Candidacy of War
Secretary
Machine Surrenders in Order to
Prevent a Stampede for
Roosevelt
By Ira E. Bennett

WASHINGTON, May l4.-Recent
events occurring within the repub-
hcsn party have made the nomination
of William H. Taft for president as
much a certainty as anything in the
political future can be made certain.
Among the factors which contributed
to this end are these:
The postponement of the Browns
vile case; the abandonment by power
full anti-Roosevelt republicans of their
hope 10 defeat both Taft and Roose-
welt by securing the nomination of one
OF the allies the strong desire OF re-
publicaBs. regardless OF faction, 10
unite upon a nominee who would be
most likely 70 be elected
These factors are related to each
other. The Brownsville case is post
pened until after election, thus remov-
ing from the Immediate foreground one
OF the most dangerous obstacles in
Taft's pathway. The postponement of
this case gives republican leaders in
the senate an opportunity to get to-
gether7 and the harmony thus reached
IN the senate VIII be felt in practically
every. republican state. Thus the NOV
ing spirits Of the party. instead of
fighting among themselves. have buried
their differences to a great extent, and
are now ready to fight the enemy All
sorts OF stories are aaoat regarding al
and the Taft forces It is persistently
asserted that an understanding has
been reached whereby opposition to
Senator Foraker's return to the senate
VIII be Withdrawn in recognition Of his
action In postponing the Brownsville
case Senator Foraker's statement ex-
planning the reason for his action did
not refer to any deals" affecting him
self He merely made it plain that in
his judgment he would gain more for
the cause of the colored soldiers by
postponing than by pressing for a vote
in this session.
4 do not intend to allow anything
personal to myself to stand in the way
of accomplishing that object he said,
referring to his desire to have the
rights Of the soldiers restored to them.
The postponement Of the Browns
Vile case is apparently made to secure
the nomination or Secretary Taft
Wednesday was red letter day in
political diplomacy. All of the moves
have not been revealed, but it is clear
that the steps taken that day were
concerted by such republican leaders
as Senators Aldrich and Crane. as
part OF well settled plan TO nominate
Taft on the first ballot. and thus make
the nomination OF Roosevelt Impossible.
Their reasoning is like this" said
President Roosevelt We won't have
Taft; but if we don't take Taft we will
get Roosevelt; so we will take Taft /
And they are not far wrong" con-
cluded the president significantly.
Roosevelt's predictions are being
born with startling completeness. If
he had fixed May IS. instead of May
as the date when AL the trouble would |
be over" his remarks on March %
would serve as well for history as for
prophecy.
Another significant event is the vote
cast by California republicans for
Taft. At the primary election held
last week the regular or machine
organization was successful in gaining
control of the state convention al
though the Lincoln Roosevelt league
elected a majority Of delegates from
the large cities The machine. ,s
wholly under the, domination OF 2. u
Hartman. through his agents. The
chief purpose Of the machine In the
ante-primary campaign was to prevent
the possibility Of a landslide for Roose-
welt. who is the peoples first choice.
The Lincoln Roosevelt league came ont
strongly for Taft The machine soon
discovered that the only way to prevent /
a Roosevelt landslide was to support
Taft. So both factions whooped it up
for Faft and the delegates at large will
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