Omaha daily bee., 1908-03-16
ON rRnsIpnNrIAL rInINe LINr.
NstiousI Politicians Size TN Rspub-
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MoNAOm0A POLITICIANS size Nm AGnmn@
Itcan Presidential situation.
New York Tribune's washington Letter.
Personally I would like 20 see Senator
Knox the republican nominee. believe
he would make an ideal president have
not before expressed this preference be-
cause l saw no end to be served by SO
doing, and now 1 am nos saying Il for
publication because I am convinced that
Taft will be the party nominee, and l
am advising my friends to abandon a
useless resistance and 20 get together to
help Taft beat Bryan"
This statement was made TO a repre-
sentative of the Tribune today by one
Of the most influential and far-seeing
members OF the senate, a man whose
name, IL he would permit Il to be used,
would carry the greatest weight As an
anonymous statement Il might not be
worth publication were Il not for the
fact that II represents the view which
is steadily gaining ground among the
politicians In the national capital
The entire political situation is care
fully canvassed almost daily in the pri-
vate offices of senators and representa-
tiVes these days, and very gradually they
are arriving at a consensus of opinion.
A few, of course, are so far committed
~ NAN NohNANoN9 VI Hunlt AANOINt EOn
that they can see no one else and a few
are so hostile TO the president that the
mere knowledge that he favors the can
didacy of Secretary Taft affords them
ample ground for Intense opposition.
The majority, however outline the situa-
tion as Indicated In this dispatch, and
among that majority are many men who
personally would prefer the nomination
OF some other candidate. Looking over
the field. they say II Is now obvious that
Taft win have something over 400 votes
on the first ballot without counting any
OF the southern states except Maryland
Tennessee and Kentucky, which the politi-
cal prophets think they can now divide
among the candidates.
The defeat OF Taft can therefore be ac-
complished, they say, only in one of two
ways-the combining OF all the favorite
son delegations with the doubtful states
on single candidate or the seating or
only anti-Taft delegates from the south
ern states. But, they ask, is II possible
to combine the favorite son delegates on
single candidateP And they answer no.
FOR the reason that the delegations in
struoted for favorite sons will be. 10
use the inelegant expression of an anti
Taftite, rotten with Taft sympathi1ers. {"
For instance. as they understand the sit
uation, in Illinois there is a Taft senti-
ment so strong that only the most stren-
aous work on the part of Speaker Cam
mons supporters will secure for him a
solid vote on the first ballot. Already
three OF the largest counties In the state
nave indorsed Taft, and this without any
work on the part of the Taft organization.
Senator Hopkins. who will be delegate
at-large, makes no secret of the fact that
Tart is his second choice
Neither can the Pennsylvania delegation.
which is heart and soul in favor of the
nomination OF Knox. be delivered en- mssse
to any other candidate. 1t will stand by
Knox until It abandons hope, but once II
breaks fully half of the delegates, II is
asserted, will vote for Taft.
The New York delegation, 1t is believed.
will be loyal to Governor Hughes perhaps
longer than that of any other favorite
son. because 1t is the history of conventions
that delegates stand longest by candidate
who seems to have some chance OF becom-
ing the favorite of the convention.
The Indiana delegation, the political OBJ
servers referred to say, is permeated with
Taft sentiment, so much so that in Judge
crumpacker's district, the Tenth, the dele
gates could not be elected until It was
known that Taft was their second choice.
Wisconsin viii prove an exception to the
rule OF delegations going to the strongest
candidate. Senator La Toilette will DOM
mate his delegation. and 1t is his dlsposi-
ton never to give up fight so that ballot
after ballot might be taken without Wis
consin's voting for any but her favorlte
son.
The accompanying table represents the
views Of some of the ablest political fore
casters In Washington seqreoattnp carta a,