East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-04-25
BUSIEST WEEK
Of CAMPAIGN
POLITICAL FORECAST SHOWS
THINGS ARE WARMING UP
State Conventions, Banquets and
Speech MalSlngs Follow Each Other
In Rapid SuccessiOn-Grant's Birth
day TO BE Celebrated by Patriots.

In Rapid uccession-Grants Birth
day to Be Celebrated by Patriots.
Washington, April 25.-Next week
will be the busiest since the 1908 cam
paign was opened, If the number OF
state conventions to be held through
out the country affords any criterion
While most of these gatherings may
be safely forecasted, as to their presi-
dental preferences, a few surprises
are likely to develop.
While no conventions are schedul-
ed for Monday, there will be several
important meetings and banquets OF
political nature in various parts OF
the country. Grants birthday will be
observed by many patriotic bodies In
the large cities OF the land. One OF
the most important OF these will be
the Grant day dinner in Plttsburg
when Senator p. C. Knox, Pennsyl-
vania's candidate for the presidency
will deliver the principal address. Sec
retary Taft will begin the week In
Connecticut, and on Tuesday will go
TO New York, where he will speak be-
fore the Civic Forum. He has chosen
for his subject on this occasion "The
Influence of America on Popular Gov
ernment In the World" The Inde-
pendence league will hold its second
annual banquet in New York on Mon
day evening, and it is expected that
william Randolph Hearst will take
advantage of the occasion to announce
some of the plans of his new political
organization.
Republican state conventions, to Sc
lect delegates at large to Chicago, will
he held on Tuesday in Arkansas. Co
dorado and South Carolina. while re-
publican primaries will be held in New
Jersey and the District OF Columbia.
Democratic state conventions. al
which the Denver delegations will be
selected, are to be held on the same
day in New Jersey and Connecticut.
The Colorado convention will be
held I'm Pueblo. and is certain to In
struct its delegates for Secretary Taft.
While some OF the negro voters of Ar
kansas are opposed to Taft, 1t Is al
most certain that the Hot Springs
convention will also go on record as
favoring the war secretary Similar
conditions exist in South Carolina,
where most OF the white republicans
look upon Taft as the logical success
sor OF President Roosevelt. The pri-
maries OF New Jersey and the District
OF Columbia are also likely to be to
Tafts advantage in the presidential
race.
William Jennings Bryan will likely
find lively opposition in both of the
democratic state conventions to be
held on Tuesday, that OF New Jersey
In Trenton. and of Connecticut In New
Haven. A majority of the democratic
voters of New Jersey are thought to
favor an uninstructed delegation to
nor Johnson have many admirers in
Jersey, and they will fight any at
tempt to pledge the state delegation to
TO the Nebraskan statesman. In Con-
necticut, too, there is considerable
opposition to Bryan, which may result
In an unpledged delegation.
Five republican state conventions
will be held on Wednesday, that OF
Pennsylvania at Harrisburg, Vermont
at Burlington. Mississippi at Jackson,
West Virginia at Parkersburg and the
Davidson faction OF Alabama at Bir-
mingham. Pennsylvania convention
will be notable as marking the formal
launching of the presidential boom of
Senator Philander C. Knox. Taft will
probably receive the Endorsement of
the Vermont convention and that of
West Virginia. Mlssissippi's delega-
tion will likely be uninstructed. but
favorable to Taft, since the admins
tration forces are apparently in con-
troll of the situation. The Alabama
convention will be. that of the David
son, or anti-Roosevelt faction. and will
probably support Foraker. The Roos-
evelt faction in Alabama will hold a
convention later and there will be
contesting delegation from Alabama
to the Chicago convention.
The Maryland republican state con-
vention will be held in Baltimore on
Thursday, and while the delegation
may be left uninstructed, 1t will doubt
less swing into line for Taft when the
roll is called at the national conven-
ton. The Maine convention, which
will be held in Portland on the same
day, is also claimed by the Taft ad-
herents, although this is denied In
other quarters. North Carolina's white
republicans are Taft boomers, almost
to q man, and the state convention In
Greensboro is expected to take action
which will result in a Taft delegation
to Chicago.
Two Taft delegations will be elected
to represent Alaska in the republican
national convention. in a territorial
convention to be held in Ketchiken
next Saturday. Another important
political event scheduled for next Sat
urday is the special democratic pri-
mary in Texas, when the principal
question to be decided is whether
United States Senator ]. w. Bailey
will be sent to Denver as one OF the
representatives of the Lone Star state
In the national convention. The anti
Bailey campaign has been carried on
with great bitterness, and the result,
which will go far toward deciding the
political fate OF the brilliant Texas
senator, is eagerly awaited in the ma
tional capital.
rArInTTC TyI7NuuTNNTAT