The Washington times., 1908-02-09
ANTFTAFT FORCE
WHIPPED IN LINE
BY MURRAY CRANE
Republican Pot SINNERS
Down to Two Factions
in Presidential Race.
War Secretary's Friends
Hard at Work to Hold
His Strengthen South.


For the first time since the beginning
OF the scramble for the Republican
PRESIDENTIAL nomination. the fight is
no" pretty much I'm the open. with the
readers on the two sides we'll identified
The President is leading the caufe Of
secretary Taft, and has with him the
greater part Of the powerful Federal
Administration. Against him are the al
hed FORCES Of the so-called reactionarles.
or conservatives, who are led by Sena-
Tor W. Murray Crane. an adroit poll
ucian from Massachusetts
This is the lineup as recognized BY
the White House, which now realizes
that the real struggle is well under
way. II is fact that the anti-Taft
forces have been soIldined by the events
Of the past ten days, the Presidents
message being the chief element in
bringing the field together. Up to that
time the caHvasses OF the various IA.
VoFlte sons had been pressed more or
less independently. Now. the ants are
working together under the directing
hand OF Senator Crane The same pro-
gram Will be followed by them every
where, which is TO make a fight for
delegates IN every Congress and state
convention, and where the facts war
rant II 10 elect contestlng delegates.
depending on the national committee to
seat anti-Tsft men In the convention at
Chicago.
Cannon and Cortelyou
While 1t is probably too early TO say
/ that the field has made up a PTesIden-
tial slate there is talk today OF the
opposition ticket being composed OF
Cannon and COTtelyou. For the most
part the conservatives are bent on get
ting as many uninstructed delegates
elected as possible, Ietang the choice
of their candidate go until the COnyen-
ton meets, Cannon IS showing remark
able strength In States where Il was
thought Taft would get pretty nearly
ali the delegates and IL is figured that
4 Secretary C5TtelyOu will have great in
/ flJence with the members OF the ma
tiOnal committee. VINO will pass on the
contested cases. Mr.. Cortelyou's sery-
( ice with this committee as its chairman
/ mas naturally made him many friends
among its members. and the fight IS so
D r
no possible point that may be turned
10 advantage. CuriousIy enough, Gov
/ eruor Hughes seems to have dropped
/ out Of the calculations for the time be
ing, his name being very seldom heard
/ except as a man 10 hold together New
: York's seyenty-eight votes. and to be
/ brought forward later perhaps as a
/ dark horse.
/ The next struggle in the South viii
/ occur in Missouri. which holds its State
/ convention February p. It is conceded
I generally that Mr. Taft will get the
! greater part OF this delegation. Speaker
4 Cannon has lately developed great
/ strength there, and 1t is certain that
/ the delegation VIII he split I'D. The So
/ called resCtionaries viii have repre-
! sentatives on hand at the Missouri
/ State convention. and will adopt the
I tactics they think most effective %
I weaken Taft and break I'd the delega-
ton.
Awake at White House.
The White House is not asleep 70
what is going on. The President IS
keeping mighty well informed on the
/ movements OF the anti Taft men and
]
! the White House has a list OF outside
politicians who were at the ST. Angus
tine convention Thursday, and knows
I who they represented. Senator Crane
had an emissary there in the person
Of Representative Butler Ames, OF
Massachusetts. Vice President Fair
banks was represented by a per sonal
friend. Senator Foraker was repre-
sented by. GIlchrist Stewart. cOlored
who is aiding MIN II mis- hght
on the President because OF the
/ Brownsville affair. J. Douglas Wet
more, colored, Of New York. was at tht
convention. some say. looking out FOL
the interests OF Governor Hughes. but
more likely as an assistant 10 Stewart
in keeping the Brownsville incident
alive.
The Presidents reply to the activities
Of the allies in the South was to yank
i First Assistant Postmaster Genera
| Hitchcock out OF the Postoffice Depart
ment. and put him to work to corral
the Southern delegates that are so es'
sentiaI to Taft's nomination. Hitch
cock has been doing some quiet work
for Taft for the past month, but IRON
now on he will be the recognized agent
Of the Administrations candidate in thu
South.
It is a notable fact that as the Taft
boom grows less healthy the tail
Of a third term for the President be
comes propordonately stronger. There
was a lot Of It yesterday. based gener'
ally on the assumption that If it looks as
though the allies were going TO bea
, Taft for the nomination the President
would resort to measures. in his effor
TO prevent the selection of a reaction
ary." that would force his own noml
nation.
WANTS TO RECOVER RANSOM.
IL M. AZ 49, IL Arncr-ica,