Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-04
His Victory in OHIO Reveals
Great Strength of Secre-
tary Of War
FORAKER MEN IN a RoUT
Early Date of Primary Is Distinct Vic
tory for R~oosevelt's Man - Fight
Shifted TO the Congressional Dis
tricts - Foraker Leads a Forlorn
Hope.

Washington. Jan. 4--tven the warm
est friends of the other candidates adj
NIT that Secretary Taft has taken q
long step forward as a result OF the
ballots by the Ohio state central com
mittee yesterday.
Taft had a majority of the state, pu'
they expected Foraker to make a mucn
better showing than he did, because
it was assumed he vas fighting Tor
his political life and would put forth
a supreme effort.
The one great triumph for TAFT was
the liking of an early date for the prl-
mary. His campaign has been ham
pered hitherto by u feeling in other
states that he ought first to make good
in Ohio before he appealed for dele
gate strength elsewhere.
The early primary was the great
thing for which the Taft men were
fighting, and it was the one thlhg
above all others which Senators For
aker and Dick least desired to have
happen.
The convention was put a long ways
after the primary for the express pui-
pose of giving the state d
chance to work on the delegates.
This was necessary because in polnt
of fact. the primary on Feb. IL VIII
concentrate attention on presidential
candidates at once. so that candidates
for state offices naturally have to nave
the convention postponed until March
3 and 4, or three weeks after the prl-
nary. =,
1t is conceded now that Taft Will
have the four delegates at large from
Ohio absolutely instructed for MIN.
This is all the state central m
could possibly undertake to do.
The fight for district delegates VIII
have to be carried on, district by dis
trict. There is scarcely any u III
the world that Taft will have an over.
whelming majority in the state con-
vention.
He will not only be able to dictate
the passage of instructions, but MS
forces can control the election OF the
four delegates at large. who will sure
ly be Taft men. thus shutting out both
the Ohio from participation
in the convention at Chicago.
Under the rules adopted by the re"
publican national committee, delegates
may be elected in districts by primary
or otherwise, as the individual state
laws provide, but districts, according
to the doctrines established In the re-
publican national convention of 1880
at Chicago. are absolutely independent
of all control by the state
Each district is an independent re-
public. Its two delegates are not bound
by n instructions. They are bound
only by the instructions of their own
district convention or primary.
The fight in Ohio will now be trans
ferred directly to the districts. me
Taft men will endeavor to get all OF
them if possible. and wherever they
have sufficient control viii! insist upon
positive instructions for Taft, requlr-
ing the two delegates to vote for the
secretary Of war as long as he is IN
the field.
Good judges of the situation in Ohio
say that Foraker was a great deal
stronger in the state central commit
tee THAI he will be in the districts.
The vote in the committee was IA TO
Z in favor of Taft. This Is a two
thirds majority. assuming that the
committeeman accurately represent the
sentiment in their districts.
1t is well known, however, that many
of the members of The state central
committee were merely component
parts Of the state organization. They
owed their places to Senator Dick, and
their allegiance was to him rather than
to Foraker.
Politicians on both sides Of the fence
admit that under h direct primary
system, with the issue clearly drawn