The Washington herald., 1908-01-28
Put Predictions Beside Re-
suits as Proof.
FIND NONE VERIFIED
States Claimed for Secretary
Have Obstinate Tendencies.
oklahoma, Missouri, and Kentucky
Cited as Instances of Claims that
Are Not ROFne Ont by FactS-TIIt
with Fairbanks Forces Fails 10
Choice for Presidential Nomination.

Those who claim allegiance TO other
Blooms" in the campaign for the Repub-
hcan Presidential nomination are thus
far unable TO see that the prophets in
the camp Of Secretary Taft have verified
their predictions.
Despite souvenir postcards spread
broadcast over the land straw ballots.
and roseate advance notices. these parti-
san observers, with their optics sharpened
by Jealous regard for the interests Of
their own candidates. declare that so
far the Taft greatest boom on earth
has been all on the blllboards.
First Of all. they say. it was announced
as the result of a postal-card ballot that
Michigan was Overwhelmingly for Taft
Yet a few days later. up in Congressman
Fordney's district, delegates were elected
and instructed for Uncle Joe" Cannon.
with the understanding, according 70
these critics. that the delegates were TO
vote for Cannon first. but after that
amy one 20 beat Taft"
Missouri Not TractabIe.
Then It was prophesied that Missouri
would send an instructed delegation to-
the Chicago convention and the mathe-
maticians at the Columbus headquarters
added all these votes To the Taft total /
Yet Immediately thereafter, the critics
point out, the ST. Louis County committee
met and arranged that the election~of
delegates in that important bailiwick
should be 10y primary, the purpose of this
move being 10 head of the movement for
an instructed delegation.
In Oklahoma the Taft boomers have
been especially active They captured
the State central commi tee, and started
an organized movement for Taft instruc-
tions in the several districts. The date
Of the convention in the district IN which
they believed themselves TO be strongest
was fixed for an early date. so that the
result might prove an object lessor to
other districts and start the desired land
slide. That convention was held last
week at 'olgate. and a programme for
an instructed delegation was all ready
and waiting for the expected to happen
But 1t didn't happen. The convention
turned down the programme and elected
anti-Taft delegates. Nevertheless. il will
be remembered that the promoters of the
instruction movement were so confident
Of the result that the Secretary OF War
received q telegram that night saying
that he had been the victor in the first
convention held to elect delegates to the
Chicago convention.
OIsIahOma Lost to Him.
These friends Of the other candidates,
who seem to hold together in their atti-
tude, interpret the failure to carry
through the Taft programme at Colgate
as foreshadowing the utter collapse of
the. Taft movement throughout the new
State
At Vinita, Okla. yesterday the Republi-
can district committee was summoned 10
pave the way for the Second district con-
vention in the State. Taft resolutions had
been prepared, the knowing ones say, but
the opposition smashed the slate and the
resolutions were not presented. This dis
trict. it is announced by Taft's opponents.
also viii send uninstructed delegates, and
some observers say that the delegates
will not be Taft men.
In Kentucky the Taft cohorts have also
been busy. A conference Of boomers Of
the Secretary from all over the State met
at COvington the other night and an
nounced there was nothing doing" but
Taft in the bluegrass districts And on
the heels of this comes the news that the
Taft and Fairbanks forces met in Louis
vile IN a. hand-to-hand conflict for con-
troll Of the county executive committee,
and that every candidate who preferred
the Ohio man to the HoOsier candidate
was beaten. Moreover, the observing
critics say that the defeated ones in
cluded the War Secretary's most con-
spicuous kentucky boosters.
New York and New England.
The Taft claims with reference to New
York. say the critics. were dissipated by
the announcement of the candidacy of
Gov. Hughes And not only the critics,
but also some prominent United States
Senators declare that the Hughes bomb
also blew up the structure the Secretary
of Wars friends had built for him in
New England.
The Vice Presidents friends say that
for a few days following next Tuesday
Fairbanks will lead in the number of
delegates actually elected and instructed.
Indiana viii on that day select twenty
six delegates from thirteen districts The
delegates-at-large from that State viii
be chosen during the first week in April.
Those who are supposed to be informed
on She Indiana situation say that there
is no opposition to the men selected by
the Vice Presidents lieutenants for places
on the delegation.