The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-03-26
TAFT
Gained d24Delegates
Last Week
Managers of Secretary's Campaign
For Presidential Nomination
Claim Easy Victory, But
Several States Have
Them Worried.
Facts and Figures About Republican
Convention.


Delegates elected to date, 224.
Instructed for Fairbanks, 26.
Instructed for Cannon,
Uninstructed, IS.
Contested, 80
Total number Of delegates, $50.
Washington, March 21.-There
have been elected up to date 224
delegates to the republican national
almost one-fourth Of the
total number of $50. The gain dur
ing the past week was 40, Of which
"a were instructed for Taft, making
his total strength of instructed dele
gates up to date 144. For Speaker
instructed. There were s uninstruct-
ed delegates elected, 4 from Virginia
and 4 from Iowa. The following ta-
BILE by states shows the number of
delegates elected and their align
ment:
Alabama, uninstructed, 4; contest
ed, 4.
Florida, contested, 8.
Illinois, Cannon, g.
Indiana, Fairbanks, 26.
Iowa, Taft, %; uninstructed, 4.
Kansas, Taft, Is.
Kentucky, contested, 2.
Louisiana, contested, 4.
Maryland, Taft, 4.
Michigan, Taft, 2.
Missouri, Taft, "a; contested, . 6.
Nebraska, Taft, 16.
North Carolina, Taft, 2.
Ohio, Taft, Sc; contested, 2.
Oklahoma, Taft, 10; uninstructed
2; contested, 2.
Tennessee, Taft, 4 contested, 2.
Virginia, Taft, 2; uninstructed, 8
New Mexico, Taft, 2.
Philippines, Taft, 2.
Total, Taft, IA; Fairbanksj '26f
Cannon, 8; uninstructed, 1S; COM
tested, 28.
Iowa Convention Important.
The principal event in the cleo
tions of the past week was the state
convention in Iowa. The claims Of
and the delegates at large were in
structed to vote for the secretary
All Of the district conventions in that
state have been elected and put In
the Taft column, although two dis
tricts did not instruct, the Sixth and
Ninth Mr.. Taft was indOrsed In
these, however, and, with all other
delegates instructed, that means the
solid vote of the state for him.
Another development Of the past
week, which is considered very en-
couraging by the Taft people, was
the announcement that National
Committeeman Hill, Of Maine, hat
come out for the secretary. This
coupled with the fact that Senator
Frye has all along been friendly tc
the Taft cause, leads the managers
to claim at least one-half Of the del
egates from that state. They now
claim SO Of the 80 delegates from
the New England states.
The Taft campaign made some
progress in Virginia, where one dis
trict, the Third, instructed for the
secretary This is not as much as
had been hoped for, however, the
managers having claimed that the
Old Dominion would land in their
column without any trouble. -Four
other districts have held conventions
there without voting instructions.
The Taft claims Of great gains IN
New England are hotly contested BY
the "allies.' Senator Crane has
shown in the past week that his holC
on the party in Massachusetts has
been strengthened rather than weak
encd, and his state is not likely eth
CT to instruct any of its delegates fol
Taft or pass resolutions indorsing the
latters candidacy.
Illinois for CannO.
That Taft sentiment has made ne
inrOadS in the "favOrita sons states
was evidenced in Illinois, where -four
districts have strongly Endorsed
Speaker Cannon and instructed theil
delegates to vote for him first, last
and all the time. In the Twentieth
district q resolution declaring Mr.
Taft to be second choice was tabled
by the committee on resolutions by
a unanimous vote. There has beer
q good deal Of talk about a stampede
to Taft in some Of the Illinois dis
triCts, but 50 far nothing has occur
red to warrant the prediction.
Reports from Ohio during the pas
week have been rather alarming
The detection Of several prominen
republican ppaers. like the Toledo
Blade, has caused some anxlety as t
the result in that state should Mr.
TAFT be nominated. The report als
that the delegates elected last Thurs
day in the Eleventh district woult
vote for Foraker, although instruct
ed for Taft, caused some little TN