Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
DOUBTS TAFT TOTAL
Field Disputes Hitchcock's
Delegate Figures.
MANAGER BOASTS OF TIA
Opposition Says 1875 Is the Outside
Limit Instructed.
"FAvORITE SONS" COME FORTH
War Secretary's Opponents Declare
the Band Wagon Is Slowing UP
and May Stall"
MANAGER BOASTS OF ia
sFAvORITE SONS" COME FORTH

Secretaary's boom during the past week:
Secretary Taft added thirty delegates
to his string during the week just ended
According to the figures, carefully COM
piled. 216 delegates to the next national
convention have now been chosen. OF
this number ia are claimed for Taft. The
seats of 2G Of the latter number are con-
tested SO that the uncontested strength
of the Secretary of War may now be
placed at 14s delegates, AS compared with
lis d week ago.
Speaker Cannon's strength in Illinois
began to develop this week. three districts
in that state-the twentieth, twenty first
and y-third-electing delegates in
structed for Uncle Joe All the other
delegates chosen are Taft delegates, COM
ing. In the main, from Iowa being the
four Observation-Disclosures and the delegates
from the second third. fourth, fifth, sew
enth, ninth, tenth and eleventh districts
The other Taft delegates elected this
week are from the ninth. first and third
Virginia, fifth Kansas and eleventh Ohio
The following delegates are now
claimed by the supporters of Secretary
Taft:
ohialloiid-I' =, q, IT. 81, state; Ia
Missouri ., ,. 1, ). e, T. O. lot, If
III. II, ID. state; 20 delegates.
Philippine Islands, delegates
"Florida-Statef. II, u: s delegates
"Ohio-1, =, T. j. 81. Z, &. .. II. l., IL, 16
Is, 10. 20, ~, state: rs delegates
Tennessee, 10T; delegates.
"Michigan-10; 2 delegates.
Kansas ). A. 5. :, S, state; 16 dele
gates.
North Carolina-lO; delegates.
"Alabama-1f; > delegates
"Nebraska-1, ., 3. 4, D. &, state; 16 dele
gates
Iowa.. ., 3. 4, ., T. Z, s. Q, 10, H.
state: 26 delegates.
Maryland-:. 4; delegates
Virginia., 3. Z. 8. 3; 10 delegates.
kentucky-1i; 2 delegates
fConteSted.
| One hundred and seventy-four Taft del
esates, of which 1iS are uncontested.
Other Delegates.
Fairbanks Observation-Disclosures: 1. ..
a. .. 9. Z, 8, .. 10, II. l., 1876 delegates.
Cannon delegates-South Carolina
Urregular): delegates. Illinois: 20, 81,
23-6 delegates.
''Uninstructed and not claimed-Ala-
banla: :. 81 delegates. Louisiana: State
(irregular). delegates.
Total pumber of delegates elected, 216
olSlme0 10Y la1t, Ia
Contested %
Conceded to Taft, 14S.
Total number of delegates to Chicago
convention, $50.
Necessary to a choice. 431.
The Field Has Doubts.
Representatives. of "the field opposed
to the nomination of Secretary Taft for
the presidency questioned yesterday the
accuracy of the forecast of Frank Hitch
cocf. the Taft manager. who. in d state
melt issued Friday night. claimed 552
delegates pledged and in prospect for his
Candidate.
tonceding TO Secretary Taft every del
egtte of which he has even the most re-
mite prospect. it was emphatically main
tanned. there cannot be mustered for Mr..
fTtft in excess of $50 Of the 491 votes nee
essary to IL nomination. 1t was added
that the campaign methods employed by
tie friends of Secretary Taft are so solid
iking the opposition and SO widely dis
sminating the belief that Mr.. Taft as a
hndidate would be lacking in the ele-
rlents essential to harmonious condt-
ton in the party and the polling of all
he available party strength that this
hsure would under the most favorable
fonditio represent the higll-water mark
bf the Taft strength.
I The figures of the opposition show that
The largest number Of votes it is possible
To claim as certain for Secretary Taft at
This time is To, more than one-four OF
This number being from Secretary Taft 5
own state
! The opposition credits Secretary Taft
with the following instructed delegates:
Iowa, IS: Kansas. 10, Oklahoma. s; Mis-
souri,, ~; Ohio. "a; the Philippines. -:
Tennessee, :; Maryiand - Nebraska' al' "a.
The delegates claimed for Fairbanks. For
nker. Cannon and Hughes number 10. with
only one ''favorite SON state heard from
I'D; hot mat
plete by four votes The plans of the
Taft forces. say the opposition. included
the early assembling of conventions in
states where Taft instructions were GER
tainty.
Taft Forces Must Fight"
The Taft forces from now on, say the
representatives of the opposition, must
fight for much of what they get and it
is predicted that the next thirty days will
find the band-wagon' unable to main
tain it's momentum, and therefore in Sc
rious danger of being stalled Of the
conventions to be held during the next
thirty days the Taft managers, they say.
have reason to expect favorable results IN
Arkansas. Rhode Island Minnesota South
Dakota and Virginia. From these states
a total of fifty votes may. under favorable
circumstances, be rallied for the Taft
candidacy, bringing the Taft total up to
approx Ximately 175 votes. During the same
period Indiana will add four delegates at
large and the states Endorsement to the
Fairbanks total.
The big vote of New York and Illi-
nois will be joined to the fields total.
Other states likely to resist Taft nstruc-
tions during this period are Delaware
Massachusetts. Tennessee and Nevada
One month hence. it is confidently claim
ed. 1.-The field Will have d lead of more
than one hundred votes over the Taft
forces. and in the states and territories
from which delegates are to be selected
during the four weeks which will inter-
vene before the close of the period for
the election of delegates. May 16 the op-
position forces insist that with the mo-
mentum of this majority, and the favor
able conditions prevailing in the territory
from which delegates are to be elected
the Taft candidacy will suffer a serious
check
The figures of the opposition show that
in addition to the votes now aligned with
1.-The field" and those from the "favorite
SON. states 1t will be necessary for 1.-The
field to secure only 40 delegate votes in
order to maintain control of the conven-
tion In response to the statement that
there will be many second choice Taft
votes in the "favorite SON. states, it is
pointed out that there age many soft
spots in the column of Instructed Taft
Ialn afpc haI 10 n Ta dsla