Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-06
WILL BE TAFT ON FIRST BALLOT.

Republican National Committee Settles
Southern Contests FavorabIy to
the Ohioan.
Chicago, June 6-William H. Tai, Is
nomination for the presidency on the
fIst ballot of the republican conven-
ton was virtually assured by the ac-
ton of the national committee yes
terday The secretary of war added
"a votes to his instructed column
~ from Alabama and two from Ar
kansas.
That was by the decision of the
committee in the contests from the
Two states named Practically the
Alabama decision carried with it the
Texas and Louisiana contests also, for
the tangles in the three states are CON
sidered as Identical.
Granting that the Louisiana and
Texas decision will follow that of
Alabama, Mr. Taft has but 81 more
votes to gain to have the nomination
in his hands, even by the showing of
his allied opponents.
The allies, by their table, allow Taft
S59 votes on the first ballot. The "a
gained yesterday and the 81 of Texas
and louisiana swell that total to 437.
1t will require 491 votes to make the
nomination. By the figures OF tn !.
allies there are 220 uninstructed dele
gates. Also there remains after Ala
bama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas
are taken out, IA contested seats. II
there is anyone, even one of the al
lies, who thinks the Taft machine
cannot get 81 delegates out of thai
lot he holds low opinion of that ma
chine.
Committee Works Like Machine.
In both the contests heard yester-
day the Taft delegates were seated
almost unanimously. That was the
significant thing about the commit
tees action-more significant than
the mere adding of "a delegates to the
secretary's column. In the Alabama
contest c. II. Scott, the Alabama
member of the committee, voted no
on the motion to seat the Taft dele
gates. Every other member either
voted yes or sat silent. On the mo-
ton to seat the two Taft men from
Arkansas, no one voted mo" And
that action, showing as it did how
entirely the committee is dominated
by Taft sentiment. convinced every in
terested person that So far as nom
mating a president the work of the
inc rrI
allies may remain in the race as IA
vorite sons, but it will be for the ad-
yertising and not for the hope of sue
cess.
Allies See Their Defeat.
The full significance of the Taft vic
tory was realized by both the secre-
tary's friends and the represeni atives
c. the allies. Frank H. Hitchcock, the
Taft manager, when he came out of
the committee meeting after the de-
cision. was surrounded by the lesser
Lights of the Taft boom, and had his
arm almost shaken off i'm evidence of
their joy. And he accepted their con-
gratulations in the spirit of man
who had just achieved the greatest
NlCtOry OI his lie.
Il am now ready to confirm every
figure in The table we gave out 10
days ago. he said, which table gives
Mr.. Taft 5S4 votes as a certainty on
the first ballot. "The contest ended
just as l expected it would. We have
insisted all the time on the regularity
CT our delegates, and it seems the
national committee holds the same
yiew-as far as we have gone"
While Mr.. Hitchcock was exchang-
ing open-faced smiles-rare things
with him-for congratulations, the
representatives of the allies were off
in a corner swapping condolences.
'This seems to be about the end,
said Major F. c. Bryan, general coun-
sci of the allies contestants "They
seem determined to drive things
through for Taft's nomination. But
there will be reaction, mark that
Working on Platform.
Norfolk, Va, June 6.-Wade Ellis,
attorney general of Ohio, who has been
at Virginia Beach for several days pre-
pairing the first draft of the republican
national platform, will leave tomorrow
for Washington. and thence go to Chi
cago. "The only work that has been
done on the platform" said Ellis today,
"has been the attempt to get together
in concrete form some suggestions for
the resolutions committee which might
be made the basis for the work to be
done by that committee on the plat
form. There is no intention of prepar-s
ing the work in advance of the meet
ing of the committee.
Several prospective members of the
committee CHANGING to be in Washing
ton. talked the matter over with Pres
ident Roosevelt. Secretary Taft and
others interested on the subject That.
is all there is to be said about the,
Washington conference"