Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-09-26

Saratoga, n. Y, Sept. 25.-The bat
tie between the Old Guard Republicans
ard the Progressives for control of the
party through the state convention
which will convene here Tuesday con-
tinued unabated today, but interest
has shifted from the Sherman Roose-
welt fight for temporary chairmanshil
to the manner of platform that will be
adopted with special emphasis on the
direct nominations plank.
The first skirmish is looked, for when
the state committee meets tomorrow
night. Although it has been announced
by the Progressive leaders that In al
probability the committee would not
be asked to reconsider its vote by
which Vice President Sherman was
selected over Theodore Roosevelt fol
temporary chairman, it was said to-
night that the Old Guard would take
the hull by the horns and force the is
sue on their own account. This indi-
Gates that the Old Guard regards itself
as still safely entrenched in the COM
mittee While the reason advanced is
that the committee owes itself a 1or-
NAL vindication of it's action In view
of asperations that have been cast up
on it by Col. RoOsevelts friends the
latter say that the real purpose is TO
harrass and emharrass the colonel bv
placing the committee on record FOR a
second time that he is not the cholce
for temporary chairman
While indications tonight point to 2
safe control of the convention by the
Roosevelt forces, report from olh
Guard headquarters was to the erect
that only 40 votes were needed tc
swing the convention to Sherman To-
night the leaders in both camps held
important conferences. On the Roose-
ye]t side were President Lloyd G. Girls
com of the New York county commit
tee: Cornelius " Collins. the colonels
upstate representative; Reps. Herbert
Parsons of New York. and J. Sloat
Fassett of Elmira: Postmaster Fred
G.. Reeiner of Buffalo, F. J. n. kracke
of Brooklyn, Otto 7. Barnard Of New
York Charles S. Francis of Troy, eN-
ambassador to Austria. and others
The Old Guard conferees included State
Chairman Woodruff, William Barnes. Jr.
of Albany, Speaker Wadsworth of the
Assembly, George w. Aldridge of Roch
ester, Francis Hendricks of Syracuse ane
Louis F. Payn of Chatham.
Mr.. Grscom said tonight that gooc
many of the Progressive leaders had
recommended increasing the number OF
state committeeman from 80 to $50, one
for each Assembly district instead of one
for each con- gressional district as at pres
ent Asked if any progress had beer
made in the consideration of a direct
nominations plank, he asked to be excused
from making a statement on that point
because no definite decision had beer
reached.
A compromise plan which had been sug
gested by Rep. Bennet had not been con
sidered. he said.
Have overtures for any sort Of com
promise been presented to you or any o
your associate leaders from the opposin!
factions?" Mr. Grscom was asked.
None" he replied.
No definite conclusion has been reached
as to the selection of new state chair
man to succeed Mr.. Woodruff, according
to Mr.. Griscom.
Asked If he claimed a majority of th'
state committee as at present constituted
he admitted that he was in doubt on tina
point but he thought that a vote woult
show a very even division
Representative Bennet of New York
one of the three men whom Mr.. Griscon
has mentioned as measuring up to th
Roosevelt standard of gubernatorial tim
Der, arrived today and said that his nam
positively would be presented to the con
vention. Mr.. Bennett brought with him
tentative direct nomination plank, EN-
bodying compromise, which he hope
may be acceptable to both factions. Mr.
f, Bennet points out that at the late ses
, sion of the Legislature the Republican
| of all factions agreed to electoral reform
/ plans, namely, state wide enrolment,
uniform primary day, abolition of inter
mediate conventions, an official ballot am
state-conducted primaries With this a
| a basis, he argues that it ought not t
be difficult to reach an agreement.
i But members of the Old Guard wer
saying tonight that a lineup on the tenn
porary craftsmanship is very differen
thing from a lineup of the platform
| which commits party to certain far
reaching principles-even though Roose
welt should win the Craftsmanship, the,
contend, it by no means follows that
/ platform dictated by him will be adopted
| MANY delegates who will vote for hin
either from personal choice or from in
! struction, they assert, are irrevocabl
| opposed to the principle of direct nomi
nations. The Old Guard leaders still in
sist that the vote on the chairmanshi
will be close and express the firm convic
! ton that the convention will not revers
what they term "old time Republican
principles but putting the stamp of of
fetal approval on a direct nomination
system.
1t is also rumored that trouble is likel
| to arise over the endorsement Of Presf
dent Taft. No opposition has DEVELOPS
| to an endorsement Of the Presidents ad