Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-19
Expected to Defeat Sherman
for the Craftsmanship.
TRAP LAID FOR COLONEL
Plan to Beat Him in Effort to
Stall Taft Endorsement.
BUSINESS INTERESTS AROUSED
Dealers Throughout Country Grow
ing Alarmed at Drift Toward
Radicalism.
Special From stan Correspondent.

| Special From STAR Correspondent
NEW YORK, September 19.-With the
republican state convention only nine
days away. the contest between Roosevelt
and the old guard fon control Of the
convention is exceedingly close. The is
sue will be drawn on the selection Of the
temporary chairman. as between Roose-
Welt and Vice President Sherman.
OF the delegates thus far elected to the
convention. 295 favor Sherman and 343
Roosevelt.
OF those yet to be chosen it Is esti-
137 Roosevelt
show in the end 4S5 for Sherman, $50 for
Roosevelt and 50 doubtful.
Expect Roosevelt to Win.
In joint of fact. fair-minded politicians
here believe that the convention will
make Roosevelt temporarily chairman,
and that the real fight will come in the
committee on resolutions, and in the
makeup Of the permanent organization
of the convention and the selection of the
new state committee.
The consideration inducing to this be-
lief on the part Of these politicians is that
when 1t comes to q showdown at Sara
toga the delegates from the small coun-
ties upstate, remote from boss rule, will
find it to their advantage to swing to
Roosevelt.
For the most part these delegates are
holders of small local Offices and their
flrst concern will be for their own re-
election. One of these men explained in
this fashion to an old guard leader at
state headquarters:
Yes. / am for the organization and all
that sort Of thing. but l have got to be
reelected. Now, If I vote against Roose-
welt l am put on the defensive with my
constituents. II 1 vote for him as tenn
porary chairman 1 establish myself with
the friends of Roosevelt in my county.
Then can defend my votes on platform.
grounds as may arise
Peril In Taft Program.
The best judgment OF the writereis that
the old guard are practically convinced
that Roosevelt Will have to be made tenn
porary chairman.
The old guard think that whseesRoose-
welt fs likely to come . cropper IL in his
opposition to a ringing indorsement of
Taft. Rumofs are thick that not only VIII
Roosevelt oppose indorsement OF Taft for
19l2. but win cayii az = hearty fndorse-
ment Of his administration. The old
guard think the colonel is treadinR on
eggs In that matter.
There has been some murmurinx against
Roosevelt's alleged ungracious attitude
toward President Taft, and many repub-
licans in the state are resentfui. II the
colonel doesn't play his cards close to his
vest in that deal he may lose q pot the
old guard leaders think
The ground swell Of opposition from
business interests to Roosevelt's assump-
tion Of power 10 still strong. but doubt
II it will be effective. The fact is, the
opposition is not organized nor capital
iZed which is more important
Let me give couple Of incidents Of the
state of feeling. Saturday night I met
casually man who Is at the head Of q
mammoth cloak and manufacturing firm.
He was growing about the state OF bust
ness in his line; said it was rotten. The
cause? Politics and the menace Of Roose-
welt coming back into power. Small deal
ers throughout the country were growing
alarmed and were asking extensions OF
credit. This manufacturer then went on
to say:
Bankers Also Alarmed.
II ask my customers why they don't
go to their banks for extensions we are
Whereupon they reply that the bankers
are more alarmed than they are. and
saw it first"
with me, this manufacturer asked pas
sionately: I'm heavens name, can't you
politicians stop this thing and let busi-
ness have q chance?'
An hour later at the club we were talk
ing with the vice president Of a great
financial concern here. He was looking
down his nose, too, but the remark which
attracted my attention was:
II will contribute $25, GOO to a campaign
fund to keep Roosevelt out Of power. He
Is a dreadful menace to business"
However, 1t may be regarded as quite
doubtful II the sentiment thus quoted
has been successfully organised. The
hght IL being made by the old guard
within political lines entirely. N. o. NJ.