The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-04
Forecasters Believe Next
Weeks Trip May Decide
1912 Nomination.
FRIENDS OF TAFT
FEAR A LANDSLIDE
Southern States Considered Most
Fertile Ground for Second Term
Boomers Up to Now.
By JOHN SNURE.

west. including visit to Missouri and
Indiana
The trip promises TO be in many re-
spects not less important politically
than the recent trip Of Colonel ROose- 1
welt 10 the middle West and the Rocky /
mountain region. Politicians will watch /
the progress Of it with extreme inter
est and in some cases with extreme con-
Germ.
The trip OF Roosevelt which began /
August q and extended as far West /
as Denver and Pueblo, Col, served 10
answer definitely one question. and that /
was whether the former President re
tanned his grip on the masses Of people /
in the West No manner Of doubt was
left in the minds Of those who observed 1
the trip carefully that Mr.. Roosevelt /
was stiI as strong as ever in the States |
which he visited.
No manner Of doubt was left, either. |
that Mr.. Roosevelt was still a power
ful political factor in those States. II I
was made entirely clear that power |
full body OF the people sympathized with /
the doctrines of progressiveness as he (
enunciated them AZ Osawatomie and
other points II was made clear, too,
that a powerful body Of the voters want
have 70 be reckoned with in the 1912
Presidential situation.
How Feels the South?
Now. Roosevelt is going-to visit the
South and Southwest Hon strong is
he IN that part Of the United States
Many believe that he has j,=st as strong
grip on the South and Southwest a.
ne has in the West. Many assert that
If il shall become clear LATER on that
Roosevelt is in a receptive mood as
10 she Presidency, then II will be i'm
possible to keep most Of the Southern
delegates from focking to him. and this
despite any carefully laid plans in any
quarter 10 keep them from him
Il IS. Of course, obvious that the
friends OF President Taft. who are hop
ing for his denomination, are counting
on the delegations from the South Post
master General Frank II. Hitchcock Is
relied on 70 round up those delegations
The friends Of President Taft make
no cOncealmeut OF this. They discuss il
openly. They are relying on getting
most OF the votes for the denomination
OF Mr. Taft from the East and the
South. and those States OF the Rocky
mountain now controlled by the regC-
lars Ohio. Mr. Taft's home State. 0f
course. will give him her delegation,
and has declared in convention for his
! denomination
When Mr.. Rooseveu got back from
Africa there was noticeable a certain
/ reticence about talking Of the possibility
Of him for denomination in 1872 This
may have been due in part to the fact
that a good many men friendly TO Mr..
Taft were not anxious TO stir Up such
/ talk. Some OF them seem 10 have had
I the notion that there was something 10
/ be gained for Mr. Taft by keeping silent
about Roosevelt as the possible nomi-
nee in 1912.
Topic Openly discussed
But there IS now a good deal more
| disposition 10 talk openly about the sit
uation, 10 discuss whether the men who
have It in their heads and hearts 10
renominate Roosevelt are going. to get
| anywhere. Since the New York State
convention, where Roosevelt got control
OF the Republican organization, il is
being freely charged by papers hostile
to Colonel Roosevelt that he CT his
| friends will make use Of this control 10
send a Roosevelt delegation TO the 1872
convention. And it is admitted in quar-
tiers friendly TO the colonel that this IS
/ Just what is not unlikely TO happen
| Under such circumstances, II becomes
Of unusual interest 70 gain light on the
question OF how strong Roosevelt is In
| the South Can the men who are going
I to try to renominate Roosevelt hope 10
/ get many Of the delegates from there?
II they can, it is obvious they are in
a strang position The forthcoming trip
4 III oed Ina
| these and like interrOsatories-
| For another reason, the Roosevelt trip
/ 70 the South is likely to prove impOr-
/ tant Generally speaking, the East is
| the part Of the country denOminated as
the conservative part But, as matter
/ of fact, II IL were not for the cOnSer-
| vatisrn Of the South, as 1t is represented
in Congress. both by Democrats and Re
| publicans, the Eastern conservatives
| would long before this have found diff
iculty controlling things.
| In the South there is plenty OF pro
| gressive or insurgent sentiment among
| the voters, but much OF it is morgan
| lied and uncrystallized. 1t is not IN
/ likely that the series Of speeches Roose-
/ welt viii make viii stir up lot of trOu-
| Bile for Southern conservatives in both
parties. That these speeches Will give
/ announcement to the prOgreSsives in
| that section. Just as the OsawatOmie
I'speech and others encouraged the West
eTn prOgressives, is probable.
To Help Beverage.
II is on this trip that Colonel Roose-
welt is going to Indiana and speak for
Senator Beveridge The Indiana Sen
ator is having a desperate fight for re-
election, though he insists ne is going
to win. Roosevelt is expected TO help
Beveridge materially.
1t is true a lot of folks can't quite see
| how the colonel finds il in his heart 10
| speak for BeVeridge in Indiana and then
! TO urge the Massachusetts voters to re-
| turn to the Senate his good friend
/ Henry Cabot Lodge. Beverldge is an
| insurgent and Lodge is one Of the field
/ marshals of the Senate regulars. But
1 to Roosevelt the explanation seems sim
pie and he thinks his long friendship
| for Lodge and the friendship of Lodge
1 for him, coupled with the many things
| Lodge did to help his Administration
| while he was President warrant him in
making a speech for the Massachusetts,
| Senator.
Colonel Roosevelt is going to deliver
] his principal speech IN Indiana at In
| dianapOlis the afternoon OF October Il
| But he is going to make a number of
/ ether speeches in the State. Many Of
| these will he train-end speeches He
/ will stop at such points at Crawfords-
! vile. Lafayette, Lebanon, Anderson.
! Muncie. and Richmond. Doubtless, he
| viii make various other short stops and
take occasion TO tel the HOLSTERS why ii
= Il