The Washington times., 1911-06-08
Had Planned to Demand
Party Control After
1912 Defeat.
NEVER FELT SURE OF
ROOSEVELT SUPPORT
Rank and File of Progressives
Inclined to Support Wilson
Against Taft.

uTe. ana DOIn are opposed 10 the HreSls
dents nomination. The California dele
cation is as good as selected already,
and 1t will be In control of the anti
Taft forces if a contest develops such
Importance as to justify lining up the
State. Washington and Oregon are re-
garded as likely to oppose Taft in the
convention If the fight is made for dele
gates.
Present Status
Of La Toilette.
But. in view of such embarrassments
as have been described, hedging in and
circumscribing the activities of many Of
the progressive leaders, It is now re-
garded as more and more doubtful
whether a general organized fight
against Taft will be pressed. No an
nouncement has been made of the can
didacy of Senator La Toilette, though
he is acknowledged as the man in
whose favor the other progressives
will keep themselves as friendly as
their local circumstances will allow.
1t Is not known whether he will finally
be announced as candidate; but IL
announced, he will have some powerful
backing aside from the Congressional
leaders of progressivism, and will make
a fight that will attract interest and
crystalline a very important force.
The great difficulty of the progress
sives is that their best and most effec-
tive supporter has been the independ-
ent press-newspaper and periodical.
That force has been disappointed in
their attitude on reciprocity. 1t Is al
most solidly for the reciprocity arrange
ment, but finds that its Congressional
proteges have deserted. or are 50 badly
divided as to have lost their character
as a phalanx Of fighting support for
tariff revision.
In these conditions, the chance of a
big. effective fight for President Tafts
defeat in convention has dwindled de-
cidedly in recent weeks.
Expect No Roosevelt Aid
Against President.
At no time have the insurgents enter
tained confidence that former President
Roosevelt would give active support to
an anti-Taft fight. They have hoped,
and still believe. that he will take very
little part II there is any contest, de-
spite the report that he has pledged
his friendly interest to the President,
which report Mr.. Roosevelt has himself
emphatically denied.
The fact is the insurgents ex-
pected to make their fight on the Pres
ident at time wnen they had no more
they have today. The support Of the
former President was desired most earn
estly. but 1t was not regarded as a sine
qua non.
fighting front OF the progressives is the
reciprocity isSue- Most of the insur-
gent leaders feel that the situation is,
from a Republican viewpoint, about as
hopeless as could be possible: They
mated. and well-nigh certain to be de-
feated.
Among the rank and file Of progressive
Republicans and Independents there is
evidence of 4 disposition to flock over
to the Democratic side II Taft is named
by the Republicans and Wilson be-
comes the Democratic candidate, as now
seems more likely than ever before.
Running Mate for Wilson
May Be Progressive.
There has even been serious mention
recently Of the name of a nationally
known progressive Republican as a pos
sible nominee for Vice President with
Mr. Wilson. That the Democratic con-
vention would make such nomination,
or even that the man whose name has
been thus far used would permit It to
do so, Is utterly improbable: but the
discussion suggests how strong has be-
come the feeling among the mass of
independent voters that their opportu-
nifty to make effective protest will lie In
the support of a progressive Democrat.
woodrow Wilson is TODAY enjoying the
active support. political and financial,
of a considerable and important group
of men who have in the past been re-
garded as affiliated with the progres-
sive wing Of the Republican party. The
expenses of the Jersey governors re-
cent and prospective speech-making
tours have been provided by gentlemen
who are willing to go farther In fnanc-
ing a campaign for his nomination.
Governor wilson's friends have relieved
him of worry about finances, but given
hin, assurances that no contributions
will be taken from any quarter to which
he enters objection.