The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-15
PRESIDENTIAL BEES
BEGINNING TO BUZZ
Washington Will Soon Be
Sizzling With Politics Incl
dent 10 Campaign.
DEMOCRATS IN DOUBT
Dark Horses Are Plentiful and
All Hopeful of Lightning'S
Stroke.
BY RALPH NJ. WHITEsIDE.
I.nnsel Mic to The Trlbunc.

BY RALPH NJ WHITESIDE.
B. Leased Wire TO The Tribune
WASHINGTON. OCT. li.-Already the
hum OF the presidential bee is heard In
Washington and by tho time the crisp;
cool days OF early December arc at hand
the whole hive Will be buz5inS and there
will be noise enough 10 drown an express
train at full speed Not only VIII the
return Of congress bring bands OF presi-
Dental boomers. but also the Two ma
tlonal committees arc 10 meet ana ldE
their plans for next years conventions.
and this means the formal opening of the
campaign. AMT.
cohorts are making much noise and nitfE
claims They believe they can prevent
the nomination OF Mr. Taft There arc
not MANY outside the most enlnhslas',ic
followers of the senator from Wisconsin
however who believe there VIII be az
much opposition to the rcnonlnauon ot
nation and the general impression Is
that Mr. Taft Will receive at least three
quarters OF the votes IN the conVentiou
and that the first roll call VIII never De
In the Democratic convention there ,s
going 10 be no such easy sailing. u ~
highly improbable that any candida.e ,ia. "ir nn
receive even majority OF inc votes on
The first ballot or perhaps for several b3i-
lots. And IL takes two-thirds 10 ncull-
oscar I-nderwood's friends arc begin.
ming seriously To entertain the idea that
he may be tho dark horse 20 break the
coming deadlock and the Aiabamlans WHO
intended merely TO compliment tucir ih-
vorite son for ballot or two are now
tnlking of keeping him IN the race III
earnest
Marshall OF Indiana while OF Governor
Foss OF Massachusetts II he succeeds IN
carrying his state again this year. there
Is strong probability that he VIII DC
rrn Cd h-. England
horse
The three leading csudidates-Wilson.
Clark and Harmon--Tin divide inc bnlk
OF the delegates between them IN The
beginning bat with these favori,e sons
imbued with the dark horse idea. II is
likely to be hard Job TO concentrate
two-thirds Of the delegates on any one
man.
The fact that some OF the states VIII
express their presidential preferences ~
the primaries may have an important
bea ring on tho nomination. Tho Demo-
cratic leaders want the man who has
the best chance Of winning in Novcm-
bnr and II the primaries show strong
trend towards any candidate. II viii have
much influence.
As is now known that five states will
by Law choose delegates 10 The nationaf
convention by direct vote These states
and the dates ON which they Will hold
their primaries FOR the election Of dele
gates TO the national convention ar" as
follows: North Dakota. March Ie; Wis
consn. April .: Nebraska. April u. Orc
gon, Aprii la: New Jersey. May %.
The National Democratic Progressive
league Is poip'ing out that the stale
committee In amy commonwealth may: II
ia" Democrats II thar state want II done.
direct that delegates he chosen bv d.
rect vote OF the Democrats In the state.
Tho Idea seems To he taking hold in the
south.
The prediction is NON made by some
OF the men connected with the National
Democratic Progressive league that the
Democrats in on"-half OF the southern
states win use tho direct-vote method in
choosing delegates. The legislature IN
Texas has passed n law advising the
Democratic state committee that IL
ought io provide for the election Of dele
gates 10 the Democratic national conven-
tion by popular vote. II is pretty well
understood that the Texas state COM
mite" Win follow the advice OF the les
isatuCc.
In Arkansas. i'm Mississippi and in two
or three other southern states the Demo-
cratic organization * showing Il prefer
cnce ior the direct-Vote method OF choos-
Ing delegacs. The supporters Of Gov
ernor Woodrow Wilson for the presidcn-
tial nomination arc in favor of the d.
rcci-vo,e method. because ms they say.
IL Will mean more delegates for their
candidate.
Democrats who have recently Travelled
through the south in the interest Of the
Wilson candidacy bring back Il report
20 the effect that II the south would
only choose It's delegates by direct vote
the New Jersey governor would gather In
practically all 'he delegates from that
section OF the country
So far neither the National Democratic
Progressive league nor the Wilson cam
DaiEn management has done much
towards trying to persuade Democratic
committees IN northern states 70 use the
direct-vote plan. They indicate. how
few ~ the nor bern states the new meth
cd ot choosing delegates will be adopted
by unanimous consent.
Has Vexing Problem
The Democratic national committee
when IL meets in Washington in Decem-
ber. IS going 10 be compelled 10 go
through some painful intellectual and po-
nucal Syrauons in order to settle the
question Of who is entitled to represent
the states Of Pennsylvania ard Tennessee
on the committee. The problem is GO
inE 10 bring TO the surface In all proba-
nllliy the extent Of the Wilson and tho
Harmon sentiment In the committee. For
that reason all Democratic leaders con-
cerned in the presidential nomination
VIII Keep sharp eve on DEVELOPMENTS.
In the case or each state. two men VIII
come 30 the meeting Of the national com
mtttec insisting on the right TO vote I'm
Us proceedings and take part in its de-
lber9ttons.
From PennsyNania the contestants
Will be Colonel J. NJ. Gunv. the veteran
machine Democrat Of tho Keystone state
and former Mavor Guthrie OF Pittsburg
Colonel Guffy Insists ne Is the Demo-
cratic national committeeman from his
state. entitled to. attend the meeting TO
be held here and otherwise perform the
functions OF a member Of the committee
lie was selected national committeeman
In 1893 tv the machine element Of Demo-
Gratis In his state and against the opposi-
ilon OF the BRYAN wing OF the party
But after the hyh; IN Pennsvlvs MIA on
the Covcruorship last fall the Democrats
ct IN. state. AT least that element led
hF The proGr-ssircs. with a. Mitcnell
Palmer at the head. rcorganized declared
The office ot national commit tecmau va
can't and proceeded To elect Guthrie 10
the place.
The question Is whether the committee
man II Guthrie or Guffy. II C;uffv IS
seated. IL will he helpful 20 Harmon for
Guny Is accounted a Harmon man, n
Guthrie Is seated. it will be a trI,Iurnh
gressive wing OF the Democratic marty
In Pennsylvania Is supporting.