The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-12-20
SPLIT AND TORN
The Grand Old Party Seams to be In a
aDad Hay Eren Ialsrnal Rows
TAFT WANTS JOB AGAIN


to Garry the Co;crs Of His Party
Once More, Hoping for Success
But Teddy is Being Brought to
the Front.
Willis J. Abbot, il letter from
Washington to The State, says II one
mag Judge the temper OF the Repuo-
licans Of the countr: by the denean-
or OF their representatives who gath
cred to attend the national COM
nittee meeting in Washington, it IS
one Of 6issention, doubt and dlstrusl.
True the committee is strongly for
Taft. That is to bc expected since
the men composing it were chosen
by the same delegates that nominated
Taft in Chicago three years ago. But
there are enough anti-Tafr men pres
ent to give the opposition resonant
and q compelling voice. IN fact the
bulk Of the talking is done by that
element.
But when the talking is done this
is about the conclusion which the
cool-heade6 man who has listened to
it all will have reached; President
Taft is determined to be renominated
and believes he can be reelected. For
denomination he will have all the
Southern delegates, his own State de-
spite the outbreak o: State Chairman
Brown, and the larger industrial
States, like New York, Pennsylvania
and Illinois. In his own State ne
has the national committeeman, A.
L. Vorvs, and the federal machine
to defend him against Walter Brown,
James R. Garfield and the remains
Of the old Roosevelt machine.
Be it known that Vorys is highly
esteemed as a politician in the po-
rtical circles OF Washington. Brown,
on the other hand, led his party to
disaster in his home town of Toledo,
and in the State. He is looked upon
as an ally Of tBoss" Cox Of Cincin-
rati, who also went down 1s defeat
before the charge Of the Harmon leg
ions. Garfield was Overwhelmingly
beaten in northern Ohio. Indeed the
ant;-Taft forces in the Buckeye State
seem about equally compounded OF
discomfort and defeat. It IS wholly
probable that under the new primary
law the Ohio delegation may be split.
In both parties split delegations will
be the feature Of the convention.
But few people believe that Ohio will
wholly forsake its president.
A committeeman from State
neighboring to Ohio said to me that
the weakess Of the insurgent forces
lay in their lack of a candidate. He
happened to be Taft supported, but
the same thing is being said privately
BY many men who on the surface are
proponents Of La Toilette, and even
by many who are for him to the end,
but expect the end to be only defeat.
The anti-Taft feeling is stronger than
the feeling for anybody. On every
hand you hear regret that the insur-
gents in their Chicago conference for
PRINCIPLES and leave the selection Of
2 candidate 10 time and the march
Of events. At present they are IN the
position Of having shattered party be-
lief in the possibility Of Taft's cleo
ton, without having built up conf
dence in the candidacy OF anyone
else.
Roosevelt The talk about him is
curious in it's diversity. Observers
have been commenting upon the fact
that the men who are insisting now
or Taft's nomination are, in the main
those who under the name OF the Al
lies fought his nomination at Chi
cago. Those are to man against La
Toilette. but curiously enough many
are friendly to Rooseelt. Curiously,
400. you will find but few Of the II
reconciiaole insurgents shouting the
Roosevelt praise. They are content
to speak reservedly Of his vartues and
lay great stress on his refusal to be
2 candidate. They don't want him
as a candidate. They don't even want
him as a president.
IN my State said national COM
mitteeman not friendly to Taft, a
direct primary with presidential
preference expressed would probably
be carried by Roosevelt. Everybody
knows his name. There are enough
of his old machine workers left to
see that he gets fair treatment at
rhe polls. But all the same he would
not be the strongest in the election,
even in the States that Endorsed him
Al the primaries. Lots OF people vote
m the election that 40 not vote a
the primaries and they are usually
the sober, level headed business men
who influence votes beside their own.
And lots OF men who vote at the
primaries vote very differently in the
election.
"They are usually the sort Of hasty
enthusiasts whose natural inclination
is to vote for the spectacular can
didate, but who in the period OF
thought between a nomination and
election are apt to materially change
their views. Probably in the demo
cratic party Bryan could carry many
States il presidential primary
where he would not poll two-thirds OF
his party votes in the election.
think this fact Of tie lack Of exact
correspondence between primary
strength and election day strength is
the reason why old politicians dis
trust the presidential preference sys,
TEN. Taey think it less likely to re-
suit in the nomination Of q strong