Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-14
LITTLE TO COUNTERFEIT
ZEAL OF HIS OPPONENTS
Neither Of the Leading Candidates
Has Dependable Majority.
ROOSEVELT TO TAKE THE FIELD
His Friends Planning Tremendous
Demonstration Upon His Arrival
in Convention City to Man
age His Campaign.
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

BY N. o. MESSENGER.
CHICAGO, June 1.-THE most critical
stage OF this campaign is reached today.
1t Is a hair-trigger situate President
Tafts denomination hangs by thread.
a few truths, unpleasant as they may
sound to the Presidents friends, must
be told IL one proposes to give fair and
| unbiased account OF happening events.
The Presidents greatest menace at this
moment Is the lukewarmness of some OF
the people who are for him sincerely and
others who are concerned IN killing off
Roosevelt as their first consideration, with
the Presidents interests secondary.
These men are not inspired with a
fierce zeal which characteriZes the
Rooseveltians for their idol. They may
not choose to stand the gaH when II Is
thrown into them. They are being ham,
nlered by folks at home constantly with
demands that attention must be paid TO
the effect of the conventions work upon
the local political campaigns
In the opposing camp is found an en-
thusiastic array of men who have def
mite object as their first consideration
the nomination Of Roosevelt. There are
some small jealousies among them. 1t is
true. due to the eagerness Of SO many to
DE Tile l6dQcI. buL IL NOOSCNClt SchSc
to town those small envies will be IRON
ed out, for Roosevelt will be the leader
Thus you have the mental process and
ph5 sical makeup of the contending
forces. Now, bear in mind that neither
candidate has a majority OF the con-
ven,ion upon which he can absolutely
depend Each CLAIMS to have a majority
on paper-but at that 1t is very small.
Result Depends on Defections.
The game will be won by de.ections and
desertions from one camp or the other.
The newspaper correspondents who try
| to keep cool heads do not pick the win
ner. They are not gifted with Divine
| presence. II they were they would lay
down their pens and clean up a fnillion
dollars in Wall street playing the out
| come.
| The Roosevelt men are thoroughly
aware Of the mushy consistency of part
o. the Taft line OF defense. When the
delegations arrive the Roosevelt people
! intend to hurl column after column of
| iron -fisted. enthusiastic partisans at the
| weak sections of the enemy's line.
| These are the considerations which
warrant the opening statement that the
campaign is set on hair trigger.
"Who threw that monkey wrench into
| the works Of the steam roller? was the
| dtemayed cry of the Taft rank and file
When they learned of the action OF the
national committee in the Missouri case.
while loud shouts of ju-.,ation echoed in
| the Roosevelt headquarters.
Nagel Mainly Responsible.
It developed that it was Secretary
Nagel of the Department OF Commerce
and Labor who was mainly responsible
for the fluke by which Taft lost four
votes in the convention and the Roose-
velt people, in addition. gained one vote
on the all-desired credentials committee.
and it is claimed he was authorized by
Taft TO do it.
When Nagel left the committee old
men on the committee said: why should
We stand up here as target and be shot
to pieces when a member OF the Presi-
dents official family quits?''
But another controlling reason for the
decision is the understanding that by this
compromise deadly factional fight IN
Nj ssouri is likely to be ameliora ed and
the republicans Of that state put IN bet
ter shape for tse elections next fall
The pre- spective complexion of the Gre
dentiais committee indicates twenty-nine
Taft and twenty-four Roosevelt men on
the committee, barring unforeseen changes.
II is pointed out that minority report
signed by twenty-four men cannot easily
be whiS.led down the wind.
The Roosevelt managers are bending
every effort to securing more men on the
credentials committee. Particular atten-
tion Is being paid by them to the terri
torial and the District of Columbia dele
cations, but Aaron Bradshaw declares
that he and Calvin Chase will stand firm
for Taft.
The announcement of Roosevelts COM
ing and the action in the Missouri case
set the T. r. people up considerably to-
day and they are very sprightly and pert
as the day begins. In the Taft camp 1t
is acknowledge that things do not look
so bright but they say they expected
some bad days and are taking their medi-
cine with as good grace as possible.
Vociferous Greeting for Roosevelt.
The Roosevelt men propose to tear the
town wide OPEN when their chief arrives.
with a reception along his favorite lines.
Some of them want him to ride his horse
through the Congress lobby and register
from the saddle.
In their attempts to break the adminis-
tration lines the Roosevelt forces have
met with unexpected rebuffs. The public
charge made by Director Mckinley OF the
Taft campaign that an attempt was be-
south has had double effect. 1t fright
ened the men In the camp Of the oppo-
sition who had been designated to look
out for Soathern delegates and II also
inclined to negotiate
Detectives have been following men sent
into southern states and have reported
daily by wire to the Taft headquarters.
The public discussion of the attempt to
buy southern delegates has brought about
a situation where any delegate who dis
regards his instructions VIII have TO do
a lot Of explaining.
Southern Republicans Aroused.
The delegates from that section Of the
country are. with rare exceptions. men
Of high character. This talk OF corrup-
ton has aroused the southern republicans
in every state. They resent the imputa-
ton put on the southern delegates by
the supporters Of the third term can
didate.
Delegates from the south are coming
to realize that IL this convention
should develop any scandal with re-
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