The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-10
Iowa For Taft-a Fact

SfOuA Sily JouTudl. Last week S
caucuses and conventions settled
definitely the complexion of the Iowa
Republican state convention to be
held at Cedar Rapids on Wednesday.
April "a. The Cedar Rapids conven-
ton will be for Taft. and viii senn
four delegates at large to the Republi-
can national convention instructed for
him.
The color of the district delegations
already has been defined. although
some of the delegates will not be
elected until the day of the state con-
vention. or the eleven districts the
President will control six-the First,
Second, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and
Ninth. The twelve delegates from
these districts plus the four delegates
at large will give the President six
teen of Iowa's twenty-six delegates.
TWO districts-the Third and Seventh,
the latter Senator Cummins' home
district. have already held conventions
and instructed their four delegates
for Cummins. County conventions
remain to be held in the Fourth.
Tenth and Eleventh districts. Unless
Senator Cummins should withdraw
before the holding of the district con.
ventions the probability is that these
three districts will remain LOYAL to
his candidacy, making total of ten
votes for Cummins in comparison to
the Presidents total of sixteen.
These ten votes are the only ones
the Iowa candidate will get in the
national convention, if, as is conf
IDENTITY predicted, the nomination goes
TO President Taft on the first ballot.
The statement that control of the
state convention has been won by the
President is not a claim. It is a
statement of fact based on plain
figures. In table printed yesterday
morning The Journal gave the cor
rect score OF the Iowa county and
caucus results to date. II included
the apportionment of delegates in all
counties where the result had been
decided-eight-seyen in all. The
table. which was prepared with con-
seryatism from the Ta,t viewpoint.
gave the President 76i votes in the
state convention, or twenty more than
the al votes constituting a clear
majority OF the convention. Where
uninstructed delegates were recorded
for Taft it was on the strength of
information regarded as absolutely
reliable. Since the table was printed
reports from Cedar county show THAI
Taft has surely carried the caucuses
there and vii. control. the county
convention two TO one. This adds
thirteen votes to the Taft score,
increasing his margin TO thirty-three.
The issue between Taft and Cum
minis remains TO be decided in eleven
counties While most of them have
been normally pro-Cummins, the Taft
managers are sure of materially in
creasing their score before the last
county has recorded its preference.
With the certainty that Taft will con.
troll the state convention, and with
the practical certainty of his nomina.
ton at Chicago growing palmer every
DAY. II would not be surprising to find
the Taft gains in the remaining
counties much more substantial than
If the bandwagon element were lack
ing. Even if the factional line is
drawn as tightly as may be until the
finish, Taft's clear majority in the
state convention should run from 81
TO loo delegates.
The +fayoritc som candidacy was
a mistake. II has ended the was
mistakes usually end. in confusion
and humiliation for the makers
With the passing OF the crisis OF the
fight It would be well for Iowa Re
publicans 10 begin thinking about
putting their house In order and try
Ing TO GET their republication adjust
ed 10 meet the national test that will
come Letter.