The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-19
Sets Aside Rumors of His
Supporting Any of the
Dark Horses
VERY MUCH PLEASED
AT DRIFT IN TkNAS
His Friends Tell Him That
He Must Show Strength
Before He Can Get
the South

OYSTER BAY. y. Y, Feb. IS
Colonel Roosevelt is not precnlng
James r. Garfield for the presiden-
tiai nomination.
He is not working for Garfield any
more than for President TAFT. he is
working for Roosevelt.
The colonel made this plain today
when asked about the story that he
was keeping Garfield tucked away
in the background, tn spring as the
progressive candidate TOR the nomi-
nation later on.
'.Ha, ha, ha." laughed the colonel.
so they've put me down now as
switching from Pinchot to Garfield :;
that's funny.
Il suppose soon they'll have me
supporting Ballinger as comprom-
Use candidate.
"AIl these stories are perfectly
ridiculous. the ex-peresident Went
on. Il don't see how they crop up,
First I'm suportint one possibility.
and then another, its sheer tteff-
sense"
Pleased at Texas.
Roosevelt was pleased al getting
word from Texas that his ardent sup
porter. Cecil Lyon. national State
committeeman. Is winning out in his
fight to prevent a Taft delegation
from being sent to Chicago. 1t made
the colonel chuckle when he heard
that President Taft had chosen ii.
+. MacGregor to lead the TAFT cam
paign in Texas, instead of Lyon. T'te
colonel has word that Lyon has made
such inroads on the administrator
strength in Texas that 1t Is almost
a certainty that a solid Roosevelt del
egation will march into the Chicaga
convention hall.
While the reports from Texas are
encouraging. and Roosevelt has aise
heard Of gains for him In Western
part of South Carolina. and in Miss
issippi, ii is known that he is not
counting too much on the Solid South
for Chicago delegates.
South Must BE shown.
The colonel's workers beyond the
Mason and Dixon line report that the
Republican machines. almost without
exception, are under control of the
administration, through the Federal
office appointees. Unless these ap-
pointeees see chance of Roosevelt
capturing formidable array of del
egntes from the North. he is inf )rmed
they will not think of Topping to him
The only hope Roosevelt has to sci
a fair crop OF Southern delegates Ii
to show that he Is likely to be nomi.
mated Ii he can develop susticien,
strength to indicate that he may hope
his managers in the South tell him
he may break down the Taft support
there. The colonel thus far has been
able 10 get only two delegates. these
from Alabama. out of the 2s elected
from the South in this convention
fight
Roosevelt leaves here Tuesday FOR
\ w York in time to see some of his
political friends before he stars tor
Columbus that night. He said To-
day that he will not touch upon his
candidacy in his Columbus speech. II
will deal entirely with a declaration
of his latest revised progressive prin-
ciples. and may be regarded as his
platform in the anti-convention
scrape. 1t is possible the ex-presi-
dent may speak from the rear or the
train as ii passes through Cleveland
en- his return "Wednesday night. He
will remain in New York after get.
ting back from Columbus. until Sat
nrday right When be makes mis-. tour,
day trip to Roston.
Mrs Roosevelt is to start next Sat
urday on prolonged trip to Panama
After her departure the colonel vii
plunge into the critical period Of his
fight for his candidacy.