The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-25
ALL EYES ARE ON
the EMPIRE STATE
Battle Royal Between Taft
and T. R. in the New
York State Primary.
National News Association

NEW YORK. March 25.-New York
State will have its Hrst voting under
it's new primary law Tuesday, and
many and varied are the predictions
being made as to the results.
The voters will choose delegates to
the State conventions that will in turn
select the delegates-at-large to the na-
tional conventions. The voters also
will directly elect delegates to the ma
tional conventions from the separate
congressional districts in the case of
the Republicans. while the district del
egates to the Democratic national con-
ventiaon will be selected by the State
convention. This difference is because
of a clause in the new State law,
which gives each party the option of
having it's district delegates to the
national convention chosen either di-
rectly by the state convention which
the voters elect.
Chief interest centers in the Repub-
Taft adherents. The Democratic end
of the primary amounts to little more
than an empty formality, SO far as it's
effect on the Presidency is concerned,
in that no matter what names on the
Democratic ballot are selected. a solid
Tammany membership controlled by
Charles F. Murphy, the Democratic
boss, will be ent to the Democratic
state convention which will choose all
the Democratic delegates to the ma
tional convention. Murphy's chief pow
~. 1ioS IN thn foot <hot h;e 1-n->S<<~o
select the names that go On the ballot
and the voter is not permitted under
the new law to vote for any mar not
named.
! Like a Real Battle.
In the Republican contest, however,
it is different there is something
more resembling a real battle. There
are only two delegates-at-large from
each State to each of the national con-
ventions, whereas New York, the big.
gest State in the Union, has a total
of Sc delegates from the separate con-
~gressional districts, two from each dis
trict. With these Sc delegates being
elected directly by the voter, the Re-
publican machine voluntarily having
relinquished its strangle-hold on the
election of all except the two dele
gates-at-large, the Republican citizen
of New York possess some real power
in deciding who shall represent them
in the national convention.
This situation naturally throws the
contest among the Republicans into
greater prominence than the Demo
cratic, and the interest in the battle
that is being waged between support.
ers of Colonel Roosevelt and President
Taft is at a high ebb as primary day
draws near.
Managers of the Taft campaign are
claiming that the national convention
delegates from all the congressional
districts except one-Roosevelt's
home district on Long Island-will be
Taft men, while the former President
| retorts don't count your chickens be,
fore they are hatched-because they
won't hatch" Colonel Roosevelt says
he also figures on a victory, but does
not make the sweeping assertions OF
the Taft partisans. The Republican or
ga%nization is enrolled on the Presi-
dents side, from State Chairman Will
liam J.. Barnes down.
A Revolving Point.
New York State has always been
looked upon as the revolving point OF
national politics, and the success or
paign for delegates from New York is
expected to indicate which way the
wind blows more than any other one