The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-27

week was bad one for the President.
failure to carry majority of the
districts In his native State weakened
MIN in other Sections OF the country.
"hero primaries are yet to be held.
According to dispatch from n .no-
cial correspondent I'm Pierre. g n
Tue recent Roosevelt victories have
practically assured control by Mr..
roosevelt of the ton delegates to he
elected from that State This Com
ago. "eNS
MIR. barnes. Potent Factor,
IN the course OF the week the Pres
iueht obtained eight delegates in
V , anu lost four from South Caro-
INA INA making his net gain four. Mr..
Roosevelt obtained thirty-four dele
gates from Ohio. which was his net
gam for tho week
SO close may the contest no ,vbor
the oelegntes assemble in Chicago thar
the thlrty-siX delegates credited m
senator La Toilette and the ten for
senator CumInins may be the KEY To
me situation. There is little likeli-
MOOD that any one of the La Folletto
men you'd cast his vote for Mr..
roosevelt in the event of a h,c.lr
because Of the treatment aceordca -
senator La Toilette by Mr. Roosevelt
mere Is II strong likelihood also
that New York. through it's state
chairman. William Barnes. Jr.. viii
occupy It position of vital importance
IN tho convention. lie is unaltsrablv
opposed TO Mr.. Roosevelt, and while
nominally for the President and do.
termined to cast as MANI vo,as -
nun as he can control, he would well
come u third candidate. Other promi-
nent leaders in New York State and
IN other States are far moro amt
roosevelt than pro-Taft, and thew
state freely that they would be glad
oi an opportunity to set both mon
aside and choose compromise pu+
whenever compromise is suggested
the readers say that the moment there
Is serious thought OF abandoning Mr..
iait great many of his delegates
Immediately will switch to Mr.. Roose
Velt. They say they have little reason
TO believe that more than handful
OF delegates in the Roosevelt column
would swing to Mr.. Taft.
In tabulating the list OF delegates
mus far chosen the Herald places
."enty-six of the forty from Texas
among the doubtfuls. This is done
because there are contests in prac
tically all the Texas districts. and
noth sides lay claim to nearly eyerv
tnlnS. Therc seems to be little doubt
that each of the leading candidates
VIII receive n fair share of the dele
cation from New York State. The
herald also places In the doubtful
column the fourteen delegates from
Washington. They were instructed
Tor the President, but the Roosevelt
faction, of equal strength. held n con-
Vention and instructed the deEelates
for Mr.. Roosevelt. Likewise arc tho
eight Massachusetts delegates at large
ciassed as doubtful. While nominally
instructed for Mr.. Roosevelt, they
technically belong to the President.
and Mr.. Roosevelt asked them to vote
for Mr.. Taft. Some of them DECLARED,
they would not do so.
Work for the Steam Roller.
There seems to be no doubt that
the great battle will be carried into
the convention and that 1t will be
one worth witnessing. AS matters now
stand, the national committee is the
important factor. and the leaders OF
noth sides are specializing as to
whether the Taft men, assuming that
they are In control when 1t meets
the old-fashloned way to use the
steam roller in the interest of tho
Presidents candidacy.
The Democratic fight Is attracting
great interest also. and with the Re-
publican contest for delegates prac-
tically finished will now doubtless re-
ccfvc more attentions. Governor Har-
mon carried his State by n substantial
vote over Governor Wilson. who. how
ever. made a very good showing, and
according to the party rule Mr.. Har-
mon will have the entire forty-eight
delegates The Herald's table does
not give him the six delegates at large
yet to be chosen, but they are as
sured for him. They Will be elected
next week.
Virginia elected thirty delegates
with n voting strength of twenty-four
Two are instructed for Governor Will
son, two and hair are presumably
for Representative Underwood, one
for Speaker Clark, and one for Gov
ernor Harmon. Tho Heralds table
places all except tho two instructed
for Governor Wilson IN the doubtful