Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-07
Taft Has 63 State Con-
vention Votes and
Colonel IS.
TAKES SIS TO CONTROL
Presidents Friends Are Still
Hopeful of Securing the
States Support.

Baltimore. May Returns from
the Maryland primaries today give
Roosevelt 66 delegates to the state con-
vention, and more than the majority
necessary for control. Incomplete
democratic returns give Clark 72, Will
son A, Harmon 4, with 8 still unset
tied
This means Roosevelt and Clark will
take from Maryland to the national
convention a solid block of l6 votes.
Estimates of the preferential vote of
the state as a whole give Roosevelt
majority over Taft of less than 1000.
Clark's plurality over Wilson is 1000.
Baltimore, Md, May Mary
lands 16 votes in the national con-
ventions will be cast for Theodore
Roosevelt and Speaker Champ Clark
to be heard from change the result
registered yesterday by the states
first presidential primaries.
Although the result was close and
Colonel Roosevelt on the face Of the
returns had but one more than the
number of votes necessary to con-
troll the state convention, the latest
count last night did not materially
change the result indicated before
midnight.
The primaries divided the dele
gates to the state convention as fol-
lows:
Republicans-Roosevelt, Sc; Taft,
SO.
Democrats-Clark 70; Wilson, "A;
Harmon, 4.
Majority necessary to control the
convention, 65.
The state delegates elected are
bound to choose delegation to the
national convention favorable to the
presidential candidates for whom the
people yesterday expressed their
preference.
Both the apparently successful
candidates swept Baltimore.
CLARK LEADS ALL THE WAY.
Speaker Clark led steadily from
the time the first returns arrived
from the Baltimore wards. Early in
the evening 1t looked as if Colonel
Roosevelt would win by an equally
big majority but shortly before mid
night returns from the strong Taft
counties in southern and eastern
Maryland put the president sud
denly ahead with SO delegates
TO his opponents 61 1t was
Prince Georges county that decided.
Both sides claimed its five points un-
til conclusive returns shortly before
midnight placed it in the Roosevelt
column.
The Taft leaders claim that the five
Taft delegates chosen in Baltimore
city, although obliged by their re-
strictions to vote for Roosevelt, may
give the Taft sympathizers control
of the state convention and enable
them to elect delegates to the ma
tional convention who would be ready
to abandon Roosevelt as soon as re-
leased from the obligation imposed
fy the law. Such a situation might
arise at the national convention, they
say, if several ballots failed to result
in choice.
COLONEL PLEASED.
New York, May When Roosevelt
was informed of the indications he
had carried the Maryland primaries.
he smiled. and said: Maryland went
right. am pleased, but have nothing
else 10 say"
SPLITS IN TEXAS.
Dallas, May Numerous splits
in the republican county conventions
of Texas were indicated in the first
returns today. The first six counties
reported three split conventions. Of
the other three conventions two in
structed for Taft and one for Roose-
welt.
Seven democratic conventions
we're heard from. They gave in the
state convention: Wilson, 2I votes;
Harmon, Is; Clark. 2.
TWO ARKANSAS DELEGATIONS.
Little Rock, Ark, May Failure to
reach agreement among the Taft and |
Roosevelt factions will result in re |
publican state conventions" here TODAY 1
Two sets Of delegates will be sent to I
Chicago
RECOUNT HELPS ROOSEVELT.
Boston, Mass, May 7.-Recounts
Of the vote for deIegates-at-large
pledged to President Taft cast at the .
primaries last Tuesday
were completed and reported last
night from nine cities, including
Boston and one town. The returns 1
showed falling of of 167 votes over
the figures as announced at the close
Of the polls and a consequent gain
rnr The Rnnsprelf n