The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-14
TAFT MUST WIN ON FIRST BALLOT
 OR NOT AT ALL
If Convention Is Deadlocked Taft Men Will Immediate ly Seek to Land Compro- mise Candidate.

Chicago. June 14-Declaring that the drift of the delegates from President Taft had started, Senator Dixon, man. ager for Colonel Roosevelt, declared, delegates. whose identity he didn't reveal but who are considered pledg- cd Taft men, assured him that they will vote for Colonel Roosevelt.
 When this was communicated to Congressman Mckinley, manager for Taft, he asked if the names of the delegates had been given. Told they had, not, he said:
 Bluff. pure and simple! When Dix on gives you the name of a southern delegate who was either instructed or pledged to Taft and who has gone we will see whether we can match it."
 It developed that the Taft plan in this connection Is most elaborate. During the last week, William Barnes Jr.. and other managers of the Taft boom have been busy with the unin- ed a list of men who have agreed to vote for the President. In order to offset assertions from the south, and there is now no longer any conceal ment of the fact that some are expect ed by the Taft managers. names Of uninstructed delegates who have pledged themselves to vote for the President will be made public to off, set the Roosevelt gains.
 The names of these men however, will be withheld to pass out as they are needed.
 The Taft managers insisted, today, that they did not fear the appearance here of Roosevelt. tomorrow after noon. They insisted that they .con- sidered it a sign of weakness.
 "Our position is this" said one of McKinley's closest adherents. We know that Dixon was sent here to in. timidate our leaders-bosses they call them. He tried this. He denounced our best party men as crooks and thieves in public while at the same time he,, through mutual friendships, was trying to have them abandon their party loyalty and swing over to they trse en xor the the small party leaders, the men who carry the hod' in the localities. Again there was nothing doing. Now Colonel Roosevelt comes to work on the feelings of the individuals. How successful he will be remains to be of the rank and file of the delegates are as much Taft man at heart and organization men at heart aS are the leaders assembled here"
 Although this was the Taft position, who frankly admitted that the Pres ident's only hope of the nomination lies in having the votes on the first ballot. If he cannot get the nomina- ton on this first test he will be out of the running. His hiSh water mark of strength will be reached on the first roll call.
 If the convention is deadlocked the Taft men will immediately seek to land a compromise candidate, who will meet their desires in the matter of conservatism.
 cancy in President Taft's cabinet. Secretary Nagel is being openly crit icised by the Taft men for the fail- ure of the Missouri contest on the delegatee-At-large. It was his state cepted whereby the votes at large from the Houn' Dog State were to be divided that caused the Taft men to bolt and hold their trump convention.
 Senator Miles Poindexter. of Wash ington, reached here, today, to appear for the Roosevelt delegates from that state is taken up. He declared that the Roosevelt men had an ab- solutely perfect case but that if it followed precedent the committee would put them out of business.
 Secretary. Hilles. after counting today, made the flat claim that the Taft men would control the commit. tee on credentials. He said that they will have 8 out of the 52 members of this committee. which will pass on the contests. If the Taft men have this vote, they will make the tempor- ary roll permanent.
 When Mckinley was told that Roosevelt was leaving New York for this city, this afternoon, he merely smiled and said:
 "Well, the Colonel has not told me that he is coming.''
 Secretary aiiles said, this afternoon, that Senator Root will arrive in Chi cago this afternoon. He will brtns with him the rough draft of the plat form which the Taft forces will try to havA the. convention accept