Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-04
LEADERS GATHERING
FOR THE CONVENTION
CONTINUED From Page ~

he loses and still retain his presiden-
| tial dignity. The cry would go up that
he was peeved because a second term
wasn't on the platter and that public
demand meant nothing to him.
On the other hand, the Roosevelt
men would have everything to win by
walking out, in event their predictions
do not come true 1t would be Mr.. T.
Roosevelt, private citizen, walking
out. With him would go that faction
known as progressives, and he could
go before the public and charge his
actions to the refusal Of southern Of
ficeholdiug delegates to obey the pop
ular clamor. He would also urge that
the party had outgrown it standpat
conservative attributes and that a
new political era was at hand.
First Roll Call Crisis.
Politicians generally agree upon one
point, and that is that the real crux
of the situation will be the first bal
lot-the roll call for temporary chair
men. If a bolt is to come 1t will be at
| that time.
This vote means practically every
thing. The national committee, which
hears the squabbles over contested
|, seats this week, is with Taft, heart
and soul. A number Of the committee
men went down with the Taft banner
| in their respective states, among
these being Franklin Murphy, New
Jersey; Victor Rosewater, Nebraska;
David w. Mulvane, Kansas; Ralph p.
Williams, Oregon, and Arthur Vorys
of Ohio. Having gone the route so far
they will hardly take a side track
now. 1t means that Taft will get a
goodly share of the contested seats.
These delegates designated by the
committee will be seated in the tenn
porary organization. They will select
the credentials and resolutions COM
mittee and help name the permanent
chairman If they are in sufficient
numbers, added to the delegates in
structed for the president, they will
control the convention.
Root Selection Test.
The Roosevelt forces will know
where they stand on the roll call for
Temporary chairman. If they have not
sufficient delegates at hand to depose
Elihu Root, the Taft selection for
temporary chairman, they may feel
assured that in the remainder of the
convention proceedings they will be
in the minority on every question.
This is likely to cary out even as far
as the presidential nomination itself,
and knowing this, the Roosevelt lead
ers say it would be political suicide
for the coloneps managers to permit
his name to go before the conven-
ton.
The Roosevelt managers, without a
doubt if they contemplate boiling, will
take this vote as the signal to break
camp and hunt other, quarters for a
trump" convention. Of course, this
means in event they are defeated, and
the Roosevelt managers, while they
are warily preparing things so they
can hold a little meeting all Of their
own in event it becomes necessary,
are by no means admitting defeat.
They insist the first ballot will insure
the colonels election.
| The southern delegations as in
! former years, are in the limelight and
this time they are the keynote Of the
situation. If the Roosevelt claim that
Is per cent of those believed to be
for Taft have been won over, the
nomination of Roosevelt is assured
If those SOuthernerS, majority Of
whom are Taft officeholders, stand
nat, and the contests are determined
as politicians predict they will be
the president will be the choice again
of the regular convention.
La Toilette a Factor.
/ LaFollette's thirty-six delegates also
figure to no small degree in the gos
sip. It is probable that the senator
| will be able to control the Wisconsin
! delegation, but what attitude the Da
kota crowd will take is a matter O.
much conjecture. Thirty-six delegate:
thrown either way, may be the bal
ance of power in event the vote
stands as close as has been predicted
Mrs. Elenor Beggs Dead.
} Douds-Leando, June 3.-The dealt
Y i