The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-04-08
THE TAFT MACHINE
IN A PANIC
(By Winfield Jones'

w doAAu6buHi apAtl o. ne 4 at ma
chine in Pennsylvania, which realizes
that if Taft is nominated his election
is extremely doubtful, is in a panic.
All the republican bosses of Pennsyl-
yania are members of the Taft ma
chine.
Sensational details of the scare leak
ed out following political dinner
held in Washington recently by Penn
sylvania machine leaders. Nominally
it was a social affair; a dinner by Sen
ator Oliver in honor of Governor Tener
and his staff In fact it was a politi-
cal conference of significance, and the
significance was most disturbing to
the bosses. 81
About forty prominent Pennsylvan
ians ATTENDED, all big guns in the state
machine of which Senator Penrose is
head. After the dinner the senior
Senator planted himself on a lounge
and his lieutenants gathered about
him for conference, reports and ex-
change Of views.
The reports were of such disturbing
character as to justify the belief that
the Pennsylvania organization will de-
eide not to insist on instructions for
Taft, but instead will be contented to
get a delegation that will be willing to
survey the situation at Chicago and
deal with it as may seem best for gen
eral party interests.
The main. difficulty is that many
Pennsylvania people with memories
long enough, to go back to the Berry,
and especially the Pattison, campaigns
are fearful that the state will go dem
ocratic this year if Taft is nominated.
Conversation about Pennsylvania go
ing democratic of course, sounds
good deal like discussion of Santo Do
mingo capturing Gibraltar but these
Pennsylvania politicians talk about
just that thing, and they look worried
when they are reminded of it as
promising conversational theme.
It seems that Auditor General Sis
son made sorry report to rPenrpse'
on conditions in the Erie-Crawford dis
trict in northwest Pennsylvania. He
has been given general charge of the
state machines fight there, and he
told Senator Penrose frankly that the
thing looked bad The farmers silnp-
ly would not listen to Taft talk. The
conditions in the industrial centers
would be no better but for the chance
of coercion of employees by employers.
State Treasurer Wright, who comes
fro mthe northeast part of the state,
"a farming section, made a like report
He didn't see how the farmers We're to
be lined up for Taft They wanted
Roosevelt, and were determined toI
send Roosevelt delegates.
Then came State Commissioner of
Highways E. M. Bigelow, who has
charge of the fight in ore of the Pitts
burg districts. The Oliver machine
there is trying to defeat William Finn
and his colleagues, who are running
for delegates on the Roosevelt ticket,
Bigelow told the big boss that he had
the fight of his life on his hands. The
Roosevelt organization has the sup
port of Mayor Magee. and there seems
to be no chance unless the old system
of forcing employees Of big industries
to vote as their bosses demand is
pressed with more vigor and success
than ever before.
Several Philadelphia districts were
admitted to be in bad shape, with the
chances against Taft; but the even
ings discussions turned on the ques-
tion of using the power of the city
plus the coercive power of
certain large employers, to save the
day for Taft by permitting an express
sion of real sentiment
The organization throughout the
state has been embarrassed by the
of the Roosevelt people, who
proposed that each delegates ticket
be labeled; the Roosevelt nominees to
be marked For. Roosevelt and the
Taft nominees For Taft The ma
chine didn't want anything of the sort, |
and had opposed, all over the state,
the effort to affix labels. However,
out in Washington county an anti
bench. when the question
came up on application for court or
der, directed that the For Roosevelt
label should be attached. This is the
first decision on this question, and if
added to the worries of the organiza- |
tion forces.
Out of these considerations of bad
conditions, the Penrose organization |
Is evolving, according to report, a plan
for getting uninstructed delegates |
who will be loyal to the machine, and |
then, at the national convention, go