The Washington herald., 1912-05-06
Taft TANDCOL0NEL
NECK AND NECK
IN MARYLAND
Outcome of To-day's Prima-
ries Anxiously Awaited
by the Managers.
BALTIMORE FOR TAFT
Roosevelt Said to Have Advantage
in Rural Distriots-Rssult
Rests on Cities.
BALTIMORE FOR TAFT

The managers Of both the Taft and
Roosevelt headquarters in Washington
are awaiting with keen interest the out
come OF the Maryland primaries to-day.
Both sides are claiming the State Some
Of the progressive Senators and Repre-
sentatives are predicting that President
Taft win be strong In Baltimore, and
that Col. Roosevelt viii probably be
ahead in the rural districts On such q
showing the President ought to be able
to control the delegation.
Maryland has always been cofserva-
tive State Although II 10 Democratic
under ordinary conditions. II has usually
opposed william ]. Bryan when he has
been candidate for President. because
OF his radical views. The President has
the support Of the State administration,
headed by Gov. Goldsborough. who is
one Of the ablest politicians In the State,
and in addition he Is supported by the
Federal ofiiceholders, who have a good
organization. and by what Is known as
the Republican organization In the State.
including the Republican members OF
Congress Charles j. Bonaparte Is the
chief reliance Of the Roosevelt organiza-
ton.
COIOred Vote Factor.
The managers OF both sides admit that
the colored vote is likely to be the de-
terminlng factor in the tight in Mary
land Doubt as to whtre II win land Is
responsible for the conflicting claims be-
ing INDUCED in by the managers on both
sides and by the confusion that exists
In the mind of the outside politicians as
10 just what win happen Undoubtedly
the result in Maryland to-day and that
in Ohio two weeks later will determine
-, a. kaar Ttaf 1a Al
Roosevelt. Unless the President is able
to maintain the lead that he gained in
Massachusetts, in the States OF Maryland
and Ohio. the chances for Col. Roose-
velt's nomination, or for the nomination
Of a third candidate viii be brighter.
In a statement issued last night d.
rector Mckinley. of the Taft bureau.
calls attention to the remarkable result
in Massachusetts He says that Presi-
dent Taft's popularity in the preference
primary as established by the fact that
about 1900 ballots cast for Taft dele
gae-a-large were declared invalid by the
election ofiicer because the voters voted
for nine instead OF eight Taft candidates,
and that II is estimated that from 1000
to 5000 Taft preferential votes were not
counted by officers on the election board
because the preference that was ex-
pressed on the ballot that was was In
validated as TO delegates. -
Decision Was Wrong.
Director Mckinley asserts that this lat
ter decision was entirely wrong because
the preferential vote was separate and
distinct from the vote for delegates.
These facts indicate q lead for President
Taft over his opponents Of at least 30
900 votes in the State. Mr.. Mckinley
has no doubt that President Taft's right
o, AL NIL 1.a - k,-
courts IL II should be necessary TO ap-
peal to them. and in view of Col. Roose-
velt's declaration that the delegates-at-
large should vote for Taft II is expect
ed that the convention will be called
upon TO seat the Taft delegates-at-larEe
unless the Roosevelt delegates consent
to abide by the preference for President
Taft that was expressed by an over
whelming majority OF the voters Of Mas
sachusetts.
Representative Mckinley claims to have
information that Democrats in large
numbers voted for Col Roosevelt in the
Massachusetts, primary. AS confirmatory
Of his information on this point Mr.. Nc
Kinley cites the small Democratic vote
cast in the primaries as evidence that the
Democrats voted for the Republican
Presidential preference rather than for
that Of their own party.
President Taft's close friends now
claim for him 4s6 votes, and they pre-
dict that he will have sixteen in Mary
land: that Nevada and Arkansas have
already taken preliminary steps" that
will give him twenty-four more, while
Washington, Idaho. and Arizona are in
sight with twenty-eight more. The Pres
ident's friends confidently claim Texas
which will have forty delegates
Ohio Next Battle Ground.
The next battle-ground on which Presi-
dent Taft and Col. Roosevelt viii contend
for delegates will be in Ohio. It is likely
that the closing days Of the campaign
in Ohio will surpass in interest the re-