Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-06-06
BRYAN FORECASTS
CHICAGO OUTCOME
Believes Roosevelt Bolt Prob
able, and a Taft Bolt
Possible.
Once BOSOM FRIENDS,
NOW BlTTEREsT ENEMIES
No Feud Among Mountaineers
Ever More Deadly in Effect
on Them"
BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.

-
"opyrlsht' 1912 by the Newspaper Enter
prise ASSN
Inc Chicago convention promises to be
the most exciting ever held in the history
OF the country, provided, of course, there
Is no surrender before the battle. Never
before have We had "a President, fighting
Tor a second term, pitted against an ex-
PRESIDENT lighting for a third term. This
alone would make it a battle of giants.
out an inexhaustible quantity of red fire
Is supplied for the celebration by the
iact that the contestants, once bosom
friends, are bitter enemies.
Whatever may be the cause of the feud,
there is no doubt that a feud exists, and
no feud among mountaineers has ever
been more deadly in its effect ON partici-
pants and innocent bystanders.
In a street duel a stray bullet some
times strikes a passerby, but in this case
several hundred thousand oficeholders-
not to speak of al army of aspirants-
have had their hopes riddled and their
bread and butter filed with fragments of
exploded shells.
In steculating as to the outcome of the
convention one must have considerable
latitude. AT the present, it looks like
two conventions, If Mr.. Taft's supporters
have the courage to do all that Is in their
power.
TIL refusal of the committee to honor
Mr.. Roosevelt's request for $50 tickets
indicates they AVE the animus to fight,
but haves they the courage to carry tho
fight to the last ditch? They had the law
on their side, the law of precedent-when
they gave 300 tickets to the President and
refused the ex-President, but the law is
never invoked between friends. Men are
OF outs when they go to law.
Mr.. Taft has control of the national
committee. The committee can seat
enough of the Taft delegates to give him
a majority of the convention-and there
will be about as much to be said In favor
of the Taft delegates from the south as
can be said for Mr.. Roosevelt's delegates
from that section. for Republican dele
gates from the south, whether they sup
port Taft or Roosevelt, represent, as a
rule, only what patronage can corrupt Or
money can buy.
There are two questions to be ans
wered. Whoever can answer them cor
Itclly can iOTtleil b1G ItSulI NJ 1ulCdRO.
First: Will President Taft dare to use
che machinery which he controls? IL he
does-and the machine doesn't break-he
can take his southern delegations and,
with a minority of the delegates from the
north, nominate himself.
Does he want that kind of a nomina
ton? And will he risk what Mr.. Roose-
welt may then do? IF the ex-President
would announce in advance that he would
abide by the decision of thet convention
he would not have much chance to secure
q nomination.: he might as well go to
Africa.)
The second question is: What will Mr..
Roosevelt do IL his contesting delegates
are denied seats? VIII he take a major
ity of the delegates from the north, re-
pair to another hall, seat his contesting
delegates from the south and then pro-
coed to nominate himself?
That. would seem to be his purpose, IL
indications and threats amount to auy-
thing. If the combatants are left to
themselves 1t is safe to guess that Mr..
Roosevelt will be a candidate-either the
nominee of the regular convention or the
nominee of a boiling convention.
But there Is q tnlru course. Inc ne
publican National Committee is composed
of men who, whatever their attachments
TO particular individuals, are still more
attached to the Republican party, and
they have it in their power to determine
The action of the convention. The com
mittee will know how many uncontested
delegates Mr.. Roosevelt has. how many
uncontested delegates Mr.. Taft has and
how many delegates Senators Cummins
and La Toilette have.
If, as is probable. Mr.. Roosevelt does
not have enough ~uncontested delegates
to give him a majority of the conven-
ton, the committee may seat enough of
Mr.. Taft's delegates to make his strength
equal to Mr.. R~oosevelt's, and leave the
balance of power in the hands of Cum
Minis and La Toilette. In that case the
door is open for all sorts of compromises.
Taft and Cummins might be the result,
or Cummins and La Toilette might be
able to force the nomination of a dark
horse, provided always, Mr.. Roosevelt
doesn't bolt.
All things considered, I would say, If
! were inclined to speculate, but ] am
not
p. s.-Suppose Mr.. Roosevelt is NOM
mated either by the regular convention