Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-26
Maintains That Recent Claims OF
Strength Are Entitled
to Respect.
DENIES BEINGOVER SANGUINE
Republicans Will Garry the Solid
East, He Says, and Enough OF
Central and Western
States to Win.

New York Sept. 2i-President Tart IN
n prepared interview issued tonight de-
clared that his recent claims OF strength
were entitled to respect. lie repeated
that he believed he would be elected
and gave his reasons for denying that
ne had been over sanguine. He analysed
the political situation as he saw 1t.
maintaining that the regular republic
cans would carry the solid East. and
hold enough Of the central and west
ern States to win.
The President made these statements
at the home of his brother, Henry w.
Taft. where he went on his arrival
from Washington late to-day and re-
ce,ved a number of his friends and
political associates, The Presidents in
terview follows:
when | declared. a few weeks aso
that I felt reasonably sure of my own
reelection in November and of the sue
cess of the Republican party. l was
regarded by some as entirely over
sanguine, and unaware of the situation.
To-day, however after number of In
dications that the Republican party is
still the dominant party and that the
expected growth of democratic strength
has failed to materalize, my early dec
laraton is shown to be entitled to re-
spect. The republican necessarily will
have a reduced majority over 1908 be-
cause Of the presence of three tickets
in the field, but the Democratic party
will suffer also. The combined strength
of the third term party will not be
enough to change the ultimate result
STRONGER HOLD ON EAST
Five or six weeks ago it was asserted
generally that the Republican party would
secure the vote of the solid East, including
all of the New England States. will
the exception of Maine and Vermont
that the Democratic party would main
tain its hold on the solid South. and tina
the third term party would secure tbs
solid West, leaving only the middle Yves
as debatable ground To-day. with tn,
election still one month away, the Re
publican party finds itself with
strengthened hold on the solid East. hav
ing routed the third term party in Yer
mont, and the Democratic party in Maine
The third term leaders recently concede,
that we would pick the State of Utal
out of the solid West, and, after con
ferring with Chairman Elles and other
son to believe that the Republican part
will carry Michigan Washington, Idah
and Wyoming. Moreover, If the prope
Kind Of a campaign is waged, we wi
carry oregon, Kansas and Minnesota
where the third term strength has rapid
~ waned since the recent tour throug
that section by the party's candidate.
Il am not familiar with the develor
HOY ,It
many good reports have come to me a
Beverly concerning them, but even wit
the States already mentioned it can b
seen that there is no longer a solid Yves
tack of the new party. but, more nearl!
p solid West reunited in support of tn
republican ticket. This strength adde
to the indisputable republican hold on tn
eastern States. constitutes, in itself,
sufficient strength to give success to tn
party.
NEED TO CARRY HOUSE.
1T is scarcely necessary for me to poin
to the necessity of re-establishing Il re
publican majority in the House of Rep
resentatves. If this Is done, feel conf
dent that I will be able to have placed o