The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-05-10
Taft IS ENCOURAGED
PRESIDENTS FRIENDS HOLD NO
DOUBTS AS TO HIS RE.
NOMINATION IN JUNE.
CERTAIN HE WILL WIN.
Claim Convention Strength a. Regards
Delegates 10 %66.-No Reference
Made to the Possibilities In
Maryland Primaries.

Washington, d. G. = The confidence
that is felt by those who are close tc
President Taft that he will certainly
win the Republican presidential nom
ination at the Chicago convention, ID
shown In a summary made by thos>
who are fully advised Of the situation
as 1t 10 viewed at the White House
and Independent Of the Taft campaign
bureau.
No reference Is made In this sum.
mary to the possibilities in the Mary.
land presidential primaries.
The summary Of the results up to
this time, and the prospects for the
immediate future. as made by the
presidents close friends is, briefly, as
follows:
bringing him w1khin reach of his
goal. the political developments of last
week have been of striking Importance
to President Taft and his followers.
Massachusetts spoke the deciding
word and carried the campaign for re-
nomination beyond the critical stage.
With rs of the Bay States So votes
conceded to the president, and with
46 Of the ~ delegates elected in the
course OF the week instructed for or
pledged to him, President Taft is now
within easy reach Of victory.
The weeks accessions brought his
convention strength to 466. Maryland
is expected to give him 1s more; Ne
vada and Arkansas have already gone
through the preliminaries that will
give him "a more. Washington. Idaho
and Arizona are In sight with % more;
the Texas preliminaries point to TAFT
control Of q large majority of the
states delegation of 40-all of which,
without taking into consideration what
the president may secure in Califor.
MIA Kansas. Wyoming, Montana, Ohio.
Minnesota, New Jersey, North Caro-
lima, and other district conventions
which are certain to give him his
share, bring him considerably beyond
the total of $40 which will be re-
quired to nominate at the Chicago
convention in June.
"Mr. Roosevelt now has 232 votes
pledged or instructed; II he were to
get all that are yet to be chosen, ex.
elusive OF Arkansas and Nevada, he
yet could not secure enough votes to
bring about his nomination. BY next
week the possibility OF all combina-
tons against the president will have
passed"
A statement was given out by d.
rector Mckinley at the National Taft
bureau regarding the information that
Is coming here as to the recount Of the
votes in the Massachusetts, primaries.
Mr.. Mckinley said:
Ballots Declared Invalid.
"The knockout blow which Theodore
Roosevelt received in the Massachu-
sets presidential preference primaries
is likely to be emphasized by the re-
count of the votes now going on at
the behest of the Taft managers in the
state. II has already been definitely
that about 1900 ballots
cast for Taft delegates-at-large in Mas
were declared invalid by
the election officials, because the
voters voted for nine instead Of eight
Taft candidates for delegate, and. in
addition. 1t Is estimated from facts al
ready at hand. that from 1000 to 5000
Taft preferential votes were not count
ed by the officials on these ballots
which were invalidated as to dele
rates. This latter decision of the cleo
ton officers was. of courte, a mistake
On their part AZ the preferential vote
was separate and distinct from the
vote for delegates.
THAT the Taft victory win be con-
firmed morally by the recount and
will more than likely be confirmed
legally Is not longer q matter Of
doubt