The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-18
SPLIT CERTAIN
AT ALL EVENTS
Taft Managers, Who Are Dis
trustful, Assured by Martin
and Slcmp That State Is
Safc-Brady and Vawter
to Support Presi-
dent.

assured that tho entire Virginia dele
cation VIII cast Its vote for HIN IN the
Eationalsi.epublican Convention on the
nrnt and other ballots, political sta
dents who have been watching the sit
uRtion rather closely predicted yeste!-
day that tho best tho President can
HOW hope for Is a split. On. danger
which now conrronts the Taft mana
gers Is the fear that the Southern DEL
cgations which have been instructed
for him will be led nstray. the fact not
being disputed that the delegates Mil
awning with tho turn OF the patronage
wheel.
In All except two OF the consress!on.
al districts the conventions pledged
their support 10 MIR. Taft. deiegat %
being elected accordingly. While the
I'i.th District did not instruct. the TIVE
delegates Immediately after the con.
vcntton adjourned tsleEraphed Air. III
les. tho Presidents private secretary.
that they would vote for TAFT nfst, last
and all the time.
Third District for Tnft.
There was contes; in the Third Dis
tr!ct the delegation headed by Joseph
i. Brady. clerk of the United Statrs
District Court being seated. II was
stated by leaders OF both factions Yes
to-day that through the Instrumental
iiy OF Alvah u. Martin and g. Bsscorn
Slcmp. the Third District delegates.
Brady and Nawter. informed the Pres
idcnt that they would fall in line with
tho majority and give him their hearty
support There has been no outwar!
change IN this program since the Roa
nokc convention.
/; happens. however that on the ma
tlonai convention roll cali Virginia is
FAR down In tho list. BY the time Viz
A..
now ;hc delegations have stock TO-
Kether The count Will show whether
II is u nc Roosevelt or Taft provided
no big upset takes placc. and II there
IS anything like 2 Roosevelt landslide
or stampede II would not he at all
surprising to find IN. Virginia dclsea-
tion Voting for Roosevelt Certainly
81 VIII split, according TO shrcwd Re
publican leaders.
Most Of Them Hold Jobs.
Most II the Virginia delegates hold
Federal Jobs. That means that they
Will unquestionabiy stick tn Ia. man
most apt TO win. II Taft goes into the
convention with every assurance OF
being nominated on the first ballot.
the delegation from this state Will
stand By him TO r man, II Roosevelt IS
leading. Virginia will desert TAFT as
quickly aud as surely as IL viii sup
port him II his nomination is certain.
This statement is subject To prompt
md vigorous denials on the par. OF
delegates and leaders. although all tho
denials in the world viii not change
tho hxed opinion OF citizens on that
point. The President and his mana
gers know IL: indeed. Il is said that
they have long admitted 1t. and they
realize that their candidates chances
depend largely upon the fidelity OF
Southern delegates now instructed FOR
him.
The Roosevelt managers have claimed
that on tho final showdown New York
will switch to the man from Oystct
Bay. In that event II Is the safest
gamble imaginable that Virginia will
fall In behind New York. AS matter
of fact Il was said yesterday that no
matter how the fight may go. this state
viii follow the line laid down by New
York.
Can't Deceive Roosevelt.
This rump convention held at the City
Auditorium on Thursday Is not regard
I'D seriously. /. is simply bid, gam
BILE for Jobs in the event OF Roosevelt.
nomination. There is one fact. how
ever. that is causing Virginia delegates
no small amount OF worry. They real
izc that II they should desert Taft after
being instructed for him. TO lock to
the Roosevelt standard IL will not de-
ccivc Roosevelt nor lift the Virginia
oiTiceholders higher in his estimation.
in a word. while lie needs aud wants
their help. he Will know that with them
1t is simply n question OF job and
the almighty dollar The whole or
ganization is for Taft.
Martin and Slcmp are on record I'm
black and white. Tho steady gain
which Roosevelt has made and the pos
sibility that Prcsid mt Taft may not be
able to carry his own State in the pTi-
ia S15 70
many secret conferences at which the
situation was discussed with the idea
of misrepresentation. Taft's loss of
Ohio will almost certainly divide the
Virginia delegation Failure to hold
his own elsewhere VIII turn The Vir-
ginia tide against him. and he can
not count on 1t.
Afraid 10 Trust Them.
But IL came from reliable sourc,
last night that Martin and Slemp have
Informed the Taft managers that they
need not worry, and from a source
equally reliable that :he managers are
worrying and have so informed tx,
Virginia leaders. AS matter OF fact,
some of the delegates themselves do
not know where they stand. Th,y
know how they were instructed nc
stand, but that those instructions came
at time when Roosevelt's candidacy
was never mentioned without provok-
ing a laugh. To stand high with Roose-
Welt, some new leader must swing tn,
delegation right now, and a few dar-
ing ones have thought seriously on
that point. though without nerve
enough to spring 1t now. To claim
after Roosevelt's nomination that VIZ
ginia delegates were secretly for him
from the start will not bring any fine
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