New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-17
SAYS TAFT HAS SGT
Mckinley Replies TO Mr.. Roose
velt's Claim of Delegates.

washington, May 16.-TheOdOTe ROOSe-
Nelts statement in Ohio yesterday that he
was assured of the Republican nomination
for President was the subject of comment
10y the directors of both the Taft and
Roosevelt campaign headquarters here to-
day.
Representative Mckinley. in charge of the
national Taft bureau, said:
Theodore Roosevelts claim that he viii,
be nominated at the Republican national
convention at Chicago is shown on the face
OF the returns from conventions thus far
neld To be false and intended to mislead.
III is slSniiicaHv thar Nj. Roosevelt made
no claim whatever until he was certain
that within twenty-four hours William Ii.
TAFT VIII actually be in control of the Re-
publican National Convention with enough
delegates instructed for and pledged 10
his support To secure the nomination.
To-day President Taft already has 527
delegates instructed for or pledged To his
denomination. Mr.. Roosevelt has 3O@ Pres
ident Taft needs only Is more votes to con-
troll the Chicago convention. Mr.. Roose-
Welt needs 81 1t is. therefore evident on
the fact Of Mr.. Roosevelt's claim that he
has included in his list every contested
delegate from the Southern states, TO
ready set by the Republican National Com
nlitteC. he has 10 more real claim than
William J. Bryan or Eugene v Debs.
In no single instance in the South was
n hOOSeNclt contest DfOuSnt on Ine udN OF
the regular convention, and the entire
series of contests brought in his behalf
We're instigated in Washington, financed
from his own headquarters i'm Washington
and therefore are the most irregular of all
contests ever presented to the national
committee. They do not even. in most in
stances rise to the dignity of 'rump' con-
ventlons.
In this connection il can he further said
that practically every contest to be heard
by the national committee is q Roosevelt
contest. brought after q thoroughgOing de-
feat or brought weeks after the convcn-
tons were actually held. while the Taft
contests are confined to not more than FIVE
Congressional districts. involving ten dele
gates. I'm other words, II is physically inn
possible at this time for Mr.. Roosevelt 10
have any more delegates than he now has
actually-3o9-without adding thereto every
delegate he claims 10 be COntestinG in this
campaign. on the other hand. II can be
stated that within a week confidential IN
formation came to these headquarters
showing that Mr.. Roosevelt himself was
not claiming more than 3lS delegates TO
the Chicago convention. so that for his
immediate purposes. Mr.. Roosevelt has
thereby outclaimEg Senator Joseph VI.
Dixon and all his other satellites by a
large ma joritN.
The desperate situation ia which Mr.
Roose welt now finds himself has led nm
20 take from his secretary. on his OWL
admission. figures furnished him by his
POLITICAL managers for the purpose OF dis
ramely. that Nh Roosevelt is already d
badly defeated candidate and that. If he
elected every remaining delegate TO the
Chicago convention. he could not possibly
s. cure the nomination for himself
Throughout this entire campaign. when
ever il has been absolutely necessary for
MIR Roosevelt TO make a showing to ofSe,
tremendous gains by President Taft, MI
RooseVelt's managers have rushed TO him IN
a panic. demanding that he take the lime
light and make some absurd claim to beios
tie situation. If possible. Not iDfrequentA
Nj Roosevelt managers. unable 10 get
some absurd statement into the neWspd
pere. have forwarded their material 10 MI
Roosevelt with request mat ne secure tnt
required publicity himself, and this Mr.
Roosevelt has unblushlnglv undertaken
70 do.
Likewise. in Nov York the Roosevelt
managers failed TO take their cry of ~
lceed frauds to the courts, aS they mao q
perfect right TO do. In Indiana Nh. Rose
Volts campaign managers refused TO boil
the convention. although some forty o
their followers did 50. In Vermont they
rfnudated absolutely the cry OF fraud
raised nv Senator Dixon and repeated 10y
Mr. Roosevelt.
when the Roosevelt column Of instructed
spd pledged delegates was meaGre. indeed
that the Roosevelt managers hit on the
,,lau Of ..coutesting every county Congress
district and state convention they coul6
not carr. They placed the whole Soutf
in their contested column before they
gave plN-iCdl NNlGeUfc OF "a single contest
ing convention anywhere. and they hireC
men 10 work mp these contests In th'
South some OF which are now being 50
up through the medium Of alleged mass
conventions although the regular con
ventions were held weeks and even months
ago ard the delegates therefrom duly anC
regularly INSTRUCTED for President Tart; 81
desperate plan Of wholesale contest.
brought about by Influences concerning
which the less said the better. was fail
,.,Is sfpr ttenV az
began an attempt to influence Southern
delegates absolutely instructed for Taft
The details Of some OF these negotiations
are already known 10 tho TAFT managers,
This ATTEMPT met with = stern rebuk'
from al least a5 per cent Of the Southern
delegates and the number of instances ~
which there Is any hone NJ possible Su"'
cees could he counted on ones fingers As
roents have been made 20 President Taft
managers by actual DELEGATES that 70
every delegate secured Tor Mr.. Roosevc
n, the South bv such methods as have beer
used In his behalf. an equal or create
number will he turned from Mr.. Roosevelt
IN the Northern states.
In other words. the rank and file Of IN,
Republican PARTY will insist on fair pla'
and square deal at Chicago. and tina
moral and legal obligations shall b'
obeyed OF both sides To the letter OF the!
can be broken with equaI freedom on oot'
sides.
II is therefore. certain that in no sub
stantial way can Mr. Roosevclts big bluff
OF yesterday. which undoubtedly represent
his personal hope, be realized. He Is
beaten candidate. and. 20 use his owl
picturssque phrase ne is beaten TO
frazzle."
Senator Dixon. in charge Of the Roose
Welt headquarters, said: .
Colonel Roosevelt In his statement under
estimates his real strength on the first bal
lot. To-day J have positive information
from Roosevelt leaders I'm New York tina
three more delegates from that state have
given their assurance that they intend &
vote for Rooscvelt on the first ballot. Thi
makes twenty four delegates from New
York who will vote for Roosevelt on tn
first ballot.
Senator Dixon asserted that many South
ern delegates claime.. NV the Taft peopl
would vote for Colonel Roosevelt.
9TH TENNESSEE TURNS ABOUT.