Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-10-01
MISSOURIANS ARE FOR TAFT
Republican Electors Sign Agreement
with String to It,
TALK ABOUT THIRD CANDIDATE
VIII Vote for President II states
Vote Will Elect Him--Other-
wise They May Vote for
Governor Hadley.

ST. LOUIS, Sept 3O,-Many, II not all
of the eighteen republican presidential
electors in Missouri recently signed an
agreement pledging themselves to vote
for Taft for president If the eighteen
votes OF Missouri In the electoral college
would elect him, but otherwise to COM
bine with electors from other states on
a third candidate, according to today's
developments.
The signing of the agreement came to
light by the announcement of John J.,
Lahiv, an elector OF st, Louis, that he is
going to repudiate the agreement because
Governor Hadley in his speech Saturday
night failed to indorse President Taft.
Lahiv said he signed the agreement with
the understanding that II all the elect
ors signed II, Governor Hadley would
come out openly for President Taft and
advocate his election.
Louis p Aloe, another elector, admit
ted signing the agreement under the same
conditions as Lahiv signed. At the. re-
publican state headquarters, where the
agreement was signed, 1t was said today
that 1t was not known how many electors
signed the agreement. The st. Louis
electors understood that Governor Had
ley was to be the compromise candidate
for president in event President Taft
could not be elected, but that there was
nothing In the agreement TO that effect,
Says PrOjece Was Dropped.
Governor Hadley over the telephone
said the project to get electors signatures
TO an agreement vas started two months
ago, and dropped because it was con-
sidered not feasible,
Later state Chairman Elyins heard of
the plan and thought 1t might be put
through" said Governor Hadley. II
gave him a copy Of the original agree.
ment, but had nothing to do with getting
signatures to 1t. Elvins, after getting a
few signatures, dropped the project. He
told me that he did not think the plan
would work out. He abandoned It a.
week ago.
Il never gave anybody to understand
that II the agreement was signed
would support President Taft"
Hadley Talks of His Speech,
Governor Herbert s. Hadley OF Mis-
souri, said today over the telephone from
Jefferson City that In his attitude toward
President Taft he stood exactly where
his speech of Saturday night showed
him to stand.
Regarding the telegram which Otto F..
Stifel, a member OF the advisory commit
tee Of the republican national commit
tee, sent to President Taft stating that
Governor Hadley had indorsed President
Taft in his speech. the governor said:
1T Is silly to undertake to construe my
words On the way Mr. Stifel is said to
have done. There can be no misunder.
standing OF my Position, II the public will
take my Saturday nights speech as a
statement of my position and my pur-
pose"
The governor specified particularly in
to his speech that the para
graphs in which he said that President
Taft, IL he should promise to use his
Influence for the correction of bossism
IN southern states and Cor the enactment
Of presidential primary laws, would de-
serve support and that II he did not try
tc bring about these changes he would
not deserve support.