The Washington times., 1912-06-03
TAFT ULT|MATUM
GIVEN LEADERS
FOR LAST STAND
President Determined to Get
i Nomination at Any
v., Cost.
Continued from First Page)


protests against any program of out
RACES. on the ground that It will
wreck the party. The capdidates for
state and county offices, the county
, chairmen, local leaders-county at
torneys, city comptrollers, tax assess
ors, and all the rest, people who in
their various bailiwicks require re-
epectful consideration and attention
these will be on hand at Chicago In
vast numbers, urging, on the most
practical grounds, that the conven-
tion must not deliberately ruin the
l'arty, because they want to be elect
ed this fall
Conspiracy Laid Bare.
But nothing thus far has served to
dampen the ardor of the Mckinley
Taft-Lorimer leadership. 1t is prepared
for the utmost eventualities. Today
brought fresh evidences to this effect. A
most remarkable story Is that from
>the Sixth Indiana district, and, as
Viewed by experienced politicians, it
bares the whole conspiracy.
The Sixth Indiana Is one of the orig
inal progressive districts of the coun-
try. 1t was so clearly and plainly In
control of the Roosevelt forces that
when the district convention met few
weeks ago Elmer Bassett. the Taft
mated the Roosevelt candidates for
delegates. They were promptly elected
by the convention. by acclamation.
came 'ns out race Of Indiana toaaS the that the
anti-Roosevelt organization there had
trumped up a contest against these
delegates, and would carry 1t to the
national committee; Two delegates
been filed against them, but they are
unable to learn from the State chair
man, a Taft man. the basis OF the
contest. Their inquiry, addressed to
the Taft headquarters at Chicago, also
failed to bring enlightenment:
To Prevent Seating.
The presumption in Indiana is, in
view of other recent events, that the
purpose is to prevent these delegates
taking seats on the floor and helping
organize the convention in the event
that it is ruled that no contested dele
gates may vote in the preliminary or
ganiZation
This supposition is given additional
color by the fact that in the Ninth dis
trict, formerly represented by 'Charley
Lands, but now second only to the
Sixth in progressiveness, the two Roose-
welt delegates who were elected at the
district convention without any squab-
bile, have had their seats contested on
the curious ground that their creden-
They were notified Of this by Harry
New, Taft general director. He alleged
that the credentials were typewriter,
whereas they should have been on the
stationery of the national committee!
On receipt of this the Roosevelt dele
gates took the matter up with state
chairman Sims, also a Ninth dtstrlct
man. Sims went to Chicago and filed
the papers in due and prescribed man
nef. So
Any Kind of Excuse.
In a day of stenographers and type
writing, when the art of chirgraphy is
almost as hopelessly lost as that of
reading Assyrian heiroglyphics, folks are
wondering why it Is so necessary to
have things of this sort done by hand,
on a certain sort of letterhead. The ex-
planation is easy. Those two delegates
must not be permitted to vote In the
temporary organization, and to erect
this II Is necessary to start at least
formal contests against them!
All this forecasts the situation that
will develop IN Chicago as soon as the
real activities start there. The Taft
people intend TO go to whatever extreme
may be necessary. They intend to con-
troll the old national committee, and use
It to make up a new convention.
The Roosevelt forces are organizing in
utmost detail to oppose the Taft plans.
IT Is uncertain as yet whether they will
oppose the candidacy of Root for tenn
porary chairman. A few days ago it
was announced that they would support
Governor Hadley, of Missouri. This
may or may not be the program. 1t Is
now intimated that another candidate
will be brought over in time to make
the fight for him.