The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-05-02

and Both Taft and Roosevelt
| Forces Are Claiming o Majority OF
/ the National Committee, That WIN
Make Up the Temporary Roll
Great Democratic Interest I'm the
Republican Situation - Speaker
Clark's Friends Confldent-Con-
| gress May Adjourn Early /. June.
Especial to The Caucasoan.)
/ Washington, D. c., April 80. 1912.
/ There is now the greatest interest
imaginable in the national capital
over the result OF the Republican pri-
/ maries that arc being held to-day
| in Massachusetts,. The supporters
of the administration have put forth
the most extraordinary efforts to get
the delegates from that State for
President Taft. They realize, and 1t
Is generally admitted, that IL Roose-
welt gets Massachusetts that the
President Is practically out of the
running for denomination: while, on
the other hand, even If Roosevelt
should lose Massachusetts, it is gen.
orally conceded that he will not be
out of the race, but will enter a Wig
orous fight in all of the other States
that have not yet acted, with a f,Sir
chance of carrying number of them
How the Vote Stands.
Conceding to the President all of
the delegates that his campaign man
ayers claim for him up to date, it will
be necessary for him to get 125 more
votes to get majority in the con-
vention. If the President should lose
Massachusetts, then the States yet to
act, in which he stands the best
chance to win or get half or more
than half of the delegates, are Mary
Ian with Is votes), New Jersey
with 24, Rhode Island with 81,
South Dakota with 81, and Ohio
with 46). This makes 102 electoral
votes for the President, even If he
should carry these States solid, and
would leave still twenty-three votes
to be gotten out of the other States,
which are apparently more favorable
to Roosevelt at present than to Taft.
This shows that the contest is ex-
tremely close, and why the loss of
Massachusetts would practically make
it impossible for the President to
win. If the President should lose
Massachusetts it would cause him to
lose some other States and districts
which he might win if he had carried
| Massachusetts.
Other Uncertain Elements.
In this connection. it must be re-
membered that among the votes
claimed for President Taft are twen-
ty votes, the entire delegation, from
Mississippi; while, on the other hand,
Roosevelt's managers claim the en-
tire vote for him. These delegates
are not instructed, and no one up to
date can be sure how they will vote.
Besides, it must be remembered that
number of the votes claimed for
President Taft are contested, and,
therefore, the vote of some, if not all
of these contested delegates will be
determined by the National Commit
/ tee.
| Both sides are claiming a majority
of the National Committee. 1t is
thought that the majority of it are to-
day with President Taft, but If the
contested votes should be enough to
decide the nomination, as they no
doubt will be, then tremendous pow
er is put in the hands of the commit
tee, and there is no telling how they
will exercise this power when they
can virtually name the Presidential
candidate.
Great Democratic Interest in the
Republican Situation.
While a primary election is being
held to-day in Massachusetts, for the
Democratic candidate, as well as for
the Republican candidate, and while
the friends of both Professor Wilson
and Speaker Clark are making a
strenuous fight and each side claim
/ ing the State, yet it is noticeable that
the Democrats generally are taking
more interest in the fight between
Roosevelt and Taft than they are in
/ the Democratic fight. They seem to
| feel that their chances for success, no
matter whom they nominate, are in
some way to be vitality affected by
the action of the Republican party.
To DasS Ho