Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-07
HOPING FOR ROOSEVELT
TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE
Looking for the Colonel to Do Some
thing Spectacular.
READY FOR A BATTLE
Determination Expressed to Preserve
Orderly Procedure and Let
the Colonel s'HoIler" if
He Loses Out.
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

CHlCAGO. June THE attitude of the
Ia1t people for the moment is that of a
chap who having struck his antagonist
an unexpected, successful blow and
noored him, holds his breath in appre-
hension of what the other fellow is going
to do to him when he gets up.
They do not expect Roosevelt to take
the severe checkmating of yesterday
tamely. and are just wondering what
the next move of the colonel is to be-
They assume it will be something dra-
matte and spectacular. He will follow
his hat in the ring and come to Chicago
overnight as sure as you are born" is
the general verdict.
That is just what the Taft managers
want him to do. Far from being afraid
of his presence here they invite it. The
statement is made here that the colonel
has been misinformed about the circum-
stances of many Of the contests, and
that If he could read the evidence he
would put stop to the flow of abusive
language from some of his lieutenants
who have grown so habituated to the
use of the words "thief," ''brigand" and
larceny in their pickwickian sense that
they now readily apply them to all Taft
sup porters.
The test votes in the national COM
mittee yesterday surprised the Taft peo-
pie and dismayed the Rooseveltians. But
more significant still to the latter was
the attitude and bearing of the COM
mitteemen who comprised the Taft 50.
Committeeman Determined.
I am told that throughout the meeting
kI4
manifested spirit of determination that
was relentless. determination not TO be
driven from the orderly course by any
amount of threats or abuse.
In talking with members of the COM
mittee after the meeting l found the
same spirit. They intend to go through
those contests, throw out the fakes
and let the colonel ''holler' until he is
hoarse. Some Of the more aggressive
members are inclined to play the game
as they say the colonel would il he were
in the majority. but the pacific Crane and
the adroit Penrose are not so bellicOse
and try to smooth down the fire-eaters-
However. declared Senator Penrose
to the writer, II do not propose to stultify
myself in passing upon the contests just
because some one may abuse me II l do
not decide his way
The charge of the Roosevelt men that
publicity of the contest meetings is de-
ilcO UcCduSe uOI dl lue newspaper cor.
respondents are to be admitted is puerile.
The five press associations are to be rep
resented and will stay in the meeting
during the roll calls, an unprecedented
thing in the history of conventions. More
than that, Secretary Hayward is to fur
nish daily a transcript Of the record and
lay it open to general inspection.
Margin Too Narrow for Confidence.
Now, although the Taft men are elated
to a degree over the situation as 1t stands,
do not get the impression that they are
getting overconfident. They realize that
there will be some bad days for them
some days when the pendulum will swing
the other way But things are coming
their way for the present and the weak
kneed ones are standing up straighter
The big, broad fact, despite the claims
of the managers, is that the margin be-
tween the two factions is so narrow that
no man has right to forecast control of
the convention by one Of them. 1t is
SO slight, indeed, that the thirty-six votes
which La Toilette has buttoned up in his
inside pocket look as big house. 1t
would be extravagant to say that Mr.. La
Toilette holds the balance Of power. but
he does possess one Of the most valuable
political assets held by a candidate in
many day.
The situation is SO precarious that most
anything might come out OF it. The two
rival camps hold nearly evenly matched
hands and the game depends upon what
they get In the draw" If the colonel
sits in. something may be done with a
bluff
Complaints of Espionage.
Members Of the national committee
complain Of being under espionage con-
stantly by detectives. The purpose OF it
can be only surmised, but the fact is no.
torous
"It won't be safe for an impecunious
delegate to borrow S1O'' said a commit
teeman this morning, 'or he will be post
ed as having sold out. This news about
the detectives will be terrible shock to
some Of them
Which end of the room is the dicto-
graph in? is common question OF ia
cetioys committeeman when they go into
a conference. Senator Crane went to the
ball game Wednesday. and one Of the
sleuths kept tab on him constantly. The
senator was not caught slipping anybody
anything.
Col. William F. Stone Of Baltimore. the
sergeant-at-arms, is devoting his atten-
ton to framing arrangements for the
physical protection OF the convention so
that there will not be any chance to raid
| the hall. Strictest regulations about ad-
mission will be enforced and there viii
be no packing of the audience, he de-
| clares.
| Influx of Insurgent Visitors.
| Chicago Is supposed to be an insurgent
| town, and at any rate there will be a
great influx Of visitors from neighborins
insurgent territory. 1t is already appar-
ent that they are innamed by the reiter-
| ated charges by the Roosevelt mon of
| fraud and some of them may really
| believe they are being robbed. If they
| try to start something in the way Of
| "strong-arm work." they will find Col.
| Stone on the job.
Sidney Bieber. who transferred his
| proxy in the national committee to Cal
O'Laughln. says that he was constrained
| by a sense OF delicacy from sitting in the
| I'd u,onfinned on Second Paxal