Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-06

SOME ANXIETY MANIFESTED
Presidents Allies Say 1t Is All Over
Bot the Shouting-Steam Roller
Said to Be Out and Oiled.

tons in the Republican party claim
ing everything in sight, and privately
admitting that the outcome "was sure
to be too close for any comfort" the
Republican National convention met
today to consider the temporary roll
Of the convention.
The Taft forces were in control of
the committee. The results of the
majority Of the contests was believed
certain to be the seating Of the Taft
men. Publicly the Taft leaders were
declaring that it was call over but the
shouting" The same contention came
from the Roosevelt entertainments.
But neither Senator Dixon, leader of
the Roosevelt forces, nor Congress
man Mckinley, in command of the
Taft warriors, would take pencil and
check the delegates he claimed would
stand behind his candidate when the
actual fighting began.
The committee did not plan to take
up any of the contests today. In
stead the meeting was devoted to or
ganization, the selection of chairman
and the defining rules of procedure
during the coming ten days.
And while the comittee cleared the
decks for action the paid attorneys of
the contesting forces, former Senator
Dick, Of Ohio, for Taft, and Armsby
McHarg for Roosevelt wrcstled with
voluminous briefs preparatory to the
real fight for representation on the
fia5r. TIE first contests to come UP
were those Of Arkansas, Alabama and
Arizona. 1t was not believed that
they would be disposed of until late
on Saturday, and it was certain that
the ruling in all three would be in fav-
or of the Taft men.
Believing that the followers Of the
President had cotton out and thoro-
ughly oiled up the steam-roller, popu-
lariZed by COL Roosevelt's lieutenants
four years ago when the claims of the
"alies" were ruthlessly shattered, the
Roosevelt leaders today were suggest
ing that the committee should seat
all Of the contesting delegations and
split the vote between the so-called
regulars and the contesting represen-
tatives. But the Taft people declined
to consider any such suggestion.
The Roosevelt conventions were
held weeks after the Taft conventions
had regularly elected a set of dele
gates. Most of these contests were
not suggested until after the visie
to the southern states of the Roose-
welt contest manager, Ormsby Nc
Harg and the committee will take
the position that it cannot scat the
claimants, because they failed to try
to control the earlier conventions
which were properly called by the dis
trict or state organizations.
While the committee met to wrestle
with the temporary roll OF the conven-
ton, the big party leaders were in al
most constant conference at their no.
tells.
Control of the convention is in the
hands of the uninstructcd delegates
and while both sides claim them, and
will continue to do so, it will not be
until the roll is called on the makeup
of the temporary organization that
suspense will be ended.
The President will be in instant
touch with the convention from now
on A private telephone wire was
hooked up today from the headquar-
ters of Secretary Hilles to the Black
stone Hotel direct to the White House
and the Secretary will keep his chief
in touch with everything that goes
on.
The Roosevelt headquarters will not
get into immediate touch with Oyster
Bay until next week.
A new factor developed in the sit
uation today when some of the Paci-
fic Coast delegates arrived with drafts
of suggested planks for the platform
One of these is a sweeping endorse
ment of the recall of all officials, in
cluding the judiciary-and 1t seems
certain at the start that the plank al
one would cause dissension IN the
Roosevelt camp. Roosevelt himself
has privately assured the progressive