The Washington times., 1912-05-11
;HENNEP|N COUNTY
/ KNOCKS OUT HOPE
Of TAFT FORCES
Roosevelt's Capture of
Minneapolis Changes
Their Plans.
Continued from First Paee.)


a solid delegation of twenty-four to
, Next week will almost finish the
business of choosing delegates to the
national convention. Conventions will
be held in Washington, Wyoming,
Tennessee, Utah, North Carolina, West
Virginia, Montana, Idaho and Mime
soto. 1t will be a Roosevelt process
sion; Washington, West Virginia,
North Carolina and Minnesota have
all declared themselves by primaries
already held, and all will be solid
for Roosevelt.
Tennessee will have split conven-
tion and two contesting delegations
for Chicago; Utah will be for Taft,
who has the solid support of the
Mormon Church and the Hartman
railroads; Wyoming will probably be
uninstructed, but nominally for Taft
II his name gets presented at Chi
cago; Montana is in doubt, and Idaho
probably for Roosevelt.
: California Votes Tuesday.
= California will hold its Presidential
preference primary on Tuesday, and
Roosevelt is slated to capture the
State, despite the big fight of both
Taft and La Toilette, and the fact
that Roosevelt has not been able to
enter the State at all.
Todays weekend mathematical
summary shows that 7s6 delegates
have been elected to the Chicago con-
vention. Roosevelt has 3l9, Taft 143,
al Toilette 36, Cummins 10, and there
are ia uninstructed and 1874 con-
tested. A week from today, even the
Mathematical necromancers of the
Taft bureau will be compelled to is
sue table showing Roosevelt in the
lead, or neck k-and-neck with Taft.
President Tafts recent tour in Ohio
has exercised a bearish influence on the
quotations. OF his chances in that State.
The Republican conditions in Ohio are
more obviously discoura ging to the
President were, in advance Of the pri-
maries, in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Mass
achusetts, Maryland, or indeed any of
the states that have given the land
They have more specific grievances
against the President in his home State
than anywhere else. For one thing, his
friends at home charge that he has
been particularly reckless of the obli-
cations of old friendship; that he has
persistently failed to do anything for
1ians:s 1}ihem: while ds taking up with new al
oody Is a politician; politics is a vo-
cation, not an avocation. And the poll
ticians are sadly disgruntled over the
1Sdtluent tney nave nad from the Ad-
ministration.
Where Ohio Differs.
Then there is a good deal more de-
tailed information af1oat in Ohio, con-
corning things the Administration has
done, than in most other States. The
Ohio newspapers have devoted a vast
amount OF attention to the Balllnger-
Pinchot affair, for example. Some OF
than xx-tlA
featured" this incident and its develop
ments for many months. and the people
nave come to understand just how indie.
fensible were some of the particula,
pettol peri. maGceS of Mr. Taft in connection
Interior Department. and with the
1aklng up of a case to sustain BalIinger
"men he was attacked.
me state has ben genuinely shocked
by the revelations of corruption in re-
: cent years. The spectacle of Whole
populations disfranchised because Of
vote-6uying and selling has both
r1nnit Illuminated and exasperated the com
IN both parties; and the States disposi-
ton to whoop 1t up for Roosevelt on
the Republican side is reflected among
tne Democrats in like tendency TO
slaughter Uncle Judson" Harmon and
ger behind Bryan for the Democra tic
domination. Anything that the poll
Iclans call regular" looks suspicious,
'Nese uIiies, 10 the average Buckeye
Situation Discouraging.
On his recen tour OF the State. It is
declared on the very best authority.
President Taft did not talk to an ag-
grefate of over 1900 people. At that
rate he will in the week of tail-ending
that he has planned fail utterly to get
any real appeal to the mass of people.
This Is the most discouraging feature
Of the situation.
A public man who recently rode by
trolley from Toledo to Detroit, and
spent his time listening and talking
about politics, came back to Washing.
ton astounded at the results. He hardly
saw anybody who had a good word for
the Chief Magistrate The people were
az talking against him. and for Roose-
wiped out; nobody cares a punctured
penny for regularity or his relations
with the organization. Everybody is
out. with knife, determined to make
just as much trouble as possible
This Is the explanation of the ascend.
Ing estimates of the Roosevelt support
IN Tafts own home State. Ten DAYS
ago the Roosevelt inside estimate was
that 1T. r." woEld capture half tha
delegates to the national convention
from the districts, and that he had a
good chance to get the State Conven-
ton. Then the estimate went up tC
two-thirds Of the district delegates, and
a strong claim that he would control
the State convention.
Now 1t IS getting worse every day:
the Roosevelt organization is claiming
that the thing is going TO be a land
slide, with Taft excluded about as he
was in Illinois. More to the point ia
that the Taft managers are fearing ex-
act!Y this. They know that ii means
the end for them, and they see 1t com
ing. They are prepared for the most
extreme efforts to stop It, and the
Taft determination to spend every pos
sible hours talking in Ohio from now
10 'he day of the primary--Aay 2l-il
the answer.