The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-17
TAFT SAYS He HAS
ENOUGH TO WIN
AND 8 MORE
Presidents Bureau Claims Sup
port of 543 Delegates
GIVES ROOSEVELT ONLY 500
Says the Colonel Can't Be Nominated
II He Gets All to Be
Elected

Cleveland, O., May 17,-President
Taft last night received kilograms
from his secretary, c. d. Hilles, and
Director William b. Mckinley of the
Taft bureau claiming SAB delegates
to the convention for Taft. A major
ity in the convention is $40. The
kilograms said that the president
had 544 delegates, counting four
from Idaho The president had moth
ing to add to his statement earlier
yesterday regarding the delegates to
Chicago, when he said
only 1888 delegates to the Chicago
convention remain to be chosen. II
Theodore Roosevelt were to get all
Of them, yet he could not be nomi-
mated Carefully prepared figures
show that only 300 delegates thus far
are instructed for or pledged TO him,
and the talk of real and genuine con.
tests against delegates who are in
structed for me is as unsustained by
the facts as many of the misleading
issues which have been injected into
this campaign.
The number of Taft delegates
thus far chosen, not counting the
eight from Montana and number
from Texas and Arkansas. which will
be elected today, is $50 and the vote
in Ohio, my home state, much to my
qualification, will be the decisive one
and will settle the question OF the
nomination. The Chicago convention
will be organized by the friends of
constitutional government and the
success of that great cause now
seems assured.
After a day of rest, during which
he made two talks TO workingmen at
manufacturing plants and conferred
with Senator Burton and other state
leaders. President Taft spoke last
night in the central armory in Cleve-
land TO a great crowd. The care
taken yesterday to spare his throat
and to keep him quiet showed in the
night speech and il was a reiuyenat-
ed president who faced the audience
in the big armory He was more
emphatic in manner and more incis-
i've in speaking that he had been for
the last two days. Although his
voice was still hoarse, it was strong
Speaking of the Payne tariff bill
and the need existing for further
tariff revision, Mr. Taft raised a
laugh and a cheer by remarking.
III the democrats will only give the
money I'll see that the schedules
which are too high will be revised %
Another remark which brought laugh
ter was made about the factions in
the republican party when the presi-
dent was referring to progressive
assistance in passing the railroad
bill, you can call them progressive
If you like them and insurgents If
you don't" he said He himself
called them progressive" many
times When he came 10 a discus
sion of the postal savings bank bill
however he said: 1T was opposed
by the insurgents; you see call
them insurgents"
Mr.. Taft made some new phrases
in speaking of Col Roosevelt At one
point he called his ideas OF constitu.
tonal government wild and ridicu.
lous notions" and at another he
spoke OF MIR Rooseyelt's tyranny"
and explosive inconsistency" @
The president brought again the
charge that Mr., Roosevelt. Senator
Dixon. his campaign manager and
the democrats in the Senate. were re.
sponsihle for the weakening Of the
British and French arbitration treat
les. 81 propose, however. said the
president, whether in or out of of.
fee to carry on the agitation Tor
those treaties. My experience in
more than 40 states of the Union last
year has convinced me that the
American people are for the ratifca.
ton of these treaties as they are"
After spending the night at Cleve.
land the president will leave this
morning for western Ohio.