The Washington times., 1912-04-17
TAFT MACHINE NOW
FACES CRISIS, SOUTH
THREATENS TO FLOP
State Delegations Declare
They Were Buncoed in
Early Conventions.
BY JUDSoN c. wELLIvER.


On the rocks in New England. It's
engines reversed In the East, lights
out, and the hulk smashed in the West.
the. Taft campaign is now facing the
flooding of its watertight compartments
in the South.
The latest cause for panic among the
Administration managers is being kept
under the rose so far as possible, be-
cause It is realized that If the truth
about Southern conditions got abroad
there would be no more hope for Ohio
or any of the other States on which
the President counts.
More than that, disaffection which Is
expressed from one section Of the South
lis being suppressed with all diligence
in other parts Of the South, in the hope
that the different State leaders will not
get together and agree on a course of
united action.
But the facts can no longer be
smothered. The Southern delegates,
who were chosen and instructed for
Taft at the very beginning of the fight,
before Roosevelt was announced, are
lafre with Indignation. They feel that
they were misled and ill-treated. The
White House and its agents for weeks
gave out the most positive assurances
that Roosevelt was not going to be
ISohuiNdlc. ICidlIHSu 10 nave dDSOllttS
knowledge. In fact, 1t had no knowl-
edge whatever.
Thus misleading the Southern leaders.
the Taft managers rushed orders away
to the South to have conventions called
and delegations instructed as early as
possible. The real purpose was, first, to
beat the Roosevelt announcement to II;
and, second, to get the moral effect OF
these accessions for the benefit of the
cause In other parts of the country.
Scheme Fails.
But the scheme has failed: the
,Southerners have discovered how they
were duped, and their indignation and
disgust are getting more intense VITA
every day.
"A check of the Southern situation
made with the greatest care today in
,dicates that Taft will not hold to ex-
'ceed fifteen or twenty of the delegates
his leaders claim to have instructed for
him in the South" said Senator Dixon.
the Roosevelt manager, today,
I'VE are being flooded by letters from
Southern delegates telling how they
were misled. They were assured that
Roosevelt would not be a candidate un-
der any possible conditions. They be-
Neved 1t. and chose delegates for Taft
But, in feet, the very officeholders who
Old that were largely men appointed by
to win; they Would have ave- pre- preferred err d
Roosevelt had they not been assured ne
was beyond consideration.
Now they know the truth, and are
up in arms. They consider that there
is no moral obligation back of their
Instructions, owing to the misrepresent.
alton under which they We're obtained
They want to see Roosevelt nominat ted
and we know that a great majority
lcordingly."
Senator Dixon.s statement might have
been denominated hot air a fortnight
ago; but 1t happens that the Taft peo.
Pile know 1t is nothing Of the sort. They
also are getting deluge of letters
warning ,Ssi them them of the impending wreck
privately admitting that the Southern
situation Is critical; they fear that any
day may bring open revolt that viii
claims. II they can't hold a substan
tial solid South, they are out Of thu
running almost before the real race
starts.
Say They Were Buncoed.
The Southern leaders feel that they
were buncoed. made the victims O.
faise representations. They see tha
in any case their section is not goinl
to be for Taft as unit. North Caro-
lima, where there is a real Republican
party. has gone solidly for Roosevelt
Arkansas is to be invaded by the col
onel next week. There Is a determined
uprising against the old Powell Clayton
machine there. and the State looks yer!
bad for Taft.
Tennessee seems altogether likely t,
send up Roosevelt State convention
But all this would not be so ruinou
to the Administration cause. 1t is tn,
revolt that is sweeping other sections
Of the South, that is giving deepest con
Germ. For instance, Florida held a yer!
early convention, and instructed al
office-holding delegation for Taft
Georgia did the same. Alabama held
February convention and announces
that Taft was in control Of the soliC
delegation.
Now, in all three of these States, new
conventions have been called. 1t is dis
covered that in their eagerness to graI
off delegations before Roosevelt shoult
get into the field. the Taft machin
leaders failed to conform to State laws
or to the call of the Republican nationa
either-and that new conventions ar
necessary to assure that the delega
tons will have standing to get admit
tance to the convention.
The Alabama convention, 1t Is ex
Iplained, was held in February, but wa
not under the auspices of the regula
ORGANIZATION. Now, the real Stat
chairman has issued a call for a neV
one on May 16 Advices from the Stat
declare that 1t is going to be reall
representative of the Republican opin
Hion-and to instruct for Roosevelt.
About Georgia and Florida. there
even less uncertainty. 1t has bee
known from the beginning that tn
mass of Republicans in those State