Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-29
HADLEY IN A DEAL
Will Support Taft If He De.
cIares for Primaries.
PRESIDENT IS TELEPH0NEO
Latter Requires Written Proposition
or Meeting Here.
BIG AUDIENCE KEPT WAITING
Missourian's Friends Later Wire
Presidential Preference idea
to Beverly.
PRESIDENT IS TELEPHONED
BIG AUDIENCE KEPT WAITING

ST. LOUIS. September 1S-ioV. Herbert
:. Hadley. after an all-day wrangle with
the republican state committee. issued an
ultimatum tonight that the only condition
upon which he would support President
Taft in his fight for reelection was that
the President should Immediately declare
himself for presidential preference pri-
maries and non-boss-controlled delega-
tons from southern states to national
conventions. to prevent i'm future conyen-
tions the charges Of fraud such as arose
in the recent republican national conven-
ton at Chicago
Committee Wanted Pledge.
The ultimatum of Gov Hadley was de-
Gvered to a subcommittee of the state
committee which waited upon him with
authority to cancel his invitation to speak
at the republican campaign opening here
unless he was willing to pledge the COM
mittee in advance that he would declare
for Taft in the opening sentence of his
speech.
Col Otto F. Stifel called up President
Taft by long-distance telephone. but the
connection was bad and he could not
make the President understand Gov.
Hadley's proposition. The President told
Col Stifel to submit the proposition In
writing or to go at once with it to Wash
ington, where the President would meet
him.
Audience Kept Waiting.
All this was happening while the hall
where the meeting was held was crowd
ed to the doors with voters eager to
hear the governors expected declaration
on the national question, and while John
c. Mckinley, republican candidate for
governor, and former Gov. Richard Yates
Of Illinois We're delivering addresses.
After the long distance telephone fail
ed Col. Stifel telegraphed Gov. Hadley' s
proposition briefly. The governor and
members Of the republican state commit
tee waited nervously in the governor s
apartments for President Tafts reply.
Talked Behind Closed Doors.
The subcommittee called on the gov
ernor at $50 pm. and remained with
him behind closed doors until 1910 D. M,
when the governor and other members
of the party hastily departed for the
meeting.
The governor had prepa AIRED two speech
es. one on national issues, to be delivered
in the event President Taft's answer was
satisfactory, and the other on state is
sues, to be delivered in the event of a
truce being declared with the state COM
mittee.
Worth $4,000 Votes to Taft.
The attitude of the committee toward
the governor was decided with only one
dissenting vote. In answering the sub
committee the governor said such a dec
laration from President Taft as he sug-
gested would strengthen Mr.. Taft's
Missouri.
Gov. Hadley went to the hall after a
long wait and began his speech on state
affairs. with the understanding that If Il
message was received from the President
he would deliver the other speech relat-
ing to national affairs. During the inter-
val of waiting the committee nomnaed
six vacancies on the presidential electoral
ticket caused by the resignation Of
Roose Telt men.