The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-31
TAFT REFUSES TO
COMP OM|SE
IN OHIO
Was Advised to Accept an
Equal Division
WOULD RATHER LOSE ALL
Senator Burton Urged Compromise in
Order to Patch Up Truce
on State Ticket

Washington, May 3O.-Urged by his
leading Ohio supporters to com
promise with the Roosevelt forces in
the state convention there next Tues
day, President Taft not only refused,
but took the action of wiring to his
political manager in Ohio to make no
compromise. No suggestion of COM
promise has come from the Roosevelt
men. The suggestion came from Sen
ator Burton, the Taft leader, who is
slated to be Temporary Chairman of
the State Convention.
Senator Burton yesterday went to
the President and represented to him
the advisability of compromise. He
pointed out that there was State
ticket and Legislature to be elected
and that the time had come to save
the State, il possible, by arriving at
some sort OF agreement with the
Roosevelt crowd. He suggested diyid-
ing the six delegates at large evenly.
giving Taft and Roosevelt three each.
The President made the same
answer that he has two men from
other States who advanced smiIarx
suggestions for the sake of saving
their State tickets. He said that he
was in this fight to win or lose, and
that he expected his friends to do the
same. If they must go down to de-
feat, let them go; but they must not
compromise That was the position
he himself was taking and he ex-
pected no less of his supporters, who
had less at stake than himself.
Senator Burton argued with him a
long time, but in vain. The Senator's
position was the weaker because he
could not give the President any as
surances that the Roosevelt forces
would consent to a compromise, but
il he had it would have made no diff
ference-the President would have
stood out just the same.
Today the President became UNI
easy lest Senator Burton, despite Mr..
Taft's decision, should undertake 10
engineer a compromise, or lest Mana,
ger Vorys or some other Taft leader
in Ohio should be engineering some
compromise movement similar to that
suggested to him by the Senator. SO,
! to prevent any such danger, he tele-
graphed Vorys as follows:
Il hope my friends will not oonsid-
er for a moment the suggestion of
compromise in the State Convention
The votes involved are not necessary
to my nomination. can stand their
loss, and am content to be beaten in
Ohio, but / cannot yield any votes by
agreement. The principles, that we
represent are too important to the
country TO lose anything by our vol
untary concession. hope, therefore,
that you and my friends will press
the contest to the end in the State
Convention"
This telegram was designed to head
Vorys of in case he was considering
any compromise idea, and to make
Mr.. Taft's own position as clear as he
had made II to Burton. He is deter
mined that he has staked his all on
this fight, so must the State leaders
who have embarked on it with him.
They must not scuttle out and leave
him holding the bag"
Besides the President believes he
can hold the State Convention. He
thinks he has majority of ten votes.
His friends are not so sure. and they
are concerned largely about saving
the State ticket.