The Washington herald., 1912-05-05
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

THE POLITICAL SITUATION,
The prediction in The Washington
Herald one week ago that President
Taft would secure a majority of the
delegates from Massachusetts was veri-
fed at the primary election last Tues
day. President Taft carried the State,
and if j. had not been for a political
biunder his victory would have been
much more substantial
In the vote on Presidential prefer
ence Mr.. Taft received more votes
than his opponent The eight Taft al
ternates-at-large were elected, but the
eight delegates-at-large were defeated
This was due to the fact that there
were upon the ticket not only the names
of the eight delegztes-at-large, but the
name of a German Republican whose
ambition to go to Chicago as a dele
gate-at-large had been thwarted by the
Taft managers, and who therefore de-
cided to run as an independent candi-
date for the honor. The presence of
this ninth name upon the ticket led to
the defeat of the Taft delegates be-
cause no less than 1900 ballots were
either voted with all the nine names, or
else were wrongly marked. If the Taft
managers in Massachusetts had had po-
litical experience or acumen, they
would have known that this ninth name
was certain to compIicate the situation.
Either Mr.. Seiberlich, the Independent
candidate, should have been persuaded
to withdraw, or if this could not have
been accomplished, some other name
should have been dropped. The ticket
could then have been voted without
marking or scratching and every ballot
could have been legally counted
As it IS, the majority sentiment in
Massachusetts has been so plainly
shown to be for Mr.. Taft that Mr..
Roosevelt has announced that he viii
release the eight delegates-at-large elect
ed upon his ticket from any obliga-
tion to vote for him. Much credit has
been given him for this apparent devo-
ton to the principle of obedience to
popular will, but, as matter of fact,
he has made virtue of necessity. Fully
fifty delegates in various States who
have been elected as Taft men will be
compelled by the preference vote of
their States to support Roosevelt. If
the Massachusetts delegates vote for
Roosevelt in opposition to the expressed
will of the majority. in their State,
they will make a precedent which the
Taft supporters in Roosevelt delega-
tons will promptly follow.
The result in Massachusetts makes
President Taffs renouination certain.
He is now within seventy-fve votes of
a majority of the convention, and these
can be secured with comparative ease.
At the same time, there are some con-
tests ahead. Maryland holds its pri-
maries tomorrow, and yesterday both
President Taft and Col Roosevelt were
engaged in campaigning in the State
The result is by no means certain. IN
questionably there is considerable
Roosevelt sentiment in the State, and
in Maryland. as elsewhere, the Roose-
welt contingent is active, assertive, and
confident Mr.. Taft ought to secure
majority of the delegates. The prin-
cipal Republican newspaper in the
State IS strongly supporting him, Gov.
Goldsborough is his open advocate, and
there are no conditions which are
markedly antagonistic. Both sides,
however. admit that the result is likely
to be close, so that any prediction would
be, after all, matter of pure specdla-
ton.
And after Maryland will come Ohio !
and New Jersey. In these States much |
work has been done for Mr.. Taft, but
much remains to be done. Reports |
from Ohio indicate that the situation is
sadly mixed, but the Presidents
friends hope that he will secure a ma
iority Of the delegates. Before the pri-
mary in Ohio, which will be held on the |
zIst, a whirlwihd campaign viii be par
hcipated in by both Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Roosevelt. The latter will do every
hing in his power to turn Ohio away
from the President, and the probability
S that the spectacle recently witnessed
IN Massachusetts will be repeated in
he Presidents own State.
Apd that spectacle was the most re-
narkabie in American political history.
Never before have President and an
.x-President gone before the people in
! campaign for nomination, uttering
elimination and recriminztion and
:harging each other with disIoyalty, in
gratitude, incompetency. and nearly all
he crimes in the Deczlogue. The per-
Qualities which have been induIged in