The Washington times., 1912-06-03

listed by Director Mckinley as for
Taft are made up prior to the selec-
ton OF the % delegates consisting of
at large In Ohio. at large In
Arizona, and 10 In South Dakota.
Contests Are Ignored.
In order to reach his figures Of $50,
In addition to putting New York down
as almost solid for President Taft.
Mr.. Mckinley is assuming that prac-
tically all contests will be resolved
in favor of the President. He is prac.
tically ignoring the more than 200
contests brought by the Roosevelt
forces. On the basis Of the figures of
Mr.. Mckinley, II the national COM
favor. OF Roosevelt, President Taft
will be out of the running.
Ho might, indeed. capture the nomina-
ton even at that IL the La Toilette
votes were To be turned over to him.
But It Is perfectly well understood he.'y
that the La Toilette votes cannot be
thrown to Taft. Senator Gronna has
already indicated that the second choice
of the ten votes of North Dakota,
which are for La Toilette, Is Cummins.
Claims Entire South.
In order to get his showing of strength
for the President, Mr.. Mckinley Ia
counting as solid for Taft the eighteen
votes of South Carolina, the twenty
four votes of Virginia, and the twenty
votes of Mississippi. In fact, IN the
entire South. not considering Maryland,
Oklahoma, and Missouri, he Is allowing
Roosevelt only twenty votes In North
Carolina, one vote In Tennessee, six
votes In Texas, total Of twenty seven
votes in ALL
Without regard to the statements put
~,
Roosevelt headquarters, such claims as
these on the part of MrM. Mckinley arc
known by politicians here to be ABSURD.
Personal assurances given by Southern
delegates to Roosevelt and Information
here from yarhty Of sources makes
II clear that Roosevelt will set lnuci,
more strength than this In the SoulE.
Nobody knows this better than some
Of the foremost of the Taft headers vino
In, private talks concede that con-
siderable part of the paper strength of
President Taft cannot be he'd.
: No Margin of Safety.
The truth is that the very figures
put forth from the headquarters of
the President are anything but cheer
full for him. They constitute, when
analysed. discouraging forecast for
him. The truth is, furthermore, that
for days the men on whom the Presi-
ucut - TelNiIlS lot d TcnOfnlndtlOn
are admitting tho votes the President
has on paper cannot be held. Even
the steamroller has it's limitations and
requires some margin of safety for
Its proper working. ....
Plenty of the men about Mr.. Taft
are giving serious consideration to
the problem Of beating Roosevelt by
nominating a third man. Were the
strength of President Taft deliver
able, this would be feasible. But
everybody knows 1t Is not deliverable
On the basis OF Mr.. McKinley's lat
est figures, not counting Ohio and
Arizona at large and the ten votes
of South Dakota, Roosevelt has 427
votes or within l13 of the nomina-
tion.
Even on the basis of these figures,
which are considered correct neither
by impartial statisticians nor by the
Roosevelt leaders. 1t is interesting to
just how Mr.. Roosevelt
can be kept out of the nomination,
once there IS an attempt to turn the
Taft strength to some third candi-
date. The probabilities of preventing
the Roosevelt nomination grow small
er the more closely one analyses the
situation. even with use of the anti
Roosevelt tables.