The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-03-28
COLLAPSE OF
ROOSEVELT BOOM
Republican County Leaders In
Ohio For TAFT.
COLUMBUS MEETINGG SUCCESS

Gathering Of chairmen From Seventy
five Counties Out of Eighty-eieht
Counties Presages Sweeping Vic
tory For President.
Columbus, o., March 26.-(SpecialO
What is now believed to have been
the beginning of the end of the so
called Roosevelt boom in Ohio oc'
Cured last Tuesday at the Southern
hotel in this city, when a remarkable
demonstration took place in the in
terest of the denomination and re-
election of President Taft. This DEM
onstration developed at a meeting at,
tended by 62 of the 88 Republican
county executive chairmen of Ohio.
In addition to those who were pres
ent in person, word was received
from the chaiTmen of l3 additional
counties, making total representa-
ton at the meeting of IS of the 80
counties.
Prior to the calling Of this meet.
ing the Roosevelt press agents and
leaders had for weeks been flooding
the state with reports that Ohio Re-
publicans were overwhelmingly in IA
vor of Roosevelt's nomination. Realiz
ing that the underlying sentiment
among Republicans of Ohio was real
ly In favor of President Taft's re-
nomination, L. c. Laylin, the Taft
leader at Columbus, sent an invita-
ticn to each Republican county ex
ecutiva chairman, inviting them to at
tend a Taft meeting in Columbus
| The Roosevelt leaders confidently pre-
| dicted that Laylin's invitation would
be coldIy received and that the at
| tendance would be extremely small
| The representation at the meeting
however, clearly demonstrated thai
the Republican leaders in PRACTICAL!
every county in the state were II
favor of President Taft.
Strong addresses were made at thu
meeting by Chairman Laylin, United
States Senator Theodore E. Burton
A. l. Vorys, Hon. Warren G. HARDING
and Hon. Harry NJ. Daugherty.
In introducing the speakers Chair
man Laylin commented on the fac
that a significant feature of the meet
ing was that it was as nearly repre-
sentative of the actual Republican
sentiment throughout the state as i
was possible to have.
In the course of his address Senator
Burton commented ON the fact tina
there bad been a mass of loose, criti
cism against President Taft, particu
larly in connection with the tarit
question. He challenged the oppon
ents Of the president to be more spe
cifc; he cited facts and figures t
show that practically all of the crit
cism was based on misinformation
and pointed out that the duties CO.
lected during the first quarter unde
the so.called Payne tariff bill wer
thirteen million dollars less than the
would have been had the Dingley bill
remained unchanged.
| MeSSIS, NOIyS, E1dTuluS anu laugh
erty all made ringing and eloquen
addresses, arousing great enthusiasm
Before the meeting adjourned ringin
resolutions commencing the admins
tration of President Taft and de-
'manding his denomination and re-eleC
ton were unanimously adopted by
rising vote. During the course of tn
meeting every mention of Presiden
Taft's name edHed forth cheers an
enthusiastic applause.
Even the most enthusiastic Tai
leaders were surprised at the larg
attendance and enthusiasm which prt
vailed at the meeting. They, lik
many others, had been misled by mil
leading reports and confident claim