The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-06-01
TAFT WILL FIGHT
FOR PLATFORM
IN OHIO
Thinks That is More important
Than Delegates
RAID OF RADlCALISM
President Taft is Writing Platform
Himself for the Stand Pat
Faction In Ohio

Washington, May 31.-President
Taft spent a large part of this after.
noon in drafting the platform to he
proposed by his supporters at the
Ohio State convention on Tuesday
For this purpose he had summoned
Warren G Harding, the Taft candid.
ate for chairman of the committee
on resolutions, and Mr.. Harding ar.
rived at the White House at 3 O..
clock. He was closeted with the
president all the rest of the after.
noon and spent large part of this
evening with him.
Before going to the White House Mr.
Harding, who was formerly lieuten.
ant governor of Ohio and was de.
feated as a Republican candidate for
governor in the last election, went to
the capitol and discussed the plat.
form with Senator Burton who was
already familiar with the president
Ideas, and who is the Taft candidate
for temporary chairman. Either
Burton or Harding will make the
nominating speech for Taft in the
national convention.
The president places great impor.
lance on the adoption OF his plat.
form at Columbus Whether nomina.
ted or defeated, he is DESTROYS OF
placing clearly before the people the
difference in the doctrines advocated
by himself and Theodore Roosevelt
He wants to bring before them the
issue between the two men in the
plainest possible way; and he wishes
his own state to appear as the pro
ponent of his views. If, after under.
standing clearly the full meaning OF
the doctrines for which Roosevelt
stands and those for which he stands
they deliberately choose the Roose.
welt doctrines, the president feels that
his own conscience is clear. But he
does not want them to vote on a be
logged idea of the issues He believes
that on him rests the responsibility
Of preventing Roosevelt from wreck
ing the Republican party.
Columbus, Ohio, May 31.-Prepara.
ton for the struggle next Monday in
the Republican state convention for
the six delegates at large to the Chi
cago convention is going forward few
erishly in both the Taft and Roose-
welt camps. While both sides are
claiming control, II can be said on
excellent authority that the contest
is close, the difference being far less
than fifty votes and very likely half
that amount. The air is filled with
talk of compromise in the interest OF
the state ticket.
Walter f. Brown. Roosevelt's man,
ager. issued the following statement
tonight:
THE presidents telegram to Mr.
Vorys raises the issue squarely Shall
the delegates to the Republican state
convention represent the Republicans
of Ohio and select Roosevelt dele
gates at large, or shall they misrepre
sent the Republicans of Ohio and sell
ect Taft delegates at large?
The total vote cast in the Repub
lican presidential primary was 299.
74l. fraction less than so per cent
or the vote cast for Harding for gov
ernor in 1910. OF this La Toilette
delegates received 1850. Taft dele
gates 1882. Roosevelt delegates
165,SOO Roosevelt's plurality over
TAFT was 47,447. Roosevelt majority
over Taft and La Toilette combined
1897 These figures are the aggre
gate of the official vote cast for the
leading Roosevelt, Taft and La Fol
lette candidates for delegate in each
county.
Roosevelt carried sixty.nine OF the
eighty.eight counties in Ohio. while
Taft carried only nineteen.
THE demand of the President that
Federal ofliceholders and others who
have been supporting him. either fol-
patronage received or expected. dis
regard the clearly expressed will OF
Ohio Republicans and by road.roller
methods secure him six delegates at
large from Ohio Is manifestly prompt
ed by an utter disregard for the Re
publican Party in Ohio. To insist
that Federal ofliceholders at Cleve
land cast the vote OF Cuyahoga Coun
~ In the State Convention for Taft
delegates at large, In the face OF the
fact that the President ran S,5SS
votes behind Roosevelt and 1886 be
hind La Toilette, is monstrous."