The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-25
TAFT SITUATION
FULL OF DANGER
Must Plan to Prevent Stealing
OF Electoral Votes by
Roosevelt.
ELECTORS TO BE SOUNDED
Progressives Are Facing Big
Task in Getting Party
Organized.
ELECTORS TO BE SOUNDED

:" "p 'phSiucTeu Dy president Taft
and his advisers Is that o. the Rooye.
welt electoral tickets in a number OF
States.
The threat OF the Roosevelt poople
prior to the Chicago convention was
that. even IL Colonel Roosevelt did
not run on an Independent ticket.
they would put through in n number
OF States the electoral tickets nomI
| mated by them when the deleRatea
were selected. and that these electors
would refuse to vote for TAFT.
The Republican MANAGERS are con-
ironted by the fact that these electors
were placed upon regular Republican
tickets. and unless steps are taken ia
place other tickets in the field will bo
voted Tor II November under the
Republican cmbiems.
Dozen States Affected
ihcrc are ten or twelve StatcB I'M
dcr the domination or progressive Re
publicans whcr. the electors nlrendv
are in the fled. nominated nv sta,s
and district conventions under tbo
sway OF the Roosevelt people Penn
sSiNania' Maryland and West virginia
arc samples OF this dangerous situ,
ton. "Hii!" Finn. the new pennsvl-
vania boss. rickol all these electors
IN me state convention that sent dele
gates at large 10 Chicago
lie has threatened that every or.
o! the pennsylvania electors viii vote
Tor hookcHclt In the Electoral College
II they are elected. which rneans That
/ II continued on the Republican ttct,,
they VIII support Roosevelt The pro-
oIein arises In Pennsylvania as to want
70 u" with condition Ike this.
Presumably the Taft leaders will NJ,
certain from each elector what he
would do and. IL Finn knows what
he liz taking about as to the electors.
VIII bring about a new ticket Of
electors about whose loyalty to Taft
there can ~ no question.
mere may be litigation in tho
courts on the subject. Having heen
nominated as regular Republicans. In
regular Republican state CONVEX
.'ol' the electors might claim rc.u-
lariN aud hgh; efforts to remove
them.
The suggestion now is tina, Fin,
VIII appropriate these electors as me
electors for the new progressive nnrtv
ana mat would leave the regular Re-
puul'c"hs the opportunity to arrange
their own ticket OF electors.
The whole situation. however Z. en-
'Faushi with possible danger TO Tn,t
IN the progressive States that II ,yi,I
nave To be handle with the greatest
care The election of a President u,
November might hang upon wobb.y o.
a.a'soroos delegates and plunge the
,ouh'ry INTO bitterness that would
De 100 t"r-reaehing TO contemplate.
| In most states II is possible for ne,.
/ electors 10 be put In the nnId II,
means of petitions filed with the Sto,e
authorities, but in attempting to nut
! these tickets under the heading a,
regular Republican the electors nj.
ready nominated would be able 10
conpIicaie things by going 10 tho
courts II they were disposed to take
advantage OF the rnix-up.
| The policy OF the Republican N,-
tiohai Committee under leadership OF
me new chairman. probably Charles u
liilles, the Presidents private score.
tary. will be 10 sift the Sentiments
ana records of every man named as
e!ec'or. Searching scrutiny will be
the watchword
| In the great majority of the States
Colonel Roosevelt Will have to get into
inc running by petitions circulated
among the people. In New York this
petition must have $4,000 signatures
before new party can get a place on
the official ballet. In some states the
number OF signers necessary is com
paratively large IT is predicted that
the Coionel's managers will have a
nara job getting $1,000 signers in that
state. The cost, too, Will be large
me Roosevelt program is to hold
state conventions OF the progressive
party and nominate their electors and
state and legislative tickets where
they think they have chance TO via,
President Taft to-day received o
number of prominent callers. who
wished to extend their congratulations.
These included Chief Justice White.
OF the Supreme Court. Senator Brown
ana other Senators, former Speaker
Cannon and Representatives Mann
l tAmDDell p6 Rttr
mated that two thousand kilograms
OF congratulation from all parts
OF the country have reached tho
white House. so many that the PresI-
dent has not been able to read a fifth
OF them. Letters by the basketful
A., are already beginning to arrive.
~. NJ. Stevenson, of Colorado the
much talked-of big Steve" of the
Republican National Committee while
the contests were going on before thar
committee. was among the visitors 10
felicitate the President, and he was in
vited to luncheon with the President.
Mr.. stevenson was under the constant
fire of Francis j. Hcney and othnr
Roosevelt leaders. 1T was pretty hard
TO keep quiet under the abuse. said
Mr.. stevenson. but my friends urged
me to keep my head. as the Roosevelt
ruffians before the committee were
seeking personal encounters"
h"i'"er OF Southern delegates on
their way to Baltimore called On tho
president and congratulated him
The Republican callers, as a mule
were hopeful of the outcome of the
November election. Taft got a square
deal at Chicago" said Senator Brown.
and predict that the square deaf
sentiment for him will grow from this
time on. believe .he President will
beat tho Democratic nominee and
Roosevelt. and he elected for another
term"
Things will go toward TAFT from
now on" asserted Repres tive
Campbell, of Kansas.
Il am Republican, said former
Speaker, Cannon, "and believe the
principles of tho party Will tr,,mnh"
Tint Nnnr.Anr.. I1,1,. -. 'P'i