Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-14
TAFT IS CONFIDENT
Pays Little Heed to Third
Candidate Talk.
MANY VOTES IN RESERVE
Some Roosevelt Delegates Likely to
Desert After First Ballot.
ROOT AS A OZARK HORSE"
Former Vice President Fairbanks
Also Mentioned-Views of Rep
resentative Littleton.
ROOT AS A OZARK HORSE"

This was one Of the DEVELOPMENTS of
today at the White House in view of
the increasing third candidate talk
coming from Chicago in dispatches
from that city. The decision In the
Missouri contest cases to the con-
trary. all of the Presidents advices
from Chicago and elsewhere were de-
cidedly favorable. There reached the
President today this telegram: Nevada
delegates solid for you and are on
train for Chicago. E. E. Roberts"
Similar kilograms OF encouragement
tick over the White House wires at
frequent intervals.
In the face of plenty of encouragement
the President gives no thought to the
nomination of any other man. Even
should he fall short Of few votes on the
first ballot. he would feel confident OF
nomination, because the Taft people have
in reserve a number Of woes from Hill
nois, Oregon and elsewhere that Will
stand by Roosevelt only as long as he is
believed to have q chance Of nomina III on.
Having fulfilled their primary pledges 10
Roosevelt by voting for him on the first
or second ballots, these delegates, prob
ably forty in number would have no
hesitation in going to Taft, especially II
Of southern delegates pledged to him IN
conventions.
May Turn to Taft.
The prediction has been made for
some time that the Roosevelt people
will lose in the long run by persuad-
ing southern or other delegates to
turn against their instructions. The
minute that delegations begin to dis
regard instructions there will be a
breakup all along the line and more
than a hundred Roosevelt delegates
who are personally Taft men at heart
will be ready to turn to the President
to Offset assertions from him.
The action Of the national commit
tee in the Missouri cases was abso-
lutely satisfactory to the President.
The Taft column had never included
but eighteen votes from that state.
The outcome. by the decision OF the
national committee. gives TAFT SIXTEEN a
loss Of only two.
There has ben much speculation as
to whom the President would favor
should circumstances next week indicate
clearly to him that he could not be nom
mated, but that third candidate could
Not believing he will be called upon to
meet such a situation, the President does
not discuss it even with Intimate friends,
but many tn ngs point to the fact that
the President would insist, In such con-
tingency, on using his influence LOT the
constitutional government and respect for
the courts.
With an emphatic slam of his fist on
his table Pres dent Taft told one caller
candidate: There will be no third cand!-
date. Every scrap Of information | get
is that l will be nominated on the first
ballot. with votes to spare"
Dark Horse Possibilities.
Senator Root and former Vice Presi-
dent Fairbanks both loom up as dark
horse possibilities should the 'consti-
tutionalists'' stand out against the ele-
ment that constantly attacks the courts.
Associate Justice Hughes has been men
toned more prominently than either Of
these, but the trouble about the justice,
known to those on the inside, is that
William Barnes, jr. of New York. would
not stand for the nomination. and the
big bunch of New York votes means
much in the convention should there be
a rush toward a dark horse. Barnes
would. it is believed, be for Root. To
the last ditch he would oppose any man
holding the views Of Cummins or La
Toilette. He would oppose either of
these men with as much vehemence as
he opposes Roosevelt. Constitutional
government is as much one of his pet
themes and phrases as Lincoln and the
common people are WITH roosevelt.
The important fact, heretofore un
known, looms up that Fairbanks is to be
chairman of the resolutions committee il
the Taft people control the convent. on
Senator Root is to deliver the keynote
speech and Fairbanks = to bring in the
resolutions. Both men will hold influ-
entail positions in the convention. Sena-
tor Root can make himself a power by
the speech he Is to make. II that speech
sounds good to the convention as whole,
a nd Tof RnnSaUa1f hA
eliminated as candidates, who would stand
better with the delegates than the New
York man, once pronounced by Roosevelt
to be the ablest man in public life in ths
United States?
Fairbanks Has Support.
Mr.. Fairbanks has had quiet suppor for
some time to go to him under possible
future circumstances. He would not be
Objectionable to Barnes, and he would
have backing from throughout the west
and middle west. He has been out of
public life long enough not to have made
himself offensive to either of the re-
publican factions. He served as Vice
President in the last Roosevelt admins
tration and retained the respect and
good will Of Col. Roosevelt and his fol-
lowers. He is at Chicago as Taft dele
gate, but in being elected did nothing to
hurt the Roosevelt people.
Taft people have information today
that the Roosevelt leaders, outside of the
few optimistic ones like Pinchot, Garfield.
Dixon and Finn, have practically given
up the fight and are limiting things favor
able to Cummins. They do not like La
Toilette. In fact. it is positively known
that the Roosevelt people. at Chicago and
elsewhere. have sworn eternal enmlty to
La Toilette and will never give their sup
port to him.
The Cummins boom in the last few days
has been traced directly TO Roosevelt sup
porters who have at heart given up the
fight for their man. and who will turn in
any direction to beat Taft Most Of the
third candidate talk at Chicago, it was re-
ported on good authority today, comes
from Roosevelt men who get their tips
from the leaders. The Taft leaders. on
ming with their man they will not admit
there are possibilities beyond this.
Says Cummins Is Favored.
Representative Littleton of New York
said at the White House today that he
had received information that while the
Minis at Chicago. Col. Roosevelt himself
IS for Hughes.
1.-THE colonel does not like Hughes. does
he?" Mr.. Littleton was asked.
But he likes Taft less was the com
ment of the representative who halls
from the Oyster Bay district.
Roosevelt would be for Hughes, too, 1t
$ said in some quarters. because Barnes
is opposed to the Supreme Court justice.
Roosevelt's friends in New York stood by
Hughes in the days when the justice was
governor
Mr iftIetop's oninjop as IS that of all