The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-25
SOFT, KIND WORDS
TO Be FORSAKEN
V itrioic Brand Will
Be Brought Into
Play.
TAFT is REALLY
GOING TO FIGHT
He Leaves for Massachusetts,
Where He Is Expected to
Make Some Sizzling Hot At
tacks on His Quondam
Friend, Now Bitterest
Enemy, Roosevelt.

Washington, April 24-With Presi.
dent Taft away from Washington on
the most important political trip ne
has ever undertaken: with the coun.
try watching for his expected hot at
tack upon colonel Roosevelt. with the
Cabinet at ii nearly ail-Aight meeting
considering these speeches md CIV
ing tn"ir approval. with the Taft poo.
pie optimistic over their prospects
since t:ie victory in New Hampshire
Yesterday. and in Rhode Island to-
day. the political map to-day began
to show moe activity than has been
exhibited ia weeks.
J 1t Nes 2:30 O'Clock this morning
; when the special Cabinet meeting.
I that had begun man. hours before.
adjourned and the President and his
advisers went to their beds. ~ this
meeting. 1t IL known. the attack the
Pres dent is TO make upon Roosevelt
was carefully scrutinizcd and the
agreement finally reached represents
,ht combines wisdom Of nine rooa
men. many of whom We're n the
Roosevelt Cabinet and formerly close
friends oc mis-
The Cabinet stood with tie President
In his view that Ike time had arrived
WHEN sott-spokeu Words and concilla-
tory methods were 20 be discarded and
plain truths uttered 70. the beneti, o.
the American people Nj TAFT had
dictated several o: the speeches he will
make in Massachusetts tomorrow, ami
IN New Jersey tts following day. and
he wanted the advice OF his Cabinet
on them. Al information to-day was
that the character OF 'ha pepper TO
be used had no; be"n changed.
To Speak by the Record.
The President. II Is understood has
fortified every rit"rance ne is to NIX.
( ny cold facts gathered from cor+len-
! tai ililcs and from newspaper and
( otht- reports az spseoaes made by Col
, oucl Roosevelt. Tho Cabinet carefully
: considered all these letters an ali
I these utterances The President ard
his advisers realize that the speeches
I nc is 20 make viii be carefully an
swe-sd by Roosevelt, and that the
fight that IS now starting may lead
inio most bitter struggle, In which
tie man holding the best hand OF facts
ana hgu-az ought 10 win with he
American people as the jury.
II Colonel Roosevelt Is 10 be made
out plain falsifer. as is the purpose
OF Mr. Tafts attack. the President
knows that he must have the goods"
both in the opening Indictment OF the
ex-President and in the come back"
that Is inevitable.
The promise from Massachusetts
men who went 10 the White House to-
day was that the campaign there from
now until next Tuesday. the day Of the
primaries. Will be the hottest that his
toric old State has ever known. The
TAFT forces there are now being led
~ Representative Gardner. the king
Of political scrappcrs In the State.
the man who beat Senator Crane four
! years ago in the fight for delegates
! TO the Republican National Convention.
Gardner knows no fear of Roosevelt
or any other man: he Is not TO be
swept from his feet when the colonel
turns loose his batteries there this
week and next, and every time the
Colonel makes one of his draGnet at
tacks on everything in sight that is
against him. Gardner will tackle him
good and hard. 1t is Gardeners leader
J ship there that inspired Taft men to-
! day with confidence TO the out
como.
Confidence Restored.
y distinct difference in feeling was
noticeable in the Taft ranks to-day.
I Counting surely upon the President
going after Roosevelt. and confident
that Gardner's leadership will change
things materially. the raft people were
optimistic. They arc prophesying
that Massachusetts will go for Taft
! by lfg majority. and declare that
Q this. with the results in New Hamp-
shire yesterday and In Rhode Island
to-day, will stop the Roosevelt tide
and turn it back so enectually that
Mr. Tafts nomination will be "clnch-
ed in another three weeks.
. There was more than mere hope In
this feeling. too. Counting the New
, Hampshire vote. President Taft to-
! day has i05 votes In the Chicago con-
vention. Roosevelt has only 215 La
+ Toilette Sc and Cummins 6. There are
LOIS votes in the national convention
and $40 will nominate. President Taft
must secure only 135 r:ore. or this
number he will have tcn from Rhode
Island. given him today. leaving him
within 1875 of the prize. With Massa
chusetts now practically certain to
give him at least thirty OF its thirty
six votes, his friends count on his
having to secure but ninety-fve OF the
large number of delegates to be
! elected.
He has every advantage In most of
the remaining States. Among them
are Arkansas. California. Maryland.
Texas. Utah, Wyoming. Montana, New
Jersey and Ohio. There Is every rea-
son, 1t was declared to-day. why tie
President should get tho bulk OF the
delegates from these States and set
tie the fight. He ia also certain OF
some delegates in Minnesota, North
, Carolina, South Kakota and elsewhere
! He will pick up the delegates at large
| from Tennessee, which has elected
t Taft delegates In the congressional
| districts and also In some OF the 9TH
| er States where State conventions
have not been held.
| Roosevelt Leader Loses.
Texas Democratic senators and rep.
resentatives say tibet Cecil Lyon. the
Republican boss OF Texas. Is beaten
| and Is seeking n division OF the Taxo a
| delegates. Texas has forty delegates
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