The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-09
PresIdentIaI CANVAS RevIewsd

Nothing that took place during last
week disturbed the likelihood that
President Taft will be renominated. |
prov ided the southern delegates can !
be taken at their face value. Mr.. /
Taft needs ninety more to have a
convention majority and he has lee
way of 1872 unchosen delegates in
which to secure this number, Roose-
welt, however, is gamer beyond
former expectations and his figures
are advancing unpleasantly to the
Taft interests Whatever courtesies
were observed few weeks ago, per
sonally as between Taft and Roose-
Welt, have been thrown TO the wind
and the fight between them from nov
out will be no "Alphonse and CASTOR"
stunt in politeness.
The delegates yet to be elected are
scattered from New Jersey to the
Pacific coast The largest block is
in Ohio. the presidents state, where
he will be chosen two weeks from to-
morrow. Before the Massachusetts
primaries were held, it was thought
that the Bay State result would have
some bearing upon the Ohio situa-
ton, but that was too indecisiye to
be of much barommetric value The
presidents friends are using ii in
Ohio as argument concerning what
Roosevelt failed to do. while Roose-
velt's friends point out the moral of
Ia conservative state balancing on the
! hair line between half-century con-
seryatism and the radicalism of the
hour Neither claims are worth
picayune. as political argument in
Ohio and the latter state bids fair
to fight the matter out on home lines
as Massachusetts did The balance
of present opinion inclines to a be-
lief that Taft will get large major
| ity of the Ohio delegates, but in two
weeks there is time for much to
| happen.
The next largest block of delegates
will hail from Texas, 40 in number
The Texas state convention will be
held one week after the Ohio primar-
les, or on May %. In that state the
| Taft organization is understood to
be very effective and a strong Taft
delegation from there is reasonably
expected. Naturally, however, If
the presidents own state should go
against him. the Texans might get to
wondering about the route of the
band wagon and speak less decisiyely
| than is now in delegate numbers
comes New Jersey where the primar-
les will be held the same day as in
Texas. New Jersey has 2S delegates
Roosevelt is admittedly strong there
and probably nothing less than the
| best effort of the presidents friends
will secure any considerable portion
OF the delegates. Taft clubs are
numerous, however, and the Taft or
ganlzation is in capable hands Who
ever wins or loses in New Jersey will
do so not by neglect nor carelessness
as the state is thoroughly awake to
the fight that is on.
With only 80 delegates to CO. il
seems safe to assume that Taft will
get the needed number out of all the
chances before him. Still more than
300 short of a convention majority
it seems equally safe to assume that
Roosevelt can not win. AS was said
at the outset, the integrity of Taft's
delegate strength depends upon the
reliability OF many delegates in the
south. In the past, delegates from
that section have been purchasable in
considerable numbers There Is am.
pie money available from sources
friendly to Roosevelt to buy anything
salable. Presumably, too, money dir.
ected from quarters in support OF
Taft would not be restricted in case
an auction begins. Admittedly a
serious Taft weakness lies in the fact
that too large portion of his dele
gate strength comes from states eth.
er normally democratic or uncertain
in republican utilization.
| As to compromise between Taft
and Roosevelt, there are no indica
tons yet that either has any inten
ton of considering such a step. Their
blood is up and the contest is now
almost wholly personal. This phase
of the fight is to be deplored. and II
may be the business of the party Ia
dispose OF them both as not elements
of strength in the mission of the par
ty to continue the work of govern
ment that so years have made glor
ious.
To meet the demands Of party lead
, ership this year Mr. Taft must b,
, renominated by many more than {
7 bare majority of the convention. Like
, wise must any other man-RutlanC