Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-09
Plan to Ask Taft to Withdraw
at Least Retarded.
GETS PUBLICITY TOO SOON
Progressive Members Of House Not
Disposed to Discuss Subject.
SOME DIsAPPRovE PETITION
Unable to Agree Upon It's Terms,
Several Members From Western
States Fail to Sign.

Publicity given to the plans Of progress
sive republican members OF the House ia
circulate petitions calling upon President
Taft to withdraw az head OF the repub-
lican national ticket had the effect today
Of retarding development IL not actually
circumventing the scheme
Further inquiry developed tho fact that
what was proclaimed yesterday as a gen.
eral nationwide movement to circulate
petitions among voters had thus far been
confined almost entirely to a number OF
well known progressives Of the House.
The reported support Of conservative re-
publicans, 1t was admitted today, prob
ably will not be forthcoming
Representative Davis Of Minnesota has
been actively advocating the drafting of
petitions to be sent out through the coun-
try for voters signatures. He had a
conference today with Senator Dixon.
and it is understood the scheme was dis
cussed at that time.
Lack Of General Support.
No agreement was reached by the pro-
gressives to take up the petition plan.
and it was rumored that lack Of general
support was responsible for the delay. A
draft of a petition to be signed by MEM
bers OF the House was shown yesterday
to Representatives Davis and Lindbergh
Of Minnesota; Jackson. Rees, Murdoch
and Young of Kansas; Kent Of California
Warburton Of Washington and several
others They did not agree upon It's
terms. and thus far none has signed it.
Anti-Taft members Of the Senate, to-
gether with several from the House. have
decided to draw up a statement critictsine
the nomination made at Chicago. and set
ting forth their belief that President
Taft was not legally nominated. This Will
be offered to all progressives for sigma
ment in the forthcoming struggle.
If the movement to petition Mr.. Taft te
withdraw succeeds in gaining any volume
1t is said these same men in the interest,"
of party harmony may ask Col. Roosevelt
also to withdraw as a progressive candl
date for an independent nomination. and
permit a compromise selection of some
man agreeable to both factions OF the
party. It is the desire of the promoters
of the scheme that decision shall be
reached before August 8, when the Roose-
welt faction plans to hold convention II
Chicago.
Planned Circulation of Petitions.
The circulation of petitions, it was
expected. would start within a week
| 1t was said the movement would begiI
spontaneously in every state. The or
ganizers planned circulating blank
| forms Of petitions and appointing
supervisors who, in turn, would en-
gage canyassers to solicit the sigma.
lures of republican voters. The au
~, 80 Ill tn1 fo fS
practically every republican voter IL
the United States chance to ex-
press his opinion Of Mr.. Taft's candida
cy either by signing the petition or re.
jecting It.
Information that the petitions were Il
be put before the voters leaked out yes
terday No particular person is Authority
for the statement and members of Con
gress concerned were unwilling to sta.it
sponsors for it until the movement was
under way.
In the circulation of the anti-Taft peti
tons it was expected to make an effor
to get them signed by organization re,
pubncans and others who have stood
with the President, as we'll as by citizens
who have occupied neutral ground. Their,
will be no special effort made to ge
progressive republican signatures, as L
is believed that to confine the petitions t6
that faction would encompass the defea
of the movement
The sponsors of the plan say. any one
of it's first results would be to let Mr.
Taft know If there arr any considerable
number of regular republicans who be-
lieve he should step aside in the Interest
Of harmony.
The White House today would not dis
cuss the story that petitions will be cir
culated through the country. 1t was
intimated that such a move would be toe
silly to pay attention to and that parties
interesting themselves in that manner had
better save their time