Las Vegas optic., 1912-05-13
CALIFORNIA Will.
name HER
Man
TOMORROW THE STATE WILL sE-
LEcT CANDIDATES FOR PRES
iDENTlAL NOMINATION.

San Francisco, May 13.-Califor
MAS first presidential preference
primary tomorrow will decide the
votes of the 26 delegates this state will
send to the national conventions. The
names of William H. Taft, Theodore
Roosevelt and Robert M. La Toilette
appear on the republican ballot, while
the democrats have the privilege OF
voting for Governor Woodrow Wilson,
Speaker Champ Clark or Governor
Judson Harmon.
Active campaigns have been wag-
ed on behalf of all the candidates,
and on the eve of the election the
situation is admitted to be exceed
ingly confusing and the results equl-
ly in doubt
An uncertain factor in the contest
is the woman vote. In consequence
of the referendum vote last fall the
women Of California tomorrow will
be given their first opportunity to go
to the polls and register their choice
for candidate for president of the
United States.
According to census taken under
the direction of the Women's Prog
ressive league of this city some
months ago there are upwards Of
$4,000 women eligible to vote in
California. The number of male vot-
ers registered at the last state elec.
ton was $4,000. This would have
given the women a majority in the
primaries, if they had taken advant.
age OF the situation. But as a mat
ter of fact the registration of women
was comparatively light. OF one
hundred women in San Francisco on
~ one-quarter registered. This small
enrolment of women was a severe
shock to advocates of woman suffrage
as they had predicted that this first
opportunity would be eagerly seized
by practically every woman in the
city eligible for the ballot.
Though the number of women vot-
ers may be smaller than at first an
ticipated, their ballots may play a
most important part in the presiden-
tial contests in this state, especially
II the results are closas Att any rate
the woman vote contributes an uhcer.
tain element to the situation that
makes 1t difficult for the polical lead.
ers to figure on the outcome. Tt is
also causing the politicians no end
OF uneasiness, for the women have
shown signs of independent thinking
and it is not at all certain that they
VIII vote the way their husbands do
The speaking campaigns in behalf
OF the various candidates will be con
tinued up to the very last hour. On
both the republican and democratic
sides the contests have been waged
with equal vigor. Senator La Toilette
Is the only one of the presidential
aspirants who has been able to take
personal campaign here, but each of
the others has been represented by
able managers and powerful speak
ers.
Within the past few weeks the
wisconsin senator has stumped the
state from end to end. Roosevelt
speakers and Taft speakers have fol.
lowed close on his trail and there is
scarcely a city, town or village in
California that has not been subiect.
ed to an oratorical bombardment bv
the forces of each of the three re.
publican candidates.
The Roosevelt managers declare
the La Toilette campaign will not ga.
slously affect the colonels chances ~
victory tomorrok. 1t is pointed out
that Roosevelt has always been per
sonaiiy popular in California and that
with Governor Johnson, Francis ]
Heney and other prominent lenders
IN MS support he is sure to win out
Predictions of an equally rosy hue
emanate from the TAFT camp. The
Taft managers count upon The back
ing Of the business interests Of the
state and also expect to get large
majority of the women's vote. The
personnel of the Taft ticl.es is regard
ed as exceedingly strong. In the lis
OF Taft delegates to the national cor
vention are ten men who suppores
Governor johnson for she nominatio;
two years ago, but who refused to fol
low his lead in declaring for Roose
welt Two of the other Taft delegate
are women.
The contest for the democratic in
dorsement is believed to be between
/ Wilson and Clark. The alignment 0
= the California democrats in regard
) to a presidential candidate is not S,
distinct as it is among the republican
s and II there had been no primary an