The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-16


to know: but no man knows, for every
claim put out is founded, not on fact.
out on hope. Stripped down To the
bone. this Is the condition that exists:
The Roosevelt managers are certain
they have secured some of the Taft
oeiesates. but they are uncertain how
many delegates tho Taft managers
have secured. The Taft managers are
In the same case. Each side makes
confident assertions, but each side
secretly is scared stiff. The fight Is
not only to retain delegates, but to
| obtain them.
Show Their Fears.
The Taft men say they have from
300 10 BOO delegates no arguments O,
inducements can take away from
them. Then they show their fears by
asserting that II thu Roosevelt men dc
Get any Taft delegates. they have
piedsed Roosevelt delegates who arc
ready to desert Roosevelt and como
| over to fill the vacancies.
The Roosevelt men talked tmpres-
sively OF certain number of dele
gates counted for Taft on the rock
bottom. Inside Taft list. who will vote
Tor Roosevelt on all ballots. but they
wonder If all their own men are tried
and true.
Ihus the struggle has developed
from an ordinary political manipula
ton 10 Il question based on tho mental
ana moral stamina of definite mum
Der of men. 1t isn't politics that over
shadows. 1t Is the personal EQUATION
| What Will these men do when thew
come to the doing time? VIII the Taft
men. bound by no tics other than loose
party strands, hold arm, or Will they
| give into the arguments of tho Roose-
Veit men that tho only way to win is
| m IA
can answer that question can tell who
VIII be nominated, but that person
| hasn't appeared in Chicago vet. for
| tho answering of It involves the solu-
ton OF some 1850 separate individual
psychological problems. and most OF
the psychologists around tho various
headquarAers arc rank amateurs.
Even the injestion of one bull
moose into the situation this after
noon ala not change the aspect of af-
fairs. except TO make the result more
indeterminate. Mr.. Roosevelt arrived
and the clamor was tremendous. bur
the politicians kept on working stead
lily. and the delegates remained n mys-
terry. Something may break before
Tuesday that Will settle tho fight II,
one OF the three ways II can be settled
with Taft. with Roosevelt or a third
man-but nothing has broken yet and
not many cracks arc apparent. Meth
e.. side Is sure. Each side has hopes
a-plenty. but each side also has n
supply OF fears that hang around as
persistently as the negro brethren and
are of the same color.
The Plan OF Campaign.
Naturally. each side has plan of
campaign. aside from the minute
strategic details that always go wIth
national nominations. The plan OF
the Taft men Is broad and comprehen
sive. The Taft men are using Taft
as a candidate merely because he is
the only man who fits in with their
purpose. Beyond n fey personal re-.
tainers no Taft man is sincerely
Loyalty last-ditche eddy for Taft. In this
game they would be for Smith or
Johnson or anybody else. IL Smith or
Johnson or anybody else was the per
son with whom to operate. Tho DER.
sons the Taft men are for are them.
selves. The person they are against Is
Roosevelt. AS has been said. thew
ere not pro-Taft. but are anti Roose-
velt Taft is their available .nstru.
ment for obtaining their end. So the>
are trying to nominate Taft. The an.
parent Taft leaders have not even
party loyalty for Taft They do no,
care whether Taft is President agar
or not, except so far IS their indtyi.
AoA tuhos are COncerHc cd
TAFT Is handy In this cintingency. and
they nre using him. Their plan Is
THIS. They are concinced the Repub-
lican party Is In for n beating this
fall with Taft as a Lender and they
have already taken their losses, to use
a Wall Street phrase. and are looking
ahead to 1915. They think that by
naming Taft and defeating Roosevelt
they can force n bolt and thus purge
the party of what thoy call populism.
| and what tho Roosevelt men call pro-
sressiVism. Thus, with this element
out. they retain control of the old ma
| chinery. and go ahead and try to build
(Continuad on jaaYanth Pa -.