The Washington times., 1912-06-14
Cummins Boosted
By Taft Leaders
AS a Compromise
By JUDSoN c. wELL1vER.

CHICAGO, June 4.-After a night of
conferences, devoted to the desperate
eHort to reform their lines and regain
control of the national committee, fol-
lowing Its refusal to carry out their
plan or stealing the entire Missouri
delegation. the Taft leaders appeared
this morning with expressions of con-
hdence which their nervous attitude did
not entirely bear out.
MISSOURI, they declare now, was not
necessary to their plans of control,
They insisted, after the committee had
given Roosevelt eight of the fourteen
contested delegates, that for the last
those delegates for Taft. They add
that they will have fifty to sixty ma
Jorlty with which to elect Root tenn
porary chairman.
Severe Blow To Taft
All this is accepted by the Roose-
welt managers as whistlng through the
graveyard. The best unbiased opinion
agrees with the declarations at Roose-
welt headquarters, that the Missouri
result was an unexpected and a severe
blow to Taft hopes. Throughout the
convention Hobbies the opinion was
widespread that in fact 1t was the be-
ginning of the end for the Taft organi-
zation; that the Penrose- Barnes Nc
kinley crowd had been compelled to
rely on their complete control Of the ma
tional committee; that the outbursts OF
nationwide indignation and protest
against the series of outrages that have
taken place in the committee have had
an effect which neither pleadings, ca
5olings, promises, nor the whip can
overcome.
A group Of committeeman are in
truth sick of the whole job. They are
considering the discomforts of going
n nhf m TntN nj tno n
will regard with contempt the whole
performance and the men who have
been plant and weak enough to let
themselves be used in 1t.
Taftites Talk Cummins.
Among the Taft forces the talk OF a
third candidate continues. 1t repre-
sents first their recognition that Taft is
losing ground and that his failure to
get flrst-ballot nomination is the end
for him; beyond that, it represents the
determined hostility of the Taft crowd
of managers to Roosevelt. To them
to the Penroses and the Barneses-any-
thing would be preferable to Roose-
welt
Senator Crane has been holding out
hopes to the Cummins delegates from
Iowa, who have opened headquarters
and are watching in the hope that such
a situation might make the lightning
strike their man. There was story,
too, that three or four votes of Taft
delegates in Pennsylvania would go to
Cummins, who was born In that State.
All this talk added to the satisfaction
of the Roosevelt managers. They know
that no delivery of Taft strength can
be made, to any man, that will include
anything like a solid block of the dele
gates now listed as for Taft. There
will be a huge slump to Roosevelt that
will nominate him with a huge ma
jority. And that Is just the situation
toward which matters now appear to bt
tending. 1t is in the air.
AS a result of all these conditions
Taft stock was down and Roosevelt
stock up higher today than ever be
fore. The Taft people insisted that
they would be able to put through
their jobs of stealing the delegates
from, Washington STATE, and most OF
those from Texas. To that the Roose
velters retorted that even If they did
II would avail them nothing; the con-
ventIon had bean brought to the tlda
sweep of public feeling that Is now
bearing down on the convention city
from all parts Of the corntry. The
momentum Is all toward Roosevelt
Breaks 10 him are reported in new
Llaccs constantly. That Taft is be
yond hope Of nomination or first bal
lot was more apparent than at any
previous time: and the corollary tC
that proposition, accepted by Taft IA