Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-04-12
NEW YORK WILL DEAL PRES
lDENT HARDEST BLOW.
To Be Rejected Because HE
Couldn't Win IL No m n ated."
MAINE AND ILLINOIS TO FOLLOW.
By Judson C. Welliver.

Something very like panic prevails
among the Taft political managers at
the prospect which the immediate
future holds for them. They face this
uncomfortable situation
The New York convention will meet
at Rochester April 9, and, while in con-
troll of the reactionary forces, will name
an uninstructed delegation. The mana
gers are just awakening to the fact
that this is the most serious blow that
could happen to the President. To be
turned down in a reactionary conven-
ton, simply because they don't think he
could be elected if nominated. will be
peculiarly unfortunate reputation.
He could have stood being defeated
by Roosevelt; that could have been
charged up to the wickedness of Wall
Street and the Vaccinations of the I'M
holy. But Taft is confronting the
peculiar humiliation of being denied a
delegation on the ground that it would
be waste of effort to try to elect him.
And this in pivotal New York!
Which by itself is bad enough. But
it is only the beginning.
On the same day April l0-when New
York humiliates the President, Maine
will hold its State convention and in
struct for Roosevelt.
Bad enough. But still it is not a
complete picture.
| On April 9, the Illinois Presidential
preference primaries will be held under
the States new law. There's the real
rough rub. Illinois is absolutely neces-
sary to Taft, and his generals have dis
covered that he isn't going to get it.
Even the Mckinley district is going
to declare for Roosevelt, according to
the advice of the managers on both
sides. The slump became startling
when Chicago held its city election on
Tuesday, and everyone of the so-called
''Lorimer wards" went against Lori
mer.
Lorimer is the head of the political
machine in which Congressman Nc
Kinley is lieutenant. Lorimer was out
after those wards, by way of getting g
vindication that he could proudly dis
play before the Senate when it comes tc
vote on the pleasant issue of whether g
Senator whose seat is bought for him is
good enough Senator. The Lorimel
people believed that if they could show
their possession of the goods in Chicago
it would help them lot
The Taft people, be it said to theil
eternal credit, did not quite like thi.
complication of their fight with Lori
mer's. They were rather forced into it
Lorimer's friends forced Mckinley OF
Taft as his manager; and Mckinley in
stantly became recognized as manager
of Taft and the representative of Lori
mer.
1t could have been forgiven, if the
combination had been able to produc,
results. But combination that create,
a bad odor and at the same time fails t
capture the candy is very, very bad pc
litical form. That's the trouble will
the MISUNDERSTANDING combina
ton.
Everything from Illinois reads plail
the prophecy that Roosevelt is going t,
capture big majority of the delegate
to the national convention, the dele
, gates-at-large, and an instruction TO
, them.
i, From the Democratic side comes al
interesting story, too, of troubles tina
the "allies" are having. The old Smith
= Nugent machine that ran the Jerse,
J Democracy in the olden days befor
I Wilson and victory arrived conceive,
t the idea of inserting crimp at tn
3 midriff of the Wilson boom by run
? ming Champ Clark in the States pref
erential primary and Selling Esse,
2 county and its delegates, thus dividing
the State against Wilson. 1t locke
4 bad for the governor, for the ancien
regime is undeniably powerful in tina