New-York tribune., 1912-01-08
VOTERS PREFER TAFT
100 Out of 205 Name Him as
First Choice for President.
HUGHES LEADS ROOSEVELT
Silk Stocking" District Holds
Harmon To Be Most Formida-
BILE Democratic Candidate.

Lindon Bates jr. the Republican captain
OF the 6th Election District Of the 29th
Assembly District. recently sent an inquiry
to the known Republicans and independents
In his district as to who they believed
would be the best Republican candidate
for President. also who would be the most
formidable Democratic candidate.
out of the go persons who received this
inquiry 205 replied. In regard 10 the best
Republican candidate the opinions were as
follows:
Tau .............. 100 Hughes ............. q
Roosevelt ......... 30 La Toilette ....,.....
O. All those who replied did not indicate an
opinion as TO the Democratic candidate
but tabulation Of the opinions received
gave the following result
Harmon ............ IS Dix .................. 81
Wilson ............. 40 Gayror ..............
Underwood ........ 20 CLARK ...............
Tho votes for Dix. Gaynor and Clark
were written in by various persons, as their
names were not printed on the return pos
tai card.
one man. who was evidently an nde-
pendent Democrat because he scratched out
all of the Republican names. wrote in the
name OF Dix with the comment Let us
have n President who is business man.
No lawyers. cranks. professors, etc. In
vested capital has some rights"
one man who voted for Taft wrote: The
less We have OF political agitation the soon
or We will get out Of the business dol
drums
Another man sent in this comment:
"Why keep up Roosevelt agitation? TAFT
is the only logical candidate, and the very
best for the country
Another wrote opposite Taft's name: DE
serves reelection" lie picked Hughes as
his second choice.
The election district of Mr.. Bates IL
sometimes referred to as "the diamond
backed district Of tho silk stocking dis
trIct'-thc 29th Assembly, It includes the
Plaza. Savoy and New Nctherand hotels,
the Metropolitan and Harmonic clubs and
the houses Of many we'll known people.
The enrolment for 1910 totaled 56I. OF
which $50 was Republican, III Democratic
and the remainder scattering. The Republi-
can vote OF the district In 1908. when the
Assembly district was carried for Taft by
36O0 and for Hughes by 400. was 2S9
agalnst l;3 Democratic. In 1910 the Repub-
lican vote in the election district was only
60. Indicating great number OF stay-at-
home Republicans as the Democratic vote
showed cnly 2S increase over 1908.
In order to give the enrolled Republicans
4 chance to express themselves, Mr.. Bates
placed on his postal card the following
question: "Do you desire me 10 call a di-
rect Presidential primary OF the enrolled
L. of this district ~
Not all made answer to the question, but
such as did expressed themselves as In
favor OF the proposition Mr.. Bates, how
ever, is doubtful as to whether II would
work satisfactorily unless tried on a scale
at least as large as the Assembly District.
Under the election law and the rules OF
the county organization said Mr.. Bates
last night. "any Assembly district leader
may provide for direct primary by having
two or more sets Of primary tickets. per-
mitting the voter to express his views as
to who should be nominated for President
according TO the ballot that he casts, al
though the delegates on each ballot may be
Identical
II may take up the possibility OF trying
something like this in April with William
-Ltt,.o., toadar NJ our Asaemhly district" "