New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-06
RECOUNT IN BAY STATE
WILL ADD TO TAFTS LEAD
$4,000 Ballots Cast for the Pres
ident Are Said to Have Been
Declared Invalid.
DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR T. R.
Taft Bureau Reports That 80
600 of Them Are Believed to
Have Supported Roosevelt
at the Recent Primary.
Iron The Tribune Bureau

Washington, May .. - The recount ~
votes cast in the Massachusetts, primary
win emphasize President Tsfts victory
according TO the following statement issued
by the Taft bureau tonight:
The knockout blow which Theodore
Roosevelt received in the Massachusetts
preference primaries is likely to be empha-
sized by the recount of the votes now gong
on at tho behest of the Taft managers IN
the state. il has already been definitely
established that about $4,000 ballots cast
for Tart delegates-st-large in Massachu-
setts were declared invalid by the election
officials because the voters voted for nine
instead of eight Taft candidates for dele
gate. and, in addition, il is estimated from
facts already az hand, that from 1000 to
1000 Taft preferential votes were not
counted by the officials on those ballots
which were invslidated as to delegates
This latter decision Of the election officers
was, Of course. a mistake on their part, as
the preferential vote was separate and dis
tinct from the vote for delegates.
That the Taft victory will be confirmed
morally by the recount. and will more than
likely be confirmed legally. is no longer a
matter of doubt. While tho courts, at the
inception of the Australian ballot system
In this country, interpreted the election
decade they have so liberalized them in
their decisions as to make II plain that the
courts will not be q party 10 the disfran-
ohisement OF any voter where the intent
clearly shown on the face of the ballot.
Mr.. Roosevelt has already realized the
moral obligation 10 forego all claim TO the
MssSac husetts delegates al large, having
been reliably informed that the Taft VIC
tory in the state was more real than was
apparent on the face of the first returns.
That the officials will confirm this victory
as to ITS completeness is wholly probable.
another significant feature Of the Mas
sschusetts primary stands revealed in the
slimness of the Democratic vote and the
known presence of Democrats at the polls
who announced openly their intention to
help nominate Roosevelt in order that the
defeat Of the Republican party in Novem-
her might be an assured fact" continues
the statement. THE Democrats Of Massa-
chusetts were under peculiar obligations TO
Colonel Roosevelt, his mere presence in the
campaign against Eugene N Foss I'm 1910
having cost the Republican candidate near
ly fifty thousand votes. according to the
best Judgment Of politicians who knew the
situation then existing in the state. Colo
mel Roosevelt made the same sort of per-
sonal attack on Governor Foss at that time
that he did on the President this year, and
II destroyed all chances of Republican sue
cess in that campaign. Notwithstanding a
nasty row in the Democratic ranks which
postponed the nomination Of candidate
for Governor until just before election.
The allegation has been made, after a
careful canvass of the Massachusetts vote.
that Mr.. Roosevelt received nearly thirty
thousand Democratic votes in the recent
primaries, and It was notorious fact that
he advertised for Democratic votes in the
Massachusetts newspapers. If these figures
are correct, he was really defeated by
President Taft by majority of more than
fifty thousand Republican votes"