The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-13

people are charged WIN playing This
game stronger than anybody else.
They have never claimed more than
100 votes for the Colonel on any Of
the preliminary ballots. As q mater
OF strict accuracy, 81 votes on the
second ballot is the highest claim
icy have made for the Colonel at
any time. Thus, he Is placed by his
own managers In the tail end division
along with Knox, florida nd du Pont.
This strategy may deceive the general
public, but there isn't a politician Of
voting age and experience who doesn't
know that the Roosevelt cards are not
yet on the tables but neatly tucked
up the Colonel's sleeve. And, fur.
thermore. nobody will get so much
as a look at them until the conven.
ton Is In full swing and the Colonel
deems the psychological foment fully
and completely arrived.
To all intents and for all purposes
the national leaders of the party, who
have no direct, active interest in any
candidates campaign, look upon the
convention as a wholly uninstructed
one. What delegations there are that
have been instructed are relatively
few, and for the most part, their in.
structions are regarded In the light
OF "a scrap Of paper" In short, when
the time comes to get into a band.
wagon, instructions will be cast aside.
The instability Of Henry Ford's in.
structed delegates to stick to the good
peace ship Oscar more than a couple
OF ballots Is to we'll recognized by the
leaders to call for IN argument, and
is pointed to as an example Of the
weak character Of most Of the instruc-
lions which have been given. There
are ove 700 delegates OF the less 1000
which will compose the convention
who are entirely free and uninstruct.
ed. The delegates by states are much
In the same shape as West Virginia'B
delegation Of sixteen, whose only in.
struction Is a moral and c~onscientj-
Gus one implied by the untrammeled
manner OF their selection, to use their
best Judgment in doing what seems
to them to be best for the country
and the Republican patry.
How these sixteen votes will be cast
In the end nobody knows, not even
the delcgateS themselves. This III
terestlng subject has been mucn cts.
cussed since the conventions held at
Wheeling and in the six congressional
districts. How some of the delegates
Will vote on the initial ballots l KIN ,wn
however, as some of them have
frakly aswered queries Of that sort.
Like most other states, West Virgin.
las votes will be mixed and scat.
tered until the convention settles down
and, as In a poker game-"Here's
where friendship ceases and piracy,
loot and tyranny starts" Burton will
likely get a few more votes than the
others to start with, and likely more
later on, as the compliments are Civ.
en- and obligations Of a kind duly dis.
charged. Du Pont will get one vote
sure, and probably n other. Root Is
sure OF one for a starter. Weeks Is
certain Of two to begin with, and three,
perhaps. Hughes and Roosevelt will
not be overlooked, not by any means.
Knox and Fairbanks, 1t Is said, will
got n vote a piece on the first bal.
lot. And so on-which Is enough to
indicate that West virginia's sixteen
votes are going to range over as large
an area Of presidential possibilities
and favorite SOL as the votes OF most
the other states are expacted to do
at the outset. Afterward-that Is an
entirely different story
From three opposing, presidential
camps three estimates have been oh.
tained which. while they vary consid.
erably. are the honest forecasts Of a
trio Of expert campaign managers who
are In as close touch with the situa.
ton as ANYBODY can be said to be or
claim to be. These three estimates
were made in good faith, and prspac.
ed with a deep sincerity Of feeling,
as showing the confident, expectations
OF their authors based on what knowl.
edge they have Of the situation. This
is how the second ballot will tally up,
aDrOyimatalvA arnnrdfnD "a f6ap.