CHICAGO, June 10, 1908 (UP) - The "steam roller" committee, as the "allies" are referring to the Republican national committee, Wednesday continued its policy of crushing opposition to Secretary Taft, and up to 3 p.m. had seated 10 more Taft men.
Incidentally the committee got its first opportunity to administer a jolt to the candidacy of Gov. Hughes of New York. In two Missouri contests, where Hughes men were the contestants, the committee turned down the supporters of the New York governor and seated the Taft delegates.
The committee then went ahead with hardly a pause and promptly seated the Taft delegates-at-large from North Carolina.
Senator Foraker's candidacy will make its first public appearance before the committee Wednesday afternoon, when the contests in four Ohio districts will be aired.
According to the closest possible calculation, based upon figures conceded by the "allies," Secretary of War Taft will receive on the first ballot 551 votes, or 60 more than enough to give him the nomination, providing the convention does not take the matter in hand and override the decisions now being made in contested cases.
One week ago the "allies" conceded that Taft would have 359 delegates on the temporary roll. Since then, the national committee has added 92 votes to the Taft column by seating delegates in contested cases who are either instructed or pledged to Taft. There yet remain to be decided contests for 133 seats. The "allies" believe that Taft will get at least 100 of these.
Having all but abandoned hope that anyone besides Taft can be nominated, except in the remote contingency of the convention itself throwing out the Taft delegates seated by the national committee, the "allies" now appear to be looking around for a soft spot to light on.
The two men now most prominently mentioned by the allies are Senator Dolliver of Iowa and Representative Sherman of New York. Just at present Sherman seems to be slightly the favorite.
