The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-22
GOV. TAFT FOR
SECOND PLACE
Running Mate Selected For Pres
ident Roosevelt.
BEvERlDeE NOT IN RUNNING
PAYNE PROVES A FAILURE IN
THE CABINET.
Especial to The Herald3

ably be the vice presidential
nominee on the Republican national
ticket next year This is the prophecy
of the knot of journalist campaigners
who have followed several presidential
campaigns. and are ut present taking
x easy on Newspaper Pow The QUes--
ton as 90 whether q presidential 15lt-
inee should have any voice i'm the
choice of q running mate is being dis
cuSScd with considerable VigOr The
cement of politics seems 10 have been
ignored by those who profess 10 Je-
neve that the party should choose the
vice presidential nominee regardless of
the wishes of the head of the ticket. In
the first place II may be taken fD-
granted that President Roosevelt will
Go everything honorable within his
power to be reelected. He IS a far
Shre'vder politician than many Of MS
critics give him credit for. ne has
had lOns and varied training in the
political hcid, and while masterfu- 'rl-
pulsiVe and free To express his own
opinions. his political judgment IS
good. and he is ever ready to listen
10 the advice Of his friends I'm power,
especially i'm matters Of policy THIS
has been fully demonstrated since he
came into the White House, much 20
the surprise of many. and perhaps -
the disappointment of some.
Roosevelt and Taft.
There may be a few questions IN
Ghio politics to be disposed of before
Governor Taft is finally determined
upon for the second man on the ticket.
but the sentiment in his favor is so
well crystalliZed among the presidents
closest political advisers that he may
be said to be By far the strongest
probability at this time. This does not
mean necessarily that Governor Taft
has been asked whether he would take
the nomination or not. In fact he
might not be asked at all. for no man
has ever or could ever refuse such a
nomination, except for reasons which
would not apply to Governor Taft I'M
der present circumstances.
He might prefer to be a justice Of
the supreme court. but If the Repub-
1can party nominated him for vice
president the honor would Se so great
that it could not be set aside and the
welfare OF the party and the welfare
Of his political friends would stand
paramount in the mind of any man
who owed such an enviable position
to the national administration. DOtl
present and previous. With President
Roosevelt from New York and Gov
ernOr Taft from Ohio. the geOgra phicdl
cOnventiOnalities would be satisfied.
The possibility Of a vice president sue
ceedlnS the president is now more live
~ in the minds Of the people than
ever before, and in the future greater
care viii be given to the selection of 4
vice presidential nominee than has
been customary For the same reason
the Office has assumed far greater i'm
portance in the eyes of the people, AMI
the highest qualifications viii be aeces-
sary TO recommend a candidate.
Talk of Beverage.
There has been some fairly lively
talk of Senator Beverage of Indiana
being nominated for second place on
the national ticket This. however. is
an extreme imprObability. for Bever-
ldSe - too much the same Kind Of a
man as the president to give the ticket
that well rounded proportion which the
voters might require. BeveTidge is
young, strenuous and impUlsive. and
does not ill the measure which viii be
required for the position. Governor
Taft is looked upon as an ideal balance
wheel for the Roosevelt machine
suaVe, polite. dignifed. somewhat
conventional but entirely relia bic. AMI
Offering no eOcentricities to disturb the
confidence OF any class Of people rich
or poor. Even if he was nominated
for vice president ne need not neces-
saTily give up his ambition 20 find
place upon the supreme bench, for the
opportunity to appoint him viii un-
dOubtedly present Itself before the close
of the next administration
Beveridge- by the way. with all the
talk about his being nominated for vice
president is not giving much thought
to the subject He Fas his hands fun
in securing his own reelection TO the
United states senate. which at present
is the height of mis- ambition Gov
ernOr Durbin OF Indiana was in Wash
inSton last week and is quite Outspokeu
in his campaign to succeed Reveridge.
Governor Durbin is not an orator or a
ia feFg-r .r~r.
man and stands high in his state He
Is in a position TO make it extremely in
tereSting for the young Indiana SEN
atOr. Should Beverage be defeated II
viii cause real regret because, while II
the outset of his political career he
was somewhat fresh and inclined TO
take himself very seriously, association
with other public men has brought
about a wholesome change in his per-
spective- That he is a hard fighter and
a man OF considerable talent both as a
public speaker and a strategist has
been demonstrated. He is fearless and
aggressive. has great physical endur-
ance and is very valuable to the party
in power in the matter Of pushing ad-
ADMINISTRATION measures.
Payne's Great Mistake.
With all the suffering and disgrace
which has come TO a number of govern
ment officials in connection with the
pOsIOfice scandal those who are in no
way connected with any wrongdOing
can not entirely escape evil cOnSe-
quences- Notable among those whose
political ambitions have been more or
less eclipsed is the postmaster general
himself. Up to the time he came to
Washington Mr. Payne rested securely
in a national reputation for being one
of the shrewdest and most expert praC-
teal politicians in the Republican
party When he was given a position
in the cabinet in charge of a most i'm
portant department of the government
it was easily inferred that he was there
with a view to valuable services To be
performed in the campaign of 1904 and
many took it for granted that he would
be the political manager for the Re
publican candidate
This is no longer possible. First. be-
cause President Roosevelt has thor
oughly demonstrated his own abilities
as a manager of his own campaign ana
no man viii dominate him on any such
occasion. He viii not be in the hands
of his friends. but viii be in his own
hands throughout the fight and Will
undoubtedly have the direction of all
important moves. for he IS enthusiastic
ally willing to assume all responsibility
in this direction. Secondly, had il been
true that Mr.. Payne was brought TO
Washington in view Of the approach
ing campaign his usefulness has now
been ended by his own attitude during