Arizona republican., 1904-02-28
PHoENIx, ARIZONA, FEB 2S, 1904.
Who VIII Be the vice-presldenta

Who Will Be the Vice-President?
 It is remarkable that there is so lit tle discussion of the second place on the republican ticket. It has been set tied for months that Mir. Roosevelt v-in be nominated for the presidency, and ordinarily popular interest would have been transferred to the nomina- slon for vice-president The triumph of the republican party this year be- ing so nearly certain that the demo- rrats themselves do not seriously con- slider their return to power, a very grave responsibility devolves upon the republican convention at Chicago. The Hfe of a president is even less secure than the life of a private citizen, and the candidate for second place should be. in all respects, first-class timber for the presidency.
 Fortunately while little atten- ton seems to be paid by the country at this time to the question of MT. Roosevelt's asso- ciate on the ticket. there is excellent reason fer believing that the president and his advisers do not ignore its inn portance. MT. Roosevelt has such a fine sense of the proprieties that he could not be induced to take an ac- tive part in the selection of his running mate IL is natural. of course. for him tO be somewhat anxious about the matter. He would like to see noninat- ed some man who meets the Roosevelt ideals of what a president should be. The president Is incapable of jealousy, or the wish of a small mind to see the second place on the ticket filled by candidate whose inferiOrity would make the leader look still larger by contrast Not concerned with ques- tons of expediency. MT. Roosevelt's Chief desire Is to see the republican convention nominate for vice-president s candidate who will worthily fill the presidential chair should MT. Roosevelt pass away. Keeping in mind, however. Ar. Roosevelt's ethical consideration for a situation which the party at large must determine, we think it sraprobable that he has expressed. even she most privately. a decided prefer ence in the matter of the vice-presi- dency.
 But the same ethical restraints do not apply to the presidents friends, and 1t is both interesting and import ant to know the sentiments of some of the men who are very close person. ally to the president.
 The Republican is probably the first paper in the United States to announce the fact that the Hon. William Howard Taft of Ohio. lately governor of the Philippines and now secretary of war is in great danger of vice-presidential lightning.
 And there is not a little shrewdness behind the suggestion of Taft. From all points of view he measures up to presidential stature MT. Taft is mighty good man. Besides, lit will be Cannily argued that since the repub- lican party in the coming campaign is not to be on the defensive at an.' point; since an aggressive campaign is to be made in favor of the policies which. have distinguished the McKin- ley and Roosevelt administrations; since there is to be stand pat" plat form on the Philippine question, who so worthy to be on the ticket as Taft. the man who has brought order out of chaos in the Philippines, and whose administration of the archipelagos af- fairs has so fully justified the repub- lican policy? Moreover, it will be argued in behalf of MT. Taft's nomi- nation that he is a M"cKinley man" through and through. The late presi- dent was exceedingly fond of him.
 And we must admit that in this year of 1904 the name of Mckinley will still exert a powerful influence.