The Washington times., 1906-12-29

a. victory for both Roosevelt and
Taft.
But when year had passed. and the
insurgents undertook 10 follow up that
advantage. they found that Washing
ton had small encoura cement for them,
Though Foraker an1 LEX had fought
the Administrations pet legislation, Yet
the administration disappointed almost
universal expectations by refusing to
do anything for the Burton-Daugherty
1nsurrectOr the past summer
insurgency was Overwhelmingly crush
ed Foraker, Dick, Cox and the rest of
the .old-line politicians came uppermOst
again, Their aScendenCy has been con
sidered in many quarters, to eliminate
Secretary Tart.
The Right Man.
In others. there has been a feeling
that in the present temper of national
Republicanism the right man might be
nominated without his own State And
there is undeniably a powerful force of
people who believe Secretary Taft that
right man.
But the Taft people are unorganized
Their support is sentimental rather
than practical and effective. Foraker
apparently has Ohio, Fairbanks and his
allies have been making great strides
at the South. and the Presidents grip
on his home State is doubtful in the
extreme
Mr.. Taft has no stomach for political
warfare. He has had little training in
il. He frankly doubts his own avail
ability When he says he would not
decline a rendered nomination he only
says what any other equally frank man
would say.
But the Secretary's statement does
not make reasonably plain that he viii
never be more than a receptive Candi-
date. And IL can reasonably be set
down that the man who gets the next
who makes the most effective hGht for
There is going TO be plenty of fight.
The receptive candidate viii be forgot
ten IN the din OF cheers Tor the men
who have fought through the preiimi-
uaTles and are entered in the great
arena of a national convention for the
final struggle,
Where Does Taft Land.
For what. ask the politicians, is to
fall to the receptive candidate? Give
Fairbanks Indiana and the Hons share
OF the South; give Foraker Ohio; let
Primrose dominate Pennsylvania; let
the Harriman-OdeI combination finance
itself back into control in New York,
with the help OF the Senators and the
great dominating financial interests OF
the State: let New England. as always,
stand for conservatism of the purest
ray serene: credit Wisconsin and Min
nesota TO la Toilette; give Iowa, Ne
braska and South Dakota TO Cumnins-
and where does the receptive TepreseHN
IatIVe of RuOScVelIiSm come i'm
The President according 10 all ac-
counts would like II Taft would 20 out
and frankly fight for the nomination.
But If he hoped to induce Tart 10 do
that, he should have stood by the Ohio
insurgents last year With the help OF
The administration Burton might now
have been the Ohio leader.
FAR (BNig 4 concerned. - pPaCi-
dent and his War Secretary violated
The ScriptuTal injunction. They put
their hand 10 the piOW, and looked back.
IAe politically wise say that they made
the supreme political mistake of the
administration when they did that.
Up to Roosevelt.
But this is the analysis which the poll
tcians make. The politicians play a
game They are not always right about
public opinion. Theodore Roosevelt un-
derstauds that barometer better than
any other man since Abraham Lincoln.
The President might be able by main
strength TO pull Taft through. Grover
Cleveland was nominated for President
when his own StaJe-a greater State.
TOO, than Ohio, and a pivotal Oue-Was
instructed for another man That. too,
was in a day when the political inde-
pendence OF today was undreamed of.
The old rules OF the game are not So
sacred now. They were rules which the
politicians made TO further their control.
The people have not yet Wakeued up
10 -he 1905 situation. The politicians are
very much awake. After the people
rub their eyes and get busy, as likely as
not matters will change very fast and
surprising things will happen
And meantime observed a veteran
politician from mid Western State
don't forget that if the politicians get
too active and scare the people there is
one resort. the people can nominate
Roosevelt. and they know they can The
politicians may spoil the game By hurry
ing It,"