Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-07
SECRETARY OF WAR is SAID TO
BE STILL in THE
RACE
ROosEvELT's CHOICE /?
Gossip in Washington is That the Sec
rotary Has Been Selected by the
Present Executive to Succeed Him
in the White House-Trouble in
Sight In Ohio.

ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Washington Bureau of the Courier,
Washington, D. c., June s.
There appears to have been
some under-the-surface, quiet develop.
ments during the past couple of weeks.
which may exert a potent influence in
the determination Of the next repub-
lican nomination for president of the
United States.
Some weeks ago the statement was
made in these dispatches that there
appeared to be very little probability
that Secretary Taft would enter the
lists as presidential aspirant in 1908.
This statement was based upon con-
versation had with gentleman who
stands so close to the President and
Secretary Taft that it might be said
that he spoke by the card. OF course
it is still possible that this gentle
mans prophecy was correct and that
next winter Secretary Taft will resign
as secretary of war and don the err.
mine of the Supreme court as the sue.
cessor to Justice Brown who retires.
That the position on the Supreme
bench has been rendered to Secretary
Taft is we'll known.
However. and without disparaging
the forecasting abilities of the official
referred to, it must be said that there
are some suggestive signs that indi-
cate that Secretary Taft may get into
the fight a year hence in vigorous
way.
The Presidents Choice?
The chief reason for such a conclu.
sion is that there are the strongest
kind OF reasons for believing that
President Roosevelt has picked Will
liam H. Taft as his successor. The
President strongly admires Root,
Shaw andtTaft, and considers that any
one of them would ms..e great presi.
dents. 1t is understood, however, that
the fact that Mr.. Root is from New
ork state and that his connections
I've been such as to create the feel
in certain quarters, that he would
disposed to favor the big interests,
operate against the candidacy of
)t AS between Shaw and Taft
ne claim that the latter has, at the
,sent time, the strongest pull with
3 President. This view is denied
the friends of Secretary Shaw.
ley point out that the President
'uld not detail Shaw to go to the
,untry time after time and present
lie Presidents views on important
alters, If he did not possess the
'eatest faith in the Iowa man. They
Y the President would not have
ice prevailed upon Shaw to retain
treasury portfolio, after the latter
made all arrangements to retire,
he President did not strongly ad.
Shaw. And they also point out
the fact that the President ten.
d Taft the vacant berth on the
enc bench, an act that would
olete1y eliminate Taft from the
does not indicate that Taft has
stronger hold on the President
the Iowa man; in fact, Shaw's
ids argue that the very contrary
rue.
Might Not Get Ohio.
r. Taft is very popular throughout
country and would doubtless line
many delegates if he proceeded af-
them, but there is one feature of
candidacy which has a somewhat
scouraging aspect. 1t is stated by
lio politicians that Taft could not
,me within gun-shot of getting the
elegation from his own state. 1t is
declared that the politicians and
very large element. of the people of
Ohio are lying in wait for Taft; they
have their knives all whetted and
theirl axes are unburied, waiting the
time when they will get chance at
their representative in the cabinet.
ut will be recalled that last fall, at
critical period in the campaign, Sec
rotary Taft went into Ohio and made
two or three speeches in which he
practically advised republicans to turn
own part of the republican ticket.
lyron ~. Herrick, who was the close
ersonal friend of President Mckinley,
nd who had served one term as gov
rnor, was candidate for a second
ERIN. 1t is declared that the speeches
u Taft brought about the election of
Patterson and defeated Herrick. 1t is
Claimed that Taft is a dead one in his
own state.
Foraker's Chances.
zen Senator Foraker should not be
sight of. He believes, and many
men take the same view, that in
than two years the people of the
ntry will be so sick and tired of the
way rate law, which will soon re-
re the signature of the President,
t the solitary republican in the
ate who voted against the bill be-
Use he. believed it unconstitutional
bad law, will become one Of the
ost popular men in the country. Of
curse Senator Foraker would like to
,e President and there are many peo-
Die in Ohio who are for him but who
'ealize that at the present time his DO
sltion on the rate question renders
hlm an impossibility. Foraker and his
frlellds. however, expect time to jus.
tlfy the wisdom of his position and an.
;a,ate that the reaction they believe
i come will carry him into the
hlte House.
Fairbanks Is Busy.
In the meantime Vice President