The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14
BLACKBURN ON TAFT.
Says He Believes the President Wishes
 the Secretary to Succeed Him.

Washington Dispatch to the New York Press.
 Joe Blackburn of Kentucky "sah, whose name is known from one end or the American nation to the other, who came to the United States senate in lSSe, after several terms in the house, and who will become a member of the Pana- ma canal commission next month, was asked today for his views on the political situation. Blackburn is known as white house democrat, so hls remarks may be considered as rehecting the Roosevelt light. Blackburn is unalterably Of the opinion that President Roosevelt must not be considered as a candidate, nor would he accept the nomination of the repubh- can national convention next year were the vote unanimous. He does believe, however, that Secretary Taft is, and will continue to be, the Roosevelt candidate, and that he will be nominated.
 Tt is my deliberate judgment" he said, s"that the president Is interested in hay ing Secretary Taft succeed him. believe Secretary Taft will go before the conven- ton with the unqualified endorsement and support of MT. Roosevelt, anl that he Will make a hard candidate for the democrats to defeat. Undoubtedly he would give the democrats more trouble than any other candidate the republicans could nominate. Besides, Mir. Taft would be the candidate in perfect harmony with the policies which have distinguished the administration Of President Roosevelt. For the republicans . to nominate 0 man the president might be inclined ot designate as a reacuonary would be to insure the election of a demo- cratic candidate. The republicans are more divided than are the democrats, and right now are less able to weather party dis sensions. The Roosevelt republicans will not stand for any reactionary, and, on the other hand, the faction opposed to a an inn ion of ATr Taf policies will not tolerate man whom they regard as being ultra-radical.'
 With respect to the democratic outlook, Senator Blackburn said: Tn my opinion, the only name that will be presented to the convention will be that of William J. Bryan, and unless there is a most decided change of sentiment he will win. Re- greeting, as l do, his reference to govern ment ownership in his Madison Square Garden speech, I am of the opinion that the trend of recent events has contributed to rather than detracted from his popu- larity, so far as his views on the general subject of corporations and their rela- tions to the general government are con- cerned"
 Senator Blackburn predicted that the forthcoming state contest in Kentucky boded i'll for the Southern democracy. He said that if a good, clean republican state ticket were nominated, with man like
 
 President Roosevelts commissioner of in- ternal revenue, the republicans would car " the state.
 My presidential boom is growing said Secretary Taft. with a laugh this morn ing You saw the various important men that were in there at the same time was, and it is certain that they have all agreed to deliver their states to me at the convention"
 .'Who was in there besides Representa- tive Alexander of New York;" asked one
 Well, there were Representative Camp bell, of Kansas; Senator Crane of Massa- chusetts and Judge Clements. of Geor- gia," exclaimed the war secretary, as he laughingly counted the names on his fin gers. With New York, Missouri, Massa- chusetts Kansas and Georgia today and Illinois the other day, through Governor Dineen, it looks though my boom was pretty well started, doesn't it? That s right"
 There is more truth than sarcasm in what Taft said.