Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27
he performs that duty, the more stubborn

he performs that duty, the more stubborn
will be the opposition"
A New York republican paper says:
when by calling attention to his own
faults he both battles his critics and makes
his imperfections attractive to those who
were not his foes. he has lacked neither
in generalship nor diplomacy. ."
Further confessions of obstacles to mis-
availability might help him more; let him
call attention to the fact that he once
robbed a hen-rooSt.
Says an Ohio paper: He is just the
man for President" and Hartford paper
assures US that nomination would mean
his election. From Florida comes the DEM
ocratic opinion: IF the President adheres
to his determination to not accept another
nomination, Secretary Taft would be the
only candidate, now even measurably In
harmony with his party, that applauds Mr..
Roosevelt for -hise depression from beaten
republican paths"
Newspapers Friendly to Taft.
This is but small sample Of what the
newspapers of the country are saying about
the Secretary of War, but it is very fair
sample. Few newspapers criticise Taft ex-
cept in a friendly manner. Republican and
democratic journalists alike feel kindly to-
ward him, SO perhaps, after all, this long
range view Is somewhat of a biased view.
Suppose, then, you want to see him at
short range You go to Washington-that's
easy; but when you try to get to him, You
| will find him a harder man than the rresi-
dent to meet, unless your business is urgent
state business, and even then you must
dispatch It quickly, to give way for other
state business as urgent or more urgent
than yours. This does not mean that Taft
is an autocrat-far from 1t. He is SO easy
when you meet him that he Is almost
ridiculous. Why, he Is vertically the father
of the glad hand
His open careless manner was well dem
| onstrated when he was governor of the
Philippines. On one occasion he had trav
| eled from Manila to the remOteSt provinces
of the archipelago, his loud laugh and good
nature being at strange variance with the
stiff dignity instilled by the proud and
naughty Spaniards. On his journey he WIS.,
tied the province of Bulacan to inaugurate
local civil government. AS matter of
| course he applied for the most prominent
citizen of the place, who CHANGED to be
Senior Jose Serapio, an ex-captain OF
Spanish volunteers and president of Malo-
los. The captain when he came down to
meet Taft was stiff as privates morn
ing grog He had made extensive personal
preparations for meeting the new Ameri-
can governor He wore his rull-dress uni
| form, with all the gaudy decorations which
he had received during his long military
| and civil career festooned about 1t. His
| cheeks were swollen out with military
pomp But there was Taft in light suit
| of linen not any too we'll pressed as to the
coat and shockingly baggy as to the knees
| of the trousers. The captain stared and
seemed surprised, but the governor broke
any suspicion of awkwardness by crying
out:
"How dye do? Glad to see you.''
| And two weeks later. when Taft had
gone Capt. Serapio, when he received his
| commission as governor of that province,
| took his oath of Office in white clothes,
| leaving the gay uniform and the gaudy
| decorations in the wardrobe and boxes at
| his home 80
How is this?" cried some Of his aston
| ished officers.
The captain smiled blandly, and as he
| shook hands a la Taft, replied:
| THE pomp is no longer necessary; the
| new American style is to take 1t easy
Cordially Not Changed.
The years have not changed this cordial
! ity In the Secretary of War, but the dig
nifty of his position and the unceasing rush
of his duties keep him a little further re-
| moved from even his old comrades than he
| appeared to them in those old Yale days
| when they called him "Bill" and, when un-
usually intimate. Bull Taft. But 1t Is
| the enormous amount Of work that the
| Secretary finds Necessary to do that keeps
| him aloof from you. He Is unquestionably
/ the busiest man In the cabinet, and 1t is his
| very good nature and the facility with
| which he turns on work, together with his
/ tact In undertaking q disagreeable Job, that
/ cause the President to unload" upon him.
\ II there be some ticklish act Of diplomacy
| to be performed. President Roosevelt saws
/ TN get Taft to do It," II q DELEGATION
! calls upon the President and requests him