The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-11
DONE TO PLEASE
TAFT OPPONENTS
Action OF President Construed tc
Mean That He Will Either
Take the Nomination
Himself, or Wants
1t for Cor
telyou.
Times Dispatch Durelu,
Munsey 3

Washington, D. c.. NOV. 10. 4
President Roosevelt has all the poll.
tlcians guessing again as to his In
Ntentions towards nomination for a
third term. His action yesterday in
consolidating the two revenue coll
lection districts OF Tennessee. and ap-
pointing strong antt-Taft man to the
collectorship, displacing two ardent
supporters OF Secretary Taft for the
nomination, and at the same time turn
Ing down the endorsement OF Repre-
sentative. Brownlow, of Tennessee, who
has openly declared for Taft, Is re-
garded as practically conclusive that:
/. The President wants the norni-
nation himself. or
2. That he was not sincere when
he protested to Secretary Taft that
he would do all he could to help
him gain the nomination.
: Either is inconceivable without re-
svlsing the high opinion so many peo-
Pile OF this country who opposed the
election have come to hold of him, yet
one or the other must be correct.
a Blow Mt Taft.
The proposition to consolidate the
two districts was put forward by Rep
resentative Hale. one of the two Re-
publican members OF Congress from
Tennessee. Mr.. Hale Is opposed to the
nomination of Secretary Taft. and
wants Mr.. Roosevelt for third term.
Newell Sanders. the Republican State
chairman Of Tennessee, has been here
for some time urging that the con-
solidation be made. Mr.. Sanders is
violently opposed to the nomination
OF anybody but President Roosevelt.
Representative Brownlow. the other
Republican member. of the House from
Tennessee. and former Republican boss
of the State, -has. also been here. but
F has been opposing the cons olidatior
with all his might.
On Saturday morning at II o'clock
Mr.. Brownlow was assured that he
could rest easy. that the consolidation
would not be made. This statement
was made to him by Commissioners
Capers on the authority Of Secretary
Cortelyou.
AT 9 O'Clock the order consolidating
the two districts was issued. and r.
S. Sharpe. one of the leading anti
Taft men in Tennessee, was appointed
4 to the collectorship.
Kills the Taft Boom.
The underhand method employed in
making the change. and the evident
insincerity of the administration in
protesting to favor the nomination OF
Mr.. Taft, Indicate degree of dupli-
city and double-dealing such as shocks
the newspaper men we'll used to all
phases OF the game as played here in
Washington. It Is well-night incon-
ceivable that public men, occupying
positions as high as that Of the presi.
dency and the head of the financial
department OF great government
could stoop to politics of this order
Secretary Cortelyou said himself he
told the President there was too much
politics in the proposition for him to
have hand In 1t.
The action OF the President uncovers
him completely. Either he wants the
nomAation. or he wants to nominate
Cortelyou. He does not want to nomi-
nate Secretary Taft. 1t has leaked ou,
that Secretary Taft went to the
Philippines only under protest. Tho
President assured him his interests
would be we'll taken care Of in his
absence. The manner In which those
interests have been protected is ap-
parent. The Taft boom has been
breathing with difficulty for month
1t was killed absolutely by the action
OF the President yesterday. Taft was
sent abroad In order that the act might
be performed with as little embarrass-
ment as possible.