The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-10
sECY. TAFT AND
HIS CANDIDACY
Walker Reviews the Campaign
of the Big Man of the
Cabinet.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)


omitted nowadays from any chronicle
of week s events in Washington.
President Roosevelt, of course, remains
the dominant figure and what he does
and what he says are of supreme in
terest to the people, who, as Jesse
Grant, son of the former President
have the Roosevelt fad. But for the
average pilgrim it is quite as inter
esting to climb the long flight of
granite steps to the War Department
building, to pass through the long cor
ridors and ascertain what the big and
genial Secretary of War-prospective
candidate and possible President of the
United States-is saying and doing.
As matter of fact Secretary Taft
has not been saying very much since
he arrived at the Washington Navy
Yard from the good ship Mayfower.
He is doing lot of things because
there are lot of things for him to
dencya Yes, a full-fedged candidate,
although the Secretary himself has not
said so. Will he fight in Ohio2 Yes,
but he has not said so yet in any
form of language. Is he going to try
to exterminate Senator Foraker and
bring his political career to an end
he a+av i4xy
has put his fighting clothes on, but
he is not quite ready yet to make his
formal announcement.
He spent several busy days in the
big office of the Secretary of War with
its star spangled ceiling. He lolled
easily in his giant chair and with
the usual good nature faced the
coterie CT newspaper correspondents,
who filed his room. There were witty
exchanges galore. Of Panama, Porto
Rico, and Cuba the Secretary talked
| in detail He is the most accessible
man of the cabinet to the newspaper
| profession and has very few secrets
from the Washington correspondents.
| However, he would not disclose his
plans for Presidential campaign and
most of what has come to be known
about his plans came from Representa-
| tive Theodore E. Burton, who was his
travelling companion in the West Indies
and who is to be his nrst lieutenant in
the Ohio fight.
| 1t is unlikely, however, that Secre-
| tary Taft will remain reticent. He is
now in Ohio to deliver three addresses
of a non-politica1 character, one at
Dayton and two at Cincinnati. During
his visit in the States he will consult
extensively with his friends. He will
probably have something definite to
say about his presidential plans in the
course of couple weeks, perhaps
sooner.
| Unless something happens in Ohio,
before he returns, to cause a change in
| the program, it can be told now with
| fair certainty what the Secretary pro-
/
he does not intend to abandon his trip
to the Philippines, but win leave here
about September l. He has not said
so for publication, but it is now known
| that he viii enter no rough and tumble
| fight with Senator Foraker on the hust-
ings of Ohio for that State's delegates
1 - +bo Na%;croJ Convention Tho wis
dom of that decision is recognized on
/ every hand for he would then be join
| ing in a fight on terms exceedingly
satisfactory to the Senator, who is the
best all round stumper and popular
orator in the country.
The Secretary, on the other hand,
will conduct a dignifed campaign. He
will make several speeches in Ohio and
i in other States, dealing with problems
now in the public mind. He will speak
about the Brownsville affray. Long
ago he championed the Preside s
view that there was nothing to be done
| but to discharge the entire battalion.
He Wilt stand on that decision. He
will let the country know further the
reasons for the convictions he has about
| that affair. As matters stand now that
will be very satisfactory to Senator
| Foraker, who has ehampioned the
rights of the discharged soldiers, has
the testimony of officers of the bat
talon that they do not believe the
colored soldiers "shot up the town,
and is preparing to make the most OF
it on the stump.
This is one of the best cards Sem
ator Foraker has to play. He is
fortunate in holding it, as the numerous
resolutions of eolored organizations,
the country over. demonstrate that the
colored vote in Ohio and elsewhere is
solidlv for him. Can Secretary Taft,
Senator Lodge and President Roosevelt
adduce testimony to offset what has
already been shown2 That remains to