Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-11
Roosevelt's Support of Secre.
tary Taft Friendly Loyalty,
Not Slavish Surrender
wELLMAN ON THE SITUATION
Says Either Taft or Roosevelt VIII He
Republican MISUNDERSTANDING Po-
sition Very Delicate, But He is Sure
to Act Manly Part-Mioht Be Forced
to Accept.

. WI y =. - -
ma says: Taft or Roosevelt. One or
the other is likely to be the republican
candidate for president next year. 1t Is
possible that after some weeks the
president may make another effort TO
stop the movement to make him the
nominee. If he does so, l doubt If he
will go SO far as to declare that under
no circumstances would he accept If
nominated, and nothing less would b.
inclined in that direction.
Two contingencies are possible,
either of which might lead to another
declarations:
First-lf his sincerity We're to be
generally questioned. not by his enc
mics but by the people whose opinion
he values, and he We're to be accused
of playing a double part, u hide-and-
seek game. Mr.. Roosevelt values his
reputation for manliness and sincerity
higher than any political honor.
ssecond-If this sincerity We're to be
doubted by the friends Of Secretary
Taft, and particularly by the secretary
of war himself. Mr.. Taft is not crazy
to be president. He has not much hope
of being nominated; he is not grasp
ing. AT the same time he likes fair
play and IL an emergency should arise
in which he vas convinced he could
win il the president We're to take him.
self definitely and finally out of the
field and We're to suggest such ac-
tion, it is difficult to see how Mr..
Roosevelt could refuse to respond. The
most likely outcome of their relations
is an agreement by which the secre-
tary is to have the support of the
president and win IL he can, and If he
cannot the president is to be left free
to respond to the party call in case
the popular demand for the president
finds official echo in the Chicago con-
vention. In fact, it is asserted in
cabinet circles. that such an under
standing already exists.
Mr.. Roosevelt does not regard his
election-night declaration Of 1904 as
binding upon him to take further ac-
lIyA loNNohu "e'PP'hS us
or as requiring him to refuse a nomin-
alton once made. 1t does bind him In
honor not to seek the nomination, di-
rectly or Indirectly, and this obligation
he is respecting i'll good faith. He will
continue to do so to the end. There
his responsibility ends. What occurs
beyond that. if anything occurs, is the
responsibility of his party.
If Mr.. Taft proves to be as unreal
sonable as his jealous managers nav
been in his absence the presidents
path will be anything but one of roses.
These managers have demanded that
the president use the owe of his
office to secure delegates from the
south for Taft and that he put a stop
to the use of the great patronage of the
treasury department by MIR. Cortelyou
in furthering his own ambition to be
president. The president has declined
to accede to the request of the Taft
managers, but at the same time has
found it necessary to issue a word of
friendly caution to Mr.. Cortelyou
against going too far in the use of his
official power in political
Within certain limitations the presi-
lent is using his influence for Mr..
Taft. The more he does this the more
dissatisfied are the Cortelyou people
Tho less he does it the more the Taft
managers complain.
The greatest danger to the presidents
peace of mind during the coming
months lies in the peculiarly delicate
relations which he sustains to Secre-
tary Taft and the latter's candidacy.
Were the president in that relation
with some men he would find his po-
sition well-nigh intolerable, so many
and so onerous would be the demands
made upon his loyalty. But it is not
like Taft to demand the pound of
flesh. He has not been SO badly stung
by the presidential bee as to cause.
him to lose his urbane and generous
self-poise, no matter what his repre-
sentatives may have done during his
absence. 1t is improbable that Mr..
Taft will at any time demand of Mr..
Roosevelt an ~abdication and in the abb
sence of such demand, abdication is
not likely. For the present, at least.
Mr.. Roosevelt is doing the best pos
sible service to the candidacy of his
friend, the secretary of the a by
permitting it to be generally. suspected
that if it is not to be Taft it is to be
the president himself And that sus-
picion is in close harmony with the
verieties of the situation.