Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-21
CAPITAL GOSSIP
OVER PRESIDENCY.
Returning Statesmen Discuss
Condition and Strength OF
Candidates
PRESIDENT COULD HAVE 7
Roosevelt Could Win Nomination Eas-
lily, But Some Question His Ability to
q. R.- elected aft Has Hold on At
], fsetions of the Far West-The Other
4 Fellows.

washington, Sept. 21.-Herewlth IS
). an attempt to reflect the present opin-
ion of the national capital regar'ins
things political--a sort Of composite
n;ctnre from the viewpoint OF re-
turning statesmen of both parties
FIRST as to Roosevelt, he can nave
the nomination if he wants 1t. You
co,,,ant nry out an argument on thae
point, even in convention OIL u'lue-
s,rable citizens. AS Batty Logan Wou'u
saw. .If Teddysi in this here eVens
fher,s nothin' else to it. Get aooaru
nnick. Line up close to the money
box and just wait for them TO push
up his number"
Rut does he want 1t? Now you en-
ter the field Of real speculation. ihere
NAV be found many persons IN these
narts who not only believe that 'he
president has changed his mind since
the night Of Nov. 5, 1904, when ne
ssolemnly declared that he wouioh
.rain become candidate, but VINO
would justify him in it.
Among these are some Oh VIC
nresident's closest friends In puoic
ilife. tho they always tack on .he
statement that they are not speahins :
by his authority. On the other haho' -
would be hard to shy darnlck lneo
crowd Of distinguished repubhcahs
avifhout At caroiriipg over NUMBER
who feel that ftl,e president CANNOT IN
,nstice to himself, or t6<the various
A.andidates who have accepted ms
saa,arations in good faith. Gecant AZ
This late hour.
Nor is it difficult to find leadlng
NON Of the party who believe that the
,,,ti-third term sentiment would ac-
amt President Roosevelts overthrow
!. Tho nolIs. 1t is pointed out that the
,ras;dent himself has refused 10 couIl- ~
Sanance that equivocation OF Well
saan,ng friends - notably Senator
o.o.,ne of Oregon-who would seek
20 sidestep the third term pugaooo " ,,
Ealing it his second eleceNe
There have drifted into Washlns.on ,
3 he past week from widely separa.eu
sections some twenty or more sena-
sors and representatives calleo uo,il
fbe,r summer vacations to do errahus
IN the departments for the consti.u-
ants. Almost without exceptlon' .ne
burden of their political handouts mas
been: ..,,-, o,,+
"oh we are all Roosevelt folks OUT
mr. uav" Taft? Hughes? FAIRBANKS
Knox? and not a few of the men IN
teryiewed are known to be "un-
friends" Of the president.
Now as to Taft - for he was the
f,rst acknowledged candidate IN the
fiald. Reports from the west say ne
made a big hit out there on ms
sneech-making tour just completed
Z Taft has three distinct advantages
over the rest of the candidates. He
possesses a genial, winning personal
ity: he has made public confession OF
faith IN Roosevelt creed. He is the
presidents choice.
The thing that worries Taft man
+ ayers most is whether the states that
are expected to declare for Roosevelt
can be trundlei into the Taft column
Taft himself isn't worrying a bit
While Taft has been winning the
west, the friends Of Governor Hughes
have been sounding sentiment" and
aoing other things in the east. The
bro-Hughes movement has scarcely
progressed far enough at this time to
be termed an anti-Roosevelt one, but
it might readily evolve into that
class. There are those who predict that
.the interests" would not look kindly
upon Hughes candidacy.
Fairbanks would rank high in the
"safe and sane" list. but thus far
there seems to have been little doing
in his behalf outside of Indiana, and
possibly for second choice in Illinois,
after Uncle joe Cannon has been
handed a few bouquets of ballots.
Knox's candidacy does not appear
to have progressed much as yet be-
yond the confines of the Keystone