The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-10
sECY. TAFT AND
HIS CANDIDACY


Secretary Taft's name can not be
omitted nowadays from any chronicle
Of weeks events in Washington.
President Roosevelt, Of course, remains
the dominant figure and what he does
and what he says are Of supreme In
tercst to the people, who, as Jesse
Grant, son Of the former President
characterized it in n recent interview,
have the Roosevelt fad. But for the
average pilgrim 1t 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 a matter of fact Sccrrtary 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 a lot of things for him TO
do. Is he candidate for the Presi-
dencyf Yes, full-fedged candidate,
although the Secretary himself has not
said so. Will he fight in Ohioi 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 :
Yes, again. The Secretary in reality
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 lollcd
easily in his giant chair and with
the usual good nature faced the
coterie of 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, howeve-, that Secre-
tary Taft will remain reticent. He is
now in Ohio to deliver th1ae addresses
of a non-political character, one att
Dayton and two at Cincinnati. During
his visit in the States he will consplt
extensively with his friends He will
probably have something definite to
say about his presidential plans in the
course of a couple weeks, perhaps
sooner tat
Unless something happens in Ohio,
before he returns, to cauce change in
the program, it can be told now with
fair certainty what the Secretary pro-
poses to do. He has said already tha t
he does not intend to abandon his trip
to the Philippines, but will leave here
about September /. He has net said
so fn" publication, but it is now known
that he will enter no rough and tumble
fight with Senator Foraker on the hust-
ings of Ohio for that State Is delegates
to the National Convention. The wis
dom Of that decision is recognized on
every hand for he would then be join
ing in 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 dignified campaign. He
will make several speeches in Ohio and
in other States, dealing with problems
now in the public mind. He will speak |
about the Brownsville affray. Long
ago he championed the President Is
view that there was nothing to be done
but to discharge the entire battalion.
He will stand on that decision. He
will let the country know further the
'easons for the convictions he has about
hat affair. As matters stand now that
will be very satisfactory to Senator
Foraker, who has championed the
lights of the discharged soldiers, has
he testimony Of officers Of the bat
alion that they do not believe the
olored soldiers "shot up'' the town,
md is preparing to make the most of
I on the stump.
This Is one of the best cards Sen
Itor Foraker has TO play. lie is
ortunate in holding il, as the numerous
esolutions of eOlored organizations,
he country over, demonstrate that the
olored vote in Ohio and elsewhere is
olidly for him. Can Secretary Taft
enator Lodge aud President Roosevelt
dduee testimony 70 otfset what has
lready been showni That remains 10
20 seen, Prom popular standpoint
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