The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-05-03
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON
Correct View Of Republican Con-
test in Ohio.


or course the bulk Of attention is now
centered on Secretary Taft's trip to
Ohio and the outcome of the contest
there which will have such an i'm.
portant bearing on the next contest
for the Presidency. There have been
some things written Ia malice, and a
great many in ignorance, about the
Ohio contest. Secretary Taft has
been sent there as the choice Of the
presidency. Also he has gone there
on his own account from pure am
bition. First, the president has been
strongly supporting him. Then the
president had withdrawn his support
and Taft was to be left entirely to
his own resources. Chiefly it was to
he hot fight and the outcome was to
decide whether Roosevelt or Foraker
sentiment was to triumph In 1908.
Most Of this Is entirely overdrawn.
Secretary Taft is going to Ohio and
will make contest with Senator
Foraker for the convention delegation.
lie will have the moral support Of the
President because he stands for the
policies the president stands for. lie
is considered by the president to be a
safe, honest man, who, IL he goes into
the white house, will not 70 there
wearing q corporation collar OF any
sort. But the Ohio fight, while it is
important, is not an epoch making
event. Secretary Faft Is in the race
for the presidential nomination, and
a man who starts in q race Of that
sort goes in to win. At the same
time he Is not on 6re With political
ambition. The chief judgeship Of the
supreme court would suit him a good
deal better than the White House,
and it Is a thing he could have for
the asking SO long as Roosevelt re-
mains president. As to presidential
support in his Ohio campaign, he will
have 1t as a friend Ut the president
and as man who would suit the
president as bis successor in Office.
But the support Of President Roose-
velt has never been pledged to Secre.
IN ~ vrn r. p,oro ttno - ha, xp ,rv
other good man, and SO the talk Of
the president having withdrawn this
support is nonsense. Further, II
Secretary Taft should be beaten In
Ohio, it does not necessarily end his
race for the nomination. 1t would
be a serious handicap in getting the
other state delegations, but some of
these are pledged to him already, SO
that Ohio Is not the first and last
necessity to make him factor before
the national convention. The Ohio
contest will not be directed from the
White House and stubbornly con tested
as though it were a last ditch fight.
In fact, it is merely the first skirmish
of the campaign, and SO far as Presi-
dent Roosevelt Is taking part in 1t,
he Is taking a rather more passive
part than he usually takes in thing
he Is interested in. He IS rather
letting things drift, not for any lack
OF enthusiasm in Taft's cause, but
because he wants to see just how
general sentiment is going to drift.
1t Is primarily contest bctween
Rooseveltism and Forakerism. 1t
will be SO with Secretary Taft as cam
didate, aud it would be SO with any
other administration candidate. The
result is important in that respect
and it rather argues for the confidence
Of the president Ia his position that
he Is letting the things 20 very
quietly to see what sort OF popular
verdict Is going to 0e given.