Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-04
IAFI S||RS THEN UP
His Passive Candidacy For Pres
idency solidities Opposition
of Conservatives
CREDITED AS RoosgvELT's MAN
so.caIled Conservatives Will Rally for
4 Bitter Warfare--Plans Are Already
Making for Desperate Finish Fight
in the Next Republican National
Convention.

Convention.
Taft's statement that he is at least a
passive candidate for the republican
presidential nomination in 1908 has not
created much Of stir among poll :
ticians in washington, where his posi-
ton has been thoroughly understood
Tor o. long time. The objections TO
his availability" to which he refers IN
his formal statement to the press,
means. in part, certain decisions when
he rendered while federal Judge IN Gin
cinnati. These decisions first asserted
the validity Of the doctrine since at
firrned by federal courts generally that
the injunction Is proper weapon FOR
the restraint Of organized labor when
engaged In the more violent forms OF
strikes. The campaign which organic
ed labor has made for the repeal OF the
Injunction statute grows directly out OF
the Taft decisions, and so Taft has
supposed that as candidate for the
presidency he would carry handicap,
which might embarrass his party. 1t
has been the opinion OF the president
and many others for a long time that
Taft was unduly sensitive about these
labor decisions, and strenuous efforts
have been made to convince him that
his decisions, being eminently just,
would not amount to a handicap. His
statement, however, indicates that
these efforts have been only partially
successful. Another objection to his
availability Is the active part he has
taken in defending the presidents dis
charge OF negro troops.
Rooseveit's Favorite.
Secretary Taft's statement was
called out by an article in the Cleve-
land Leader from its Washington cor
respondent, and supposed to have been
Inspired, in which it was stated boldly
that Taft would be a candidate In 1908.
Notwithstanding Secretary Tafts
statement, it is well known that he is
the favorite Of President Roosevelt,
who has been quietly doing all that he
could for many months to get him into
the limelight and keep him there.
AS presidential candidate, Secre-
tary Taft will stand for q continuation
OF the Roosevelt policies; in short. he
will be the candidate Of the radical ele-
ment in. the republican party, as
against some such man as Vice Pres
ident Fairbanks, who will be the can
didate of the conservative element.
Already Secretary Taft has made
himself a name as the most brilliantly
successful exponent Of q presidents
policies who has been in the American
cabinet for generation. He has on
numerous occasions taken hold OF the
policies, first OF Mckinley and then OF
Roosevelt, and In explaining and de-
tending them IN public addresses and
state papers made them seem to be his
very own. In fact, SO successful has
he been in this respect that the charge
is sometimes heard that he lacks initia-
five: that he has no invention; and Is
nothing more than q tactful and re-
aourceful follower te whoever happens
Ia ne his Lee Ter 1Aft's friends, how
ever. insist chat this charge Is grossly
unfair. and that their man is as agrees
ave and, as resourceful as Roosevelt
himself. and the only man now men
toned whose election would insure
continuation Of the policies for which
Roosevelt has stood for, years.
Hostility Expected.
III IL this feeling which has brought
Roosevelt himself to the support Of
Taft for 1908, and in that year it is
very likely that the conservatives and
the radicals Of the republican party
will b OF the highest interest and inn
portance,A not only to the party, but
also to the country.
The only other avowed candidate up
to this time has been Mr.. Fairbanks,
who is the representative of the con-
4srvative element of the party. Mr.
Hhirbanks has had his friends at work
for a couple Of years perfecting organi-
cations in the southern states, and that
work has been greatly encouraged OF
late by reason of southern republican
opposition to the presidents dismissal
Of a battalion Of the Twenty-fifth in
fantry, co1ored. The republican party
In the south is controlled by the ne
groes, and it is very certain that IL
that section were soon to choose dele
gates to a republican national conven-
ton, not single Roosevelt admirer
would have ghost of a show Of selec-
ton. venal negro newspapers all over
the south and in the Ohio valley have
been secured to aid in the work of de-
stroying Roosevelt's influence mong
the colored people. and they are doing
their work with will. It seems now
as if the conservative element in the
party will control nearly all Of the
southern delegates to the 1908 conven-
ton.
Jap Question on Coast.
On the Pacific coast, also, the con-
servatives are at work, and it Is said
with good results, using the presidents
japanese policy as a leverage. In the
Pacific coast states, it is said here, the
radical or Roosevelt republicans may
not be able to secure delegate in
19Gs. In the east, especially in New
York, there is also much opposition to
Roosevelt. I
This situation is in itself quite a
handicap for Mr.. Taft, or any other
man whose candidacy represents a con-
tinuation of Rooseveltism. 1t means