The National tribune., 1907-03-28
THE MAN ROOSEVELT :
4 WANTS."
Confined froia page /.

where 1t is necessary to- carry out his
plans, but they are none the less on the
alert and are ready to, pitch in and help
without being told to do 50.
And so the name OF, Taft has sudden
ly become talisman all over the face
of political United States Before IL the
Republican opposition has melted away.
Roosevelt's favorite can have anything
he wants from the politicians who want
| to continue in the possessions of their
Offices and who. ora thet other hand,
want to be thought Veal of by the peO-
pie. There never way such a sweep. as
far as things can be judged on the sur
face. A few months ago.. even few
| weeks ago. the Taft boom did not seem
to be taking well. Nobody was giving
| it any attention or taking 1t at all seri-
ously. But suddenly the politicians took
| hold of that boom and they boosted IT..
Roosevelt wants no reactionary to sue
coed him. all the workers in Tafts
| name began to cry. Enough to catch
the popular ear. I'VE want no reac-
tionary to succeed Roosevelt" the peo-
pie replied Roosevelt wants Taft; We
want Taft -" -
Swelling the Boom.
While he travels far and wide this
Summer the Secretary's friends propose
to push that boom to the front. Wheth-
er he be in the West Indies, in Canada
or the Philippines, they are going to
have their shoulders to the wheel, and
are going to do great stunts to assure
delegates for him. The campaign will
be of a preliminary character. 1t will
be educational; 1t will be to interest
the local organizations. who by year
from now will be moving to nominate
the delegates to the National Conven-
ton. Thousands of columns of printed
matter will be prepared. These will go
into the country weelSlies and into the
daily journals by the channels that are
familiar to political workers. The Sec
retary's journeyings in the next six
months will be interpreted in a favor
able light for the edificatiOn of the great
public. Oh, his boomers will find a
thousand ways to help his cause along.
They have had most suspicious
start. Probably there will be some dark
days There is in the career of any
Presidential candidate. Look out for
mud-slinging and for criticism. A can
didate who gets ahead of other candi-
dates becomes a. shining mark. There
are crevices in the Secretary's armor
He knows it very well himself. says so
when he talks to people about his boom.
which. by the way he refrains from
doing for publication. But sthe man
Roosevelt wants is now acqniescing IN
the program to put him in the White
House. For long time he protested.
His brothers. especially ex-Representa-
tive Charles p. Taft, of Cincinnati, who
is man of large wealth, have persuad-
ed him to desist. And nowadays all
the Secretary does when reporters ques-
ton him is to laugh. 1t has become a
feature of his replies. 1t is a sign that
he is willing, altho perhaps reluctant.
For the Secretary is truthful. and when
he cannot deny he will not talk. So he
laughs IS
Travelling on both sides of the earth
during the Summer. the beneficiary of
a boom for the greatest Office anywhere
on earth, Secretary Taft becomes more
and more a parsonage 1of worldwide
interest. r'-s.--.