The Ketchikan miner., 1907-12-07
"UP IN THE AIRD

"UP IN THE AIR"
 One of the most far-seeing news paper correspondents writing from Washington to the Brooklyn Eagle describes the political situation as be- ing ''up in the air.'' He says 1t would be idle at this date, November 15, to attempt forecast of the action of the next national convention of the Republican party, and yet that is what a great many people are attempting, and their predictions are clothed in such definite language that some may be misled into believing that they are authoritative. The country is told one day that President Roosevelt is "weakening'' in his anti-third-tern decision, and the next day that he would consent to renomination only in the event that such course were necessary to prevent Governor Hughes from receiving it. Both are equally wide of the mark, and yet they are only samples of the forecasts which are multiplying with each day and which may be accepted in the opinion of experienced politicians as merely indicating that the country is at last awakening to the proximity of the nominating conventions and is be- ginning to take an interest in next years campaign.
 Until Secretary Taft returns the presidential situation will doubtless remain very much ''up in the air" so far as the Republicans are concerned. It is the opinion of the wisest politi- cians who have recently been at the White House that outside of the third-term sentiment, Taft continues in the lead, and that the los of the Cleveland election has had little if any effect on the secretary's strength in the country at large. Realizing that the secretary of war continues in the lead, it is not a surprise to the president or the other mem bers of the administration who are hoping that he will be selected as Mr, Roose- velts successor to find the field com hned against him. Next to Taft the general opinion in circles favorable to the secretary is that Hughes IS the strongest presidential possibility, ex- cepting always the contingency that Mir. Roosevelt should be forced into accepting renomination.
 Regarding the third term sentiment there is no gainsaying the fact that at the present it overshadows the con- bined candidates of all the other de- clared or receptive candidates. The pressure upon MT. Roosevelt to accept another nomination is increasing in- stead of decreasing. It is growing so strong and is orystalizing so rapidly that it will probably be necessary for him to make another statement soon after the secretary returns or accept the consequences. Of course there are many politicians who, like Governor Cummins, of Iowa, are engaged in the well.known political game of "playing the Roosevelt third term for a good thing" But apart from the profess sional politicians who have no love for the president, and about whose at titude the president cherishes no llu- sions, the people in the country at large do not appear to recognize as yet that there is any other serious candidacy than that of Mr. Roosevelt.
 The New York situation is likely to prove the most embarrassing to the president. There the presidents friends appear determined to obtain an instructed Roosevelt delegation, and he may have difficulty in preventing this. It is a trying period for the president, and he is doubtless remind ed of the earnestness with which his first secretary of state, the late John Hay, pleaded with him not to issue his third term statement on the night he was elected to the presidency. It was the belief of Mir. Hay, even at that time, that Mir. Roosevelt would be renominated in spite of his efforts to the contrary. From recent indica- tions the presidential situation will remain ''up in the air'' until the country gets it through its head that Mir. Roosevelt intends to stand by his e1ectiOn nj Oht Statemant