The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-09
DEEP LAID PLOT STORY CLEVER.
~ USED AS POLITICAL WEA.
pom TO BOOST oHloAN.
GAME IS BOLDLY PLAYED
BY Roosevelt Who Forces Leaders to
Come Out Into the Open--Puts
Ban on 1908 Bussboo
Rumors.

| pN dSllHStOuj ~ A.y Api a. o. 1Shl
ling and almost incredible were tht
announcements from the White Hous,
Hast week concerning an alleged plo
against the President and his policies
But aside from the sensational fea
| lures of tbs Presidents exposures Is
| the political significance of the entire
matter While Roosevelts eyiden
purpose III giving his statements the
widest publicity Is TO disconcert tht
interests he believes are inimical &c
his policies the great stake that i
being played for is the next presiden
l;ial nomination of the Republica,
lparty.
Reduced to its most concrete form
what tha president Is aiming at is tc
put himself in the position TO name
his success or and to dictate the plat
form for the campaign of 1908.
Taft is Roosevelt's Choice.
William H, Taft, Secretary Of War
is the man Mr. Roosevelt has picked
|out to lead the Republ can party. Tha
president has been entirely frank on
this subject though there are many
Of his f.iends and enemies who refuse
to acc ,pt this in good faith, His ad
mirers in ist that events are SO shap
ing themselves that Roosevelt himself
must be the candidate, and his oppo.
ne,s fear the same outcome.
But there was never any point on
which President Roosevelt was more
determined than that he will not be a
candidate for reelection In 1908. He
has repeated this d dsclaratlon on many
occasions since his first announce
ment, Immediately after his election
in 1904. and whenever the third
Term" idea has be n preached TO him
lc ghas gone to the extreme In dis
souraging II. He has insisted that his
friends must accept his word as final
and while he appreciates the grsat
compliment and honor that the third
tern" suggestions carry with them he
has declared that he will not accept
another nomination, even II 1t II tend,
cred him by the national convention
of his party.
Wants to Learn Friends.
As result of ,he developments last
weelo the White House has become
the political storm center of the coun
tiy. The president believes that in
making public what he is convinced
are the plans Of the opposition, he Will
either force them into the open or on
the other hand smoke out all the Re-
publican leaders who profess to be his
friends and definite Inc On those
upon HON he can depend TO help him
in nominating his successor. He is
to find out who are for
him and who are against him.
So far the two greatest obstacles
that have veIoped TO his plan of lin
ing up his forces have been the talk
of third term and the refusal Of
many of his supposed adhesents to
take his reports of great conspir
acy seriously. The "third.term" plan
offers an opportunity for many 20
stay in the Roosevelt band wagon
without seriously committing them
selves to the Taft boom while the
refusal TO rharc with the President
his belief that Hartman, Hearst and
Rockefeller are back OF great plot
to defeat him and his policies, works
even more convcn emily as loophole
70 avoid lining up i'm either the Roose-
welt or anti-Roosevelt camp.
Hsrrin,sn Letter Opens Way.
The publication of the letter of Z.
H. Hartman TO Sidney Webster pre-
sented an opportunity for which the
president had long been waiting. The
criticism aimed at the president for
10 name his succer sor
made him paus i'm his active advo.
cacy of Secretary Taft He needed
some plausible rcas, n for doing this.
which he could feel the people would
accept. and which corld not be sue.
cessfully attacked by those who differ
from him i'm his views as TO the H.
nese Of Mr.. Taft 90 meet the demands
Of the Repnbl can party for 1908. So
when the Hartman lett'r came out
Mr.. Roosevelt was ready fer 81. and
seized IN chance to say
what he has bad In his mind for long
time
President Plays Game Boldly.
IN the present state of the public
mind the advantage Of President
Rcos welt in a controversy with Mr.
Hartman j. obvious No one real
lies this better than the chief execd-
live. and no doubt Mr. Hartman real
ized e. Ehcn be made such strenuous
Efforts 10 induce The New York news
paper that had secured a copy of bis
letter to Mr. Webster not 10 publish
H. That The head Of the Union Pa
cifc appreciated this fact Is shown