The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-07
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, d. c. Feb.

WaSuiuStou, ~ -. reD. ., 1907.
There is stirring fight going on
under cover at the Capitol just
now, which looks forward as far as
the next Republican convention for
the nomination for President. The
fight is not an open one and it has
found no expression, so far, in the
public prints, bit it is ION" none
the less, and the very fact that it is
so bitter is keeping it under. cover.
1t may blaze up in the course of a
year and then it will be news in the
commonly accepted sense of the
word. 1t is nothing less than an
effort to beat Taft for the presiden-
tial nomination. The leading mem
bers of the Republican party have
about come to the conclusion that
President Roosevelt meant what he
said when he declared that third
term nomination could not be fore
ed upon him. Since that light has
begu: to dawn, the leaders of the
party realize what they may have
realized some time ago, that the
President has practically nominated
Secretary Taft as his successor in
Office. This is by no means CRATE
iu revelation to many Of the MEM
ters Of Congress. He is likewise
too radical, too much of a man like
that man Roosevelt" There are
other much more acceptable men
who are much more hungry than
Taft for the nomination, and lines
are being laid to have each Of these
make as strong showing as posi-
BILE sometime prior to the next nat
ional convention. The Fairbanks
boom. the Shaw boom, and the
Cannon boom, are all being quietly
nursed along, and they will make a
dash for the head of the column as
SOON as the time is ripe. The peo-
pie who are back of these several
movements are each of them now
earnest for the selection of their
own particular man, but when it
comes down. to the final choice. it
will be any combination to beat
Taft.
This is about how the several
candidates line up. Fairbanks is
the representative of the Hartman
interests. This statement should
not be taken in the libel suit sense.
but the facts are we'll enough known
to warrant its being thoroughly un-
derstood. The Hartman interests
want Mr.. Fairbanks nominated be-
cause he is the friend of their friend.
and if it came down to it, they
would be perfectly willing to put
up the money necessary for cam.
+, aign expenses in the Fairbanks
cause. On the other hand. Shaw
is generally recognized as being
choice Of the Morgan interests, and
they would be willing to do quite
as much for him as the Hartman
interests would do for Fairbanks.
Uncle Joe Cannon is a nice old
man and he is very popular person
ally with nearly everybody i'll Con.
gress. but he is not an exceedingly
rich man, and if he were nominated
some Interests" would have to
put the money to run his CAMPAIGN.
That money is waiting in New
York, and there are men in the
Senate who can get it by turning
over their hands. Meantime Uncle
Joseph IS doing all the entertaining
he can, and getting things in shape
to make the race if fortune looks
his way.
With Secretary Taft it is differ
ent. He has wife who is ambi-
tious for his White House prefer
ment. He likewise has brother
in law who is quite able to put up
the money if it should be needed
TO run his campaign, and his wife
has influence enough with the
brother-in-law to make him do just
as she says. Thus If Taft were
elected he would not be beholden