The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-23
A TIP TO ROOSEVELT
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
 @ WO men loom big on the Presi- \0 dential horizon at present. They
 are MT. Roosevelt and MT. Hughes. All other characters in the forthcoming campaign are merely first class supernumeraries.
 Leaving Mr. Roosevelt out of the ques- tion for the moment Governor Hughes seems to be the one candidate so far as the republican party is concerned who has even a ghost of a chance. Secretary Taft apparently is "out of it.' Messrs. Fairbanks, Root. Cannon, etc, manifestly were never 'in it. The issue, in fact, centers around the actual President and the governor of this state.
 While he has not the spectacular per- sonality of MT. Roosevelt, Governor Hughes is by no means of the common or garden variety of candidate. If his pop ularity is not so widespread as MT. Roose- velt's, it Is based on solid foundation of the respect of the best elements in the population, and is growing, while that of the President, tosput it very mildly,
 
 consequences of the Roosevelt panic. ' As governor of the state of New York; MT. Hughes has displayed honesty of pur- pose, strength of will and circumspec- tion. These are qualities eminently desir- able in the chief magistrate of this coun- try. He is, to say the least, as well meaning as MT. Roosevelt, and it would l. .lfe fr,. ir, tn a nrndRnf He would be an acceptable candidate to a considerable section of the republican party, and is willing to run in the race for the Presidential stakes.
 The nomination of MT. Hughes, in short, might be regarded as a foregone conclusion, were personal fitness and chances of success the sole or primary consideration As matter of fact, they are not The decisive factor in the party Is not Mir Hughes or his acceptability; It is Mir Roosevelt MT. Hughes pop ularity with republicans in general is off, set by his unpopularity with Roosevelt ian republicans in particular, and it is the uncertainty that exists as regards MT. Roosevelt's real position in the campaign that renders a forecast of it's probable issue very delicate affair.
 W nat will MT Roosevelt do? That is the question. Rarely, in fact never since Washington withdrew into private life after his second term, has a President of the United States had such an oppor- tunty to prove that he places the na- tion's interests before his personal inter- ests or inclinations. If MT Roosevelt honestly and without ambiguity were to indorse the candidature of Governor Hughes he would not only insure the success of the republican party, but win for himself in the political annals of the occupied by Washington. If, on the other hand he should insist upon forcing him self or candidate of his personal choice upon the republican party he or his can didate might be elected, but his fame would suffer. His determination to re- main at the head of national affairs either in person or by deputy wOuld~open the eyes of even his blindest partisans and convince them that far from being a astute politician.
 AS matter or 1act, fresluent ROOSe- welt would find it advantageous from every point of view to support the can didacy of Governor Hughes. He could not make a better move. If he is anxious to establish his reputation as regards pos terity and if he has any idea of playing the role of Warwick in American political life by. making the President when he retires from the presidency himself. the most diplomatic step he could take in this direction would be to put forward Governor Hughes as the candidate of his personal choice. Victory for the repub- lican party would be certain and all the credit for 1t would go to Mir. Roosevelt Thus his influence would be immensely increased, for he would have proved him. self to be the consolidating factor of the republican party instead of disintegrat- ing element and would have rendered the