Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-10
Washington Reports Secretary's
Arrival Home Means Show
down at White House
FRIENDS SAID TO BE MAD
Roosevelt Has Shown Too Much
F%riendIiness to corteIyou-Taft May
Quit Cabinet Unless He Secures
Backing of President for Republican
Nomination.
Nomination.

Washington. Dec. 1O.-The politica
atmosphere of Washington has bee
electrified by the stories of the thing
that are brewing In the republican
presidential situation, n the return
Of Secretary Taft may explode
bomb that will startle the presiden
as we'll as his party.
1t is believed by several OF the clos'
friends of the secretary of war tina
finds to what small proportions hi:
boom has shrunk during his tril
around the world.
Unable to discover whether or no.
President Roosevelt has really with
drawn from the presidential field, anC
finding out that Secretary Cortelyou
a fellow member of the cabinet, has
been permitted by the president tC
work up his boom in the absence OF
the man who had been considered the
administration candidate, Secretary
Taft may ON to the conclusion that
quick action is needed to save the
situation.
1t may be said without a violation OF
confidence that some of Taft's friends
But now that secretary will come
back to a realization that not only
is the attitude of the president as great
"a mystery as ever, but that Mr.. Cor
telyou has been permitted to work up
a small cyclone sentiment in his oWn
favor.
Gossip lnong men who ought to un-
derstand the situation leads to the be-
lief hat Taft will find it necessary to
resign from the cabinet If he Is still
to remain in the field. Having entered
the face on the assurance of the sup
port of the president-Which of course,
was understood to nclud the whole
power of the administration they
say he will find that Cortelyou has
been working secretly but Industrious
~.
Assistant Postmaster General
Hitchcock has for months been all
thru the South in Cortelyou's interest.
How well he succeeded in his missions
AIRY work was shown in the decision of
the national committee to send the
convention to Chicago.
James G. Blaine was forced from a
cabinet by a situation that was in
some respects similar. When, in 1892,
Benjamin Harrison was a candidate
for denomination, Blaine at the last
minute left the cabinet to make his
contest. But he was overwhelmed by
the great power of the office-holding
administration.
1T is considered here that Secretary
Taft will find himself so piled on his
return that the president must give
him an unequivocal statement or lose
him as a cabinet officer. The cam
paign has gone so far that Judge
Taft will not be able to carry it on il
his friends have the barest suspicion
that the president himself is a casldi-
date.
Furthermore the assurance will have
to include the promise that Secretary
Cortelyon is not the candidate of the
administration. Since Judge Taft went
out for the place under the implied
agreement that the Whole power of the
administration would be used for him,
it would likely be considered a mark
of disloyalty by his friends were the
president to permit Cortelyou to go on
with his campaign.
Just at this moment, before the ar
rival of the secretary, some of the pol
.iticians here figure out the situation
in this manner
Judge Taft must demand an UNI
equivocal statement from the president
as to his w attitude.
He must demand that Cortelyou be
called off.
He must have the understanding go
to the party that the president is
behind him.
Failing to get these assurances, he
resign his place in the cabinet.
Or, remaining in the cabinet, he
give up hope of the nomination.
Another blow has been delivered at
the Taft boon by the republican ma
tional committee, and this time it is
more serious than the moral effect
wat administered by the selection OF
Chicago for the convention. 1t de-
Drives the boom of votes-votes in
ldlQ DIS wen DIS NOlSS lO9pcSliNS.
The only delegates so far elected for
TAFT have. been those of Alaska-siN,
That territory held it's convention at
Juneau on Nov. Ia. and elected six
delegates, instructed for Taft, on a
ip from the white house, which con-
rolls all the territories. body and soul.
Counting the District of Columbia,
here are seven territories. and that
would have meant forty-two for Taft
enough to nominate him in a close
light.
But the national committee has
,ried these votes off from Taft by
the territorial representation
to two votes. instead of six for
ach territory. This lops off twenty
light votes from the Taft strength,
our of them being votes actually in
and.