The Washington times., 1907-02-03
HAS TAFT GOT
A MARK HANNA
TO GUIDE HIM 2
Political Parallel Between
Mckinley and Secretary
Whose Presidential
Boom Is Alive.

charge OF the Taft Presidential boom?
This question is being quietly passed
around among the politicians on Capitol
HILL at the hotels and clubs. and at
other Congregating places OF the states
men. Report is that the Ohio friends
OF the War Secretary are getting ready,
very quietly. 70 make a move that Will
put a new face on the whole political
situation.
OF course, 1905 is in every mind at the
suggestion that the Taft forces In Ohio
are pulling themselves together. The
intimation is given out very broadly
by people who have been permitted a
glimpse at the plans OF the Taft ad-
herents that the FOraker-Dick people
in the Buckeye state have not nailed
that community 10 the mast, and that
there Is room for "a mighty fine night for
control Of the delegation 10 the next Re
publican National Convention.
MeKinIey-Taft Parallel.
William II. Taft. the politicians are
'explaining. is in much the position that
William Mckinley occupied year and
"a half before the Republican convention
OF 1886 There was IA widespread senti-
ment throughout the party for Mckin-
'1or TAFT But Mckinley was without
san organization. So is Taft. Mckinley
found a manager; the Taft people, there
ds good reason 10 believe, are seeking
one; IL II ay be. indeed. that they have
IOund him.
This parallel between Mckinley IN 1885
land Taft in 1891 is an interesting and
Instructive one that is worth being
ma
tionaI figure OF the first consequence.
just as Taft is now. He was the real
1avorite OF a large section OF the party
las Taft is today.
Both Persona Non GTata.
Mckinley however was not persona
fgrata 10 the political generals OF the
party who, from seats IN the Senate or
at the head OF State machines, surveyed
.the political field and thought To play
'the game of politics. with favor
lite sons as their pawns. with per-
sOnal ambitions as inspiring motives.
and with the political map OF the coun-
try as the chessboard on which 10 make
their moves.
Developments OF the last Few months
have proved that TAFT now occupies ex-
actly the same relation 10 the mana gers
and the management of the party. The
republican senate is not for TAFT, or for
any other man OF the Roosevelt school.
It wants surCease from strenuous in
sistenCe on the troublesome policies OF
Roosevelt Ii suspects that 20 would
get something else il TAFT were Presi
dent
William Mckinley was nominated for
President by a process very similar 10
that which must be employed 10 nOmi-
nate Taft. If he shall win.
Must Find a General
The people who are for TAFT realize
this. They must ma the right mantle
general who can command confidence.
and 10 him they must turn over their
concerns. There was a vigorous i'm
preston al one time that Theodore =.
Burton. OF Cleveland. might become that
man. Then Burton failed ia his effort
10 control the Ohio convention last year
His enemies gained control. and they
were likewise The enemies Of Taft. They
stII retain IL. They viii retain the or
ganization, with all its benefits and po-
teutiaIlties. ill after the delegation
from Ohio il selected 10 the next ma
tiOnaI convention.
Following the defeat of Buttons re-
beIliOn al Columbus last summer came
the election, in which the Foraker-uIck
organization got what little there was
az stake Then came the premature
and doubtless unauthorized announce
meut" that Secretary Tart would not
refuse a nomination IL IL were rendered
him. IL might have been said about
almost any other man; but the cIrcum-
stances in which it was put out Were
such that it was given some significance.
Public Taken UnawaIes.
The public was not ready for IT,
didn't really care much what the mama
gers We're planning. There was a dis
appointing response; and forthwith 1t
was announced that Tart was elimin-
ated.
But the Taft people decline TO believe
that Tart has been eliminated. McKin-
ley was eliminated, too, when the coun-
try. in 1880. repudiated the tariff law
that bore his name, and when two years
later il elected Cleveland ia a campaign
on the tarin issue. But Mckinley did
not accept elimination and today the
friends OF TAFT do not admit IL.
Mckinley's name was associated with
the tarin policy that at last swept him
into the Presidency. Tafts name has
been associated with the general policies
OF progressive legislation that have
marked this Administration. Mckinley
possessed an attractive personality; he
made friends and held them as does
Secretary Taft
Nominated by Masses.
The plain people, the masses, of the
Republican party, nominated Mckinley
for 1886. They were led by one of the
greatest political generals this country
has produced-Mark Hanna. Before the
convention met at ST. Louis il was all
over. Favorite sons had been one BY
enc eliminated before the Mckinley
movement. The people were for Nc
Knley, and they nominated him. Reed.
Quay, Morton, Allison, Alger. DepeW.
Cullom. Davis. and the rest of the vet
Grams OF old-line politics. the men with
state organizations AT their back, were
doomed. They We're the men who oc-
cupied the positions which are held to-
day in relation 10 national affairs by the
group of prominent opponents OF Roose-
veltism. And In that day the party RIA
chine was lar more powerful than Il is
now.