New-York tribune., 1907-12-13
PRESIDENT LOOKS
FOR PARTY LINEUP.
ISSUE TO BE FRIENDS AND
FOES OF HIS POLICIES.
Mr. Taft Regarded By Him as the
Logical Candidate-Rumors OF
Cabinet DissensiOp Denied
From The Tribune Bureau.I


Washington Dec ITO those OF his friends
to whom he talked today the President de-
cIared his conviction that his statement OF last
night would inevitably force lineup of the
two elements in the Republican party-one
which supports his policies. behind secretary
Taft: the other, which opposes MS polcles' De'
hind some other candidate
He regards it as obvious to every intelligent
observer that there is energetic and possibly
widespread opposition TO the policies for whlco
he stands and he feels that IL must be equally
obvious to the veriest tyro in politics tnat sue
cess is to be attained by those who stand for ms
policies only by their standing absolutely to-
gether.
Many of the most ardent advocates or MS poI'
cies are already committed to the candidacy oil
William H Taft whom Mr.. Roosevelt regards.
both by reason of his character and OF MS SYM
pathy with those policies, as the loslcai canol'
date for this wing of the party
Suggestions that the President discipline MS
Secretary OF the Treasury, the First Assistant
Postmaster General Mr. Hitchcock. who is re-
garded as the chief promoter Of the Cortelyou
boom. and other federal officeholders VINO are
not willing to support Mr. Taft, the President
disrnisses with impatience- He recognizes the
entire liberty OF every Republican. whether hs
be in office or out of il, to support any Repub-
But he is equally decided in his determination
that every would-be candidate must travel on
his own merits and the merits OF the policies for
which he stands, and that the interests Of no
candidate shall be promoted either by pretended
advocacy of a third term for Mr. Roosevelt. or
by a. pretended advocacy of the Roosevelt poll
ces.
FOR FAIR AND SQUARE FIGHT.
In word. the President is for a perfectl,
fair and square fight. with all the cards the
table and no concealed decks. If the opponents
of his policies succeed In nominating their man
whoever he may be- Mr.. Roosevelt will go up 20
Oyster Bay and cast his ballot for the regular
party nominee. although his private opinion Is
that Secretary Taft. standing squarely on what
are popularity known as "the Roosevelt policies,
would poll a far larger number Of votes than a
candidate nominated by what he terms "the
dictionary faction of the party.
OF course, efforts have been made TO magnif,
the differences between the President and Sec
retary CorteIyou- as a result of last night,
statement. and some color IS given TO thess
attempts by the fact that Mr.. Hitchcock. who
served with Mr.. Cortelyou the national COM
mittee and whom Mr.. Cortelyou selected 70.
First Assistant Postmaster General. allied HIM
self with the anti-Taft in the national
committee and is credited In current gossip with
having told alluring stories to the Southern
members of the fabulous wealth which the
bankers of the country would pour into the cof.
fers of a Cortelyou campaign fund
The President. however. and Secretary Cor.
teIyou Also .deprecate the idea that there is any
antagonism between them. Mr.. Cortelyou de-
clared to-day that the rumors that he would
resign from the Cabinet were absolutely without
foundation and the President pronounced sueh
runors too preposterous be worthy of a &C.
nial
rumor which apparently emaRated from po'
lftical quarters in New York. TO the effect that
Secretary Taft had cabled his resignation before
sailing from Plymouth. the President also pro-
nounced "too absurd for words.
The efforts of some persons close TO the ad
ministration were operating to confuse thu
friends of the President and of Secretary Tau
as 10 the real preference of the resident, and
his silence was being used 10 promote that con.
fusion. and when the President discovered thii
10 ba the case he decided. with the advice ol
,rassrs Root Never and Garfield, to end ii by
retterating his election night statement, ane
that is all there is to last nights announcement
People who find anything more behind IL WIZ
have TO avail themselves of vivid imas1nations
GENERALIZATION FOR PRESIDENT.
The President was even buster to-day re-
ceiving congratulations upon the reiteraei't
of his no. third-term declaration than be wa
in shaking hands with business. political ant
social callers. He received large nu.noa
of these fluctuations by mail and wire rron
various parts of the country, and every mai
who called to see him in person took occasion
TO comment on the benefits that would result
from the clearing of the political atreSphere.
Many of the p-ssident's callers were nnant