The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-22
TAFT SEEMS TO BE AHEAD Western Editors Take a
 Poll. MANY VOTE FOR ROOSEVELT War Secretary is Uneasy About
 His Campaign. Political Gossip Has It That Taft. En- trance Into Race for President
 Has Caused Split
BY GEORGE G. ADAMS.


 Washington, Aug. 21.-(Special )- With Secretary of War Taft started on his three months trip around the world there appears to be an increase of in tsrest in the progress of his canvass for the Republican Presidential nomi- nation. Whether this interest will hold out until the middle of next De- cember.s Is question that Is troubling his campaign managers hot a little Mir. Taft doesn't admit that he Is un- easy on the subject In an inspired statement, given out on the eve of his departure from Washington, the War Secretary was quoted as saying that his official duties came first and that if his political fortunes suffered because of the discharge of them, 1t was a mis- fortune that he would have to endure.
 Mir. Taft. as a member of the Presi- dents cabinet, has been called the ad- ministrations peacemaker Wherever there has been trouble, Taft has been sent to compose it, and has been uni- formly successful in his missions. But Taft as a presidential candidate Is any thing but oil on troubled waters. Take Knox, of Pennsylvania, as an example of pacific candidates. Ills boom was peacefully launched in Pennsylvania and peacefully received in other States There hasn't been a cross word to the barrel of Knox campaigning. On the other hand. the Taft boom has been a trouble-maker since the day 1t started Ohio is all split up into factions over 1t, and there has been a row in almost every other State where the Taft can didacy has reared it's head.
 Here Is the situation that will serve to illustrate: In New York there is a faction that is trying to secure the States delegation for Taft of Ohio. In Ohio there is faction that is trying to secure the States delegation for Hughes of New York.
 Chairman Woodruff of the New York State Committee, and Chairman Par sons or the New York County Commit tee, are the men who have undertaken the task of delivering the Empire State to Taft, and they have stirred up merry row. The State Committee is to have a meeting on September 26. and the promise is held out that there will be things doing
 Politicians have been discussing with a great deal of interest, a poll made by The Chicago Tribune of 1,700 edi- tors of Middle Western papers, the canvass covering eleven States. The editors were asked by The Tribune to answer the following questions:
 Do you approve the Presidents ag- gresslve policy?"
 Do you prefer a candidate of the progressive school as his successorT'
 Whom do you prefer?"
 Out of the 1.700 addressed, 1,435 de- clared themselves as favoring the poli- tics of the President and the nomina- tion of man who would continue them The vote as to choice of a suc- cessor to President Roosevelt stood as follows:
 Taft ..:....''''' ''''''.. .'..''94aa
 Fairbanks ........ ''''..''. ''1oS
 cannon ..'''.'..' ''''.'''''~' 19t 19 2 Hughes ........... "'.....'..'' '4St
 Knox ....:...'.'.' ''''''''''' ao ao
 Senator McCullom ........ ..... 29
 Presidest Roosevelt ........... .15S
 The States to which the questions were sent were Illinois, Indiana, Michi- gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska Missouri and Kansas,
 From Taft headquarters in Columbus, postal cards have been sent out bear ing the Caption Taft Far in the lead" The card bears the statement that the editors of leading independent papers of the various congressional districts of the country were recently called upon to indicate the sentiment of their districts regarding the choice for the presidency. Responses were received from 2S5 districts.
 To the question, ''If Roosevelt is eliminated, whom wi11 your Congres- sionaI district favor as the Republican candidate?" 136 favored Taft, eighteen favored Fairbanks, and twenty-two 
 ceived scattering votes, as follows: Hughes. fifteen; Cannos, 8; La Toilette. g; Shaw. 1.
 President of the United States? was another question asked. On this Taft also led, with sixty-nine districts. as represented by independent newspapers, declaring him to be the choice. Roose- cit followed, with sixtyfouF votes: Bryan, 37; Hughes, 10; Knox. 4: Fair banks and Folk. two each, while Cam non, Culberson and Cortelyou each got one vote.
 These polls of sentiment make inter- esting Ieading during the dull summer days, but 1t is just as well to remem- Der that in campaigns of the past they have been mighty poor indexes as to what was going to happen. For in- stance. how large vote would William Jennings Bryan have received in 1895 In a poll as to Democratic presidential sentiment? Hayes, Garfield and Harri- sos probably would have been among the also rans in any canvass made a year in advance of their nominations.
 About ten months must elapse before the converting of next years Republi- can national Convention, and political scenery can do a lot of shifting in ten months. Things may so shape them selves that Taft's name will be the only one presented to the convention; and his name may not be presented at all. Men can be found who think Roosevelt's name is the only one the convention will applaud.