The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-25

Il WASHINGTON. Oct. "a. - prepara
! tions By both parties for the manage
ment Of the Presidential campaign ar
well advanced and show the lines upoi
which the fight will be waged. II Sec
retary Taft is the Republican nominee
no less a person than President -Roose
velt will be the real manager Of th,
Republican campaign. For more than 4
year the President has frankly told
everybody that Taft must succeed hin
in order to carry out the Roosevelt
policies. 1t is an open secret that Sec
retary Root was the Presidents first
choice as his successor, but after the
great financial revelations in New York
the President realizes that he country
would be SO suspicious Of any New York
Republican that he dropped Root. The
way the President puts il is: what a
magnificent President Elihu Root would
make. but what miserable candidate" /"
Mr.. Root is philosophical enough to ap.
preciate the unfortunate situation which
cuts him out OF the Presidential nomina.
tion. He is morely the victim OF cir
cumstances.
While. OF course, II Mr.. Taft is the
nominee he win name the chairman OF
the Republican National Committee.
who will nominally manage the cam
paign. still 1t is well understood in
Washington that President Roosevelt's
interest being 50 direct and immediate,
his will be the real directing genus Of
the fight. This win present one Of the
most novel spectacles in American poll.
tics. Not since Andrew Jackson's day.
has a President openly conducted a
campaign from the White House for
the election Of his successor. But as
Roosevelt has smashed all traditions, the
country will not be shocked by his
course in this matter.
As seen from the national capital
democratic affairs are now so shaped up
as to take the management OF that
party from the control of the men and
influences which have gripped it since
1904. The Belmont -Sheehan crowd fore
ed "Tom' Taggart OF Indiana on the
Democratic National Committee in that
year as its chairman. Taggart's selec-
tion was the result of a compromise
alter fierce struggle between Belmont
and Sheehan for the mastery Of the
machine organized to support Judge
Parker's disastrous fight. Now that the
plans are well laid to rid the Demo-
cratic organization OF the Parker-Bel.
mont Sheehan- Ryan influences. Taggart
will fall. The present intention is to
put in his place former Senator George
Turner of the State OF Washington.
Senator Turner's career has run the
gamut of American political experience.
Born in Missouri, he entered the Union
Army as boy. At the close of the war
he settled in Alabama and, although a
federal office holder he was never re-
garded by the Southernos as a carpet
bagger. President Arthur appointed him
to the bench in Washington Territory,
where he won great distinction, and soon
after the close of Arthur's administra-
tion the judge entered practice Of law
at Spokane. In the great schism Great
ed in both parties in 1896 by free sill
yer, Judge Turner opposed the cause of
William Jennings Bryan and gave him
the electoral veto Of Washington. The
legislature being Democratic in 1897 sent
Turner to the Senate, where he almost
Immediately took his place in the ranks
Of the thoughtful and conservative mem
bers. SO well was he thought of that
soon after the expiration Of his term
President Roosevelt appointed Judge
Turner member Of the arbitration
commission on the long pending Alaskan
boundary dispute. In the negotiations
at London, Senator Turner won more
encomiuns from the European press as
| 4 statesman Of high qualities than did
any other member of the commission.
1t is given out that the Democratic
National Committee will select Chicago
as the place for holding the National
Convention and the second week in June,
as the time. This determination indi-
Gates the aggressive spirit now dominat-
ing the councils Of the party, as the date
set for the convention will call the
Democrats together ahead of the Repub-
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