Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-13
Especial Washington Correspondence of
The Argus.)

The Argus.)
The presidential! purpose of the
Roosevelt denomination is quite as
much of n puzzle today as it was
months ago. True, Mr.. Roosevelt has
become absolutely silent on the sub
ject. But, curiously enough. he isl
equally silent about the possible nom
nation of his friend Mr.. Taft. Not one
word in behalf of the candidacy of the
secretary of war has been uttered by
any one associated with the White
House circle. Indeed, the Taft candi'
dacy has ceased to be considered seri'
ously by political observers. Mean.
time other members of the cabinet are
by direction or indirection being of
fered as candidates for a presidential
nomination. Secretary Root has his
boom, one that it seems incredible
should amount to anything in view of
| the record he has made as the attor-
| ney for the very sort of corporations
| which President Roosevelt has been
| attacking. Secretary Cortelyou is much
| in the limelight. He has conferred a
|
| United States by taking out of the
| United States treasury some millions
| of dollars collected from taxpayers
and handing them over to banks which
| were unable to pay back to their de-
.positors the money they had cheerful
| ly received. This action, which has
cost Mr.. Cortelyou nothing, has great
" extended his popularity with the
| financial community. Whether he is as
| popular now as he was when he was
able to secure out of the funds of life
insurance companies some hundreds of
thousands of dollars for Republican
campaign fund remains to be seen.
When he did that he occupied the com.
paratively unimportant position of
postmaster general, but now he is sec
rotary Of the treasury, the mOstimpor
tant position under the president and
in some ways of almost equal impor
lance with that of the president.
The Possibilities of CorteIyou.
Do not mistake the fact that George
B. Cortelyou is likely to be a very
great factor in the next Republican
national convention The Republican
party organization is VIGOROUSLY con
trolled by the great financial interests
The secretary of the treasury is in
close touch with those interests. The
man who prior to becoming secretary
Of the treasury was postmaster genera
and at the same time chairman of the
Republican national committee ha!
some knowledge of the way in which
delegations are made up and how pat
ronage can be used. Mr.. CortelyOl
I has knowledge. industry and power
3 1t is difficult for me to believe that {
Z man whose public reputation has beeI
furnished, as his, can possibly be elect
ed. 1t Is difficult to fancy any holde
of life insurance policy voting TO
the man who was, willing to take .al
most S150,00O out of certain life insur
Z ance funds In order to elect partisan
president and to make himself a grea
political power. But, whatever may
the possibilities of election, the chance
Z Of his nomination are not to be light
set aside.
& Concerning Cannon.
8 Outside Of the cabinet circle Wash
ington looks with the utmost interes
s on the possibilities Of Speaker Car
non as candidate for the Republica
s nomination. A few days ago fourtee
9 Republican congressman from Illinoi
3 met at Chicago and after some debat
9 declared themselves for the nomins
B ton of the speaker. With his chara'
9 teristic blnntness and quaintness h
8 came into the meeting and said: "Wel
9 boys will be boys. II you are dete
D mined you must have your own way.
8 Now. consider this Cannon propositio
carefully His party In his own stat
8 is back Of him as one man. Taft an
o Foraker OF Ohio have split their stat