The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-29
TAFT BACK 10 WORK.
What Reporter Of tho Kansas City
Star says Of the Distinguished
Secretary of War.

Secretary Taft returned to Wash
ington Saturday afternoon. Such a
healthy and cheerful invalid never
before put i'll an appearance at the
national capital 1t was distressing
| ly hot, but the big secretary OF war
did not appear to mind the heat in
the least and within an hour had
plunged into a conference with Gen.
Edwards of the bureau of insular
affairs regarding the new develop
ments in the Philippines.
Secretary Taft said he had never
the political situation in any of it's
phases. What Senator Foraker said
at Wilberforce university or what he
might say in the future apparently
gave him no concern He expressed
his deep appreciation at the reception
given him in the western states, but
would make no suggestions as to
the political significance of any de-
velopment of his tour.
The numerous friends of the sec
retary fastened to congratulate him
on newspaper reports of the warm
greeting accorded him. Washington
is so thoroughly in sympathy with
Taft that it takes it for granted that
every community which meets him
will forthwith enlist under his ban
ner. The dispatches from the west
telling of the big delegations which
went to meet the secretary and the
crowds which listened to him were
accepted as mere matters of course
Washington would only have been
surprised had it been otherwise
While the secretary of war has
| been absent in the west, a news bu-
reau, evidently engineered by interest
| hostile to the administration, has
| been working overtime. The inde
fatigable agency spread stories about
complications in South Dakota and
told how the fued between Ilittredge
and Gamble would make it impossi-
Bile for the republicans of that state
to get together on candidates for the
presidency. When the secretary got
to Minnesota, this same agency pre-
pared story about the failure to
recognize some of the powerful lead
ers in the state, and it followed this
up with a story that was eagerly
seized upon by all the newspapers
hostile to the secretary of war saying
that he was i'll such poor health and
so disgisted with the manner in
which his campaign was being con
Quoted that he was going to get off
the track
Both factions in South Dakota are
for Taft. There is not any friction
whatever in Minnesota as result of
his visit, and the secretary is in ene
best of health and in the presidential
race to stay until the finish. In
stead of being displeased with the
progress he has made he is daily
surprised at the assurances of sup
| port from quarters he had not count
ed upon. With the exceptions no
ted the stories printed were in the
main correct. AS to the military
posts which he visited, Secretary
Taft said that he had gone to Fort
Smelling, Fort Meade and Fort Leav-
as most important of the army sta
as most important of the army sta
tions because the cavalry and infan-
try schools and the staff college are.
located there. A fund has been ap-l
]propriated by congress and put at
his disposal which is being used
to improve the facilities for the.
schools. He wanted to look over. the
ground In person to, see what has al
ready been done and what should be