The Washington herald., 1907-06-24
PLAY WAITING GAME
Administration Politicians
Are in No Hurry.
THINK TAFT WILL GAIN
National Committee to Meet when
Secretary Returns from the Philip
pines-Ohioan's Friends VIII Fight
to Keep Harry New in Ofice-Want
Convention in Friendly Territory.

The administration forces are playing
a waiting game Of Presidential politics.
The activity of candidates who do not
wear the Roosevelt trademark does not
alarm the politicians who are near 70
the President. Least Of all does it dis
turb the Taft boomers. Il is known that
the administration managers have de-
cided that they viii not begin playing
politics until the fall. Unless there is a
change in the programme, they will then
play Taft politics.
The Secretary Of War may be back in
time to see the first general charge or
dered on the enemy's fortihcations He
will be back in Washington from the
Philippines in time for the meeting Of
the Republican National Committee in
December. which will be the preliminary
skirmish for 1905
His friends say he will return with the
additional prestige Of having personally
directed the first efforts at self-gOvern-
ment in the Philippines, and il is by no
means certain that he may not play an
important part in diplomatic negotiations
with Japan.
The elections for members Of the Philip
pines legislature viii take place in the
autumn, and Secretary Taft will be pres
ent.
May Gust Harry New.
The meeting Of the national committee
IN December will be important in more
ways than one in its bearing upon the
struggle for the Republican nomination.
1t is likely that an attempt will be made
by the Roosevelt forces to capture
the committee organization, Gust the act
ing chairman. Harry S. New, and elect
Senator Nathan B. Scott, of West Vir-
ginia. or some other supposed anti-ad
ministration man. An attempt was made
by the Fairbanks managers to unhorse
New some months ago and place Scott
in the saddle. 1t failed. however.
A petition was circulated by Senator
Hepburn Of Idaho, a pronounced anti
Roosevelt man, calling a meeting Of the
committee. Senators Hepburn and Scott
and one other member Of the national
committee signed it. The purpose was to
mittee. The failure to secure enough
signatures discouraged Senator Hepburn,
and after a conference between Vice
President Fairbanks. Scott. and Hepburn,
the petition was retired from circulation.
Warns Administration.
This incident served the purpose OF put
ting the Roosevelt managers on their
guard, and attention has since been di-
rected TO the work Of lining up the ma
tional committee. John G. Capers. the
South Carolina member who has been
cooperating with the Observation-Disclosures
party, was brought into line with the
temporary appointment as Commissioner
Of Internal Revenue. Pearl Wight, of
Louisiana, will succeed Capers in De-
cember.
II the Roosevelt managers dominate
the committee. New will be continued as
chairman and the convention win be To-
Gated in a city where anti-ROosevelt SEN
/ timent will not be demonstrative in the
press and among the holders Of conven-
l ton tickets. 1t will also mean that the
| temporary organization, an important
matter, will be effected by the Presi-
dents friends. This carries with it the
right to make the keynote speech and is
/ important in other respects.
Complaints in the Past.
! There have been complaints in the past
/ that Republican conventions have been
/ handicapped in their work by the atti-
| tude Of the local press and by local po-
/ liucal sentiment In the convention of
/ 1855, the friends of Gen. Benjamin Harri-
son were SO irritated over the pro-
/ Gresham tone of the Chicago press that
/ Gen. John c. New, the Harrison man
/ ager. printed special editions OF the In
| dianapOlis Journal and rushed them tC
/ Chicago on special train. In order, as
/ he maintained, that his candidate might
/ have a fair hearing through the press.
The Presidents friends are determined
/ to guard against locating the convention
/ in a hostile community.
! The national committee has much to do
with credentials in the makeup OF the
/ preliminary lists Of delegates In many
/ ways it viii have an important bearing
on the result. II may be said that the
/ only important work being done by the
administration manag gers just now relat-
ing 10 the convention Of 1908 affects the
control Of the national committee. and
I the managers would NOT be sIrDrispd If