The Washington herald., 1907-05-10
TAFT LEADS IN RACE
President Feels 0hiOan Will
Capture Nomination.
MAY NOT END FORAKER FIGHT
Ia still Opposed
to the Return of SenatOr-secre-
tRry's Friends 10 stand for Pence.
Dick in Peculiar POsition-Burton
Wants Toga-Win Not Compromise.

| President Roosevelt regards it as al
ready practically settled that William Il.
Taft VIII be the candidate of the Repub-
lican party FOR President in 1905. This
view is not yet shared by politicians gen
orally la Washington.
Th5se who talked with Mr Roosevelt
/ Yesterday found .im OF the opinion that
tie capitulatlon Of Chairman Brown, OF
the State central committee. and George
b. Cox, Of Cincinnati. 20 the Taft forces.
ended the contest to determine whether
the name of Taft or Foraker should be
presented to the national convention as
Ohio's favorite son. Senator Dick, who
threw his lot with Senator Foraker. is ex-
pected 10 follow suit
In administration circles il is believed
that before the convention assemblies next
year there win be a Taft landslide. which
viii make him the nominee Of the party
with little or no opposition.
The political programme Of the admin
istTation in behalf Of Mr. TAFT is already
known. TAFT emissaries VIII go out after
delegates in other States than Ohio. They
viii even invade Indiana, the stronghold
Of Vice President Fairbanks. Every effort
Will be made 10 bring Joseph q. Cannon
into the Taft camp. with the strength Of
tne Illinois delegation. The 1avorite son
movement will be discouraged by. the ad-
ministrati0n forces save lu Ohio
viii Not stop Third Term Boom.
President Roosevelt viii not take any
steps to stop the Roosevelt thfrd-term
movement He does not want another
! four years in the White House. and con
tinues to tell those in whom he has conf
dence that he viii not be a candidate
again under any circumstances. But the
third-term movement will be allowed TO
so on in States which because they nave
favorite sons or for other reasons. do not
show an inclination To indorse Mr.. Taft.
The idea is that with the delegations
from these States to the national c0nven-
ton pledged TO the President. he will be
in a position TO throw them 70 Taft at
the proper time.
It was strongly hinted in authoritative
sources, in connection with the Presidents
view of Taft's probable success, that Gov.
Charles z. Hughes. of New York, would
be acceptable to President Roosevelt as
Tafts running mate
That the New York man viii get the
second place on the ticket is firmly be-
lieved by those in touch with the sltua-
ton. and that Gov. Hughes will consent TO
make the race. with Secretary Taft in the
lead, is taken for granted by those who
know of the feeling existing between the
President and Gov. Hughes.
1t is also believed that President Roose-
velt has already indicated to Gov Hughes
that the White House would like TO see
him on the ticket.
Mr., Taft is saying nothing about poll
tics. He is getting into the sphinx class.
From the very beginning of the effort to
boom him for the Presidency, he has
maintained his attitude Of silence.
Taft Has Talked but once.
Only once did ne speak. and that was
to explain his position after it had been
represented that he was In the race for
the nomination. He was not a candidate.
he explained, and would not be, but
would, Of course, not decline the nomina-
tion if it came to him.
When he was visiting the Isthmus of
Panama, Cuba, and Porto Rico. his
brother, Charles p. Taft, of Cincinnati,
launched the William H Taft boom in
3 formal statement Since his return TO
the United States, the Secretary of War
has never indicated publicly whether he
approved Of his brothers. course. But all
this is in the past and Of no consequence
now, for Mr. Taft is an out-and-out can
didate whether he wants to be or not.
When Senator Foraker took up the
gauntlet thrown down by Charles P.