The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-05-02
ROOT OUT WITH PRESIDENT.
May Leave the Cabinet.

Washington. April 29.--Elihu Root,
Secretary of State, has ceased to be
the chief adviser and closest official
friends of President Roosevelt, and
it is clearly apparent that he will not
hereafter be prominent in shaping
national policies.
When Mr.. Root became secretary
OF Staee be became virtually the en-
tire cabinet His opinion was asked
on every question that came up. At
Cabinet meetings he was always re-
quested to give judgment on matters
brought forward by any of his asso-
ciates. Naturally this was not pleas
ing to the other members. Now,
however, Secretaries Taft and Cor
telyou are the Presidents advisers.
Mr. Root is ignored.
The personal relations between
the President and Mr. Root are not
now intimate and confidential. The
daily horseback rides have ceased. 1t
was a common practice for the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Root to meet at the
edge of the city and go for long rides
through the adjoining country. Some
times Senator Lodge would be
member of the party, but more often
it would be only the President and
his Secretary of State Mr.. Root still
goes horseback riding, but alone. The
President goes but with others.
The seeming breach has begun to
provoke comment and it is believed
that Mr.. Root will not much longer
remain in the Cabinet The causes
of the estrangement between the
President and Mr.. Root have not
been divulged. but there are surmises.
One suggestion is that Root be-
came offended because the President
privately advocated the nomination
of Taft as his successor, when it had
been previously understood that his
influence would be thrown to Root.
Another suggestion is that the Presi-
dent did not like the lukewarm in.
dorsement given by Root to his de-
nunciation of Hartman and other
railroad magnates Still another is
that the President and Mr.. Root dis
agreed over the punishment of Odell
and Wadsworth, and the attitude as
sumed by the administration toward
she political situation in New York.
The growing estrangement be-
tween the President and Secretary of
State was heightened when the full
correspondence regarding the sug-
gestion that f. II. Hartman take
financial interest in the last campaign
was made public. Mr.. Root urged
the President not to give out the let
ter written to Chairman Sherman, of
the Republican congres -ional com
mittee,' in which he characterized
Hartman, Debs, Meyer ana Hay
wood as undesirable citizens"
He considered this tremendous
blunder. He had previously coun-
seled the President not to send the
letter to Mr. Sherman, being appre-
hensive that it would sooner or later
become public The President disa-
greed with Mr.. Root and refused to
follow his advice and he pursued his
own course, having no opportunity
to consult with Secretary Taft, who
was then in Panama.
Mr. Root is credited with having
been surprised beyond measure
when the President scattered broad
cast an announcement of the alleged
conspiracy among rich men to over
throw him and his policies. Mr..
Root was not taken into the Presi-
dents confidence regarding his course
in this matter, and the announcement
from the White House came as
sudden and severe shock. He re-
garded the Presidents action as un-
wise, if not foolish.
Secretary Root is known to be out
of tune with many of President
Roosevelt's radical policies. The Sec
retary is inclined to conservatism. es-
pecially where wealth and corpora
tions are concerned and does not be-
lieve capital should be too closely
crowded even if the result be popu-
lar approval from the masses.
If Mr.. Root leaves the Cabinet his
retirement will be chiefly attributed
to the dislike of his wife and daugh-
ters for life in Washington. They
have always preferred New York as
q residence and care nothing for the
social side of affairs in Washington
They would at once welcome return