The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-10

inscrutable smile which is characters
tic of him on certain occasions.
1t is no surprise that Senator PEN
rose should have sad as much, be-
cause he has always been for Presi-
dent Roosevelt personally and felt
gratitude for the Presidents vigorous
support of him and his organization
whenever they got into a tight fix in
Pennsylvania As he departed the
Senator was very non-committal and
would say nothing about his confer
ence. 1t was probably of much less
significance than one might infer from
the prominence that was given TO the
incident. No one familiar with ma
tonal politics here doubts for a minute
that when the convention comes Sem
ator Penrose and the Pennsylvania
delegates will be for a conservative
candidate, unless President Roosevelt
has fully established his control of
the convention and is able TO make it
do as he wishes.
That fight for control continues to
go merrily on. There is very little on
the surface TO indicate how terrific the
struggle is. Contrary to the prevalent
opinion. the chances probably are now
that the President will not be able
to control the convention and that the
opposition forces, operating in many
States, will come very near to carry
ing out there own program. 1t Will
be many months, however, before the
result can be accurately foretold.
Probably much will depend upon New
York State, where the President has
been trying to marshal forces TO as
sure a friendly delegation. 1t seems
just now that the Old Guard in the
Empire State will give Governor
Hughes a terrible struggle and, not
withstanding reports TO the contrary,
ignore his plans for legislation. AS
the President has already cast his for
tunes in with Governor Hughes, de-
feat for the latter would be a defeat
for the former. If this defeat comes
about within the next few weeks the
legislature remains in session, the OPP
position leaders in many States Will
take great heart and their arrange
ments for running the Republican par
ty to their own liking will make
great bound forward.
After all a very great deal depends
upon the limits to which the RepuD-
lican opposition to Roosevelt is Will
ing to go. If they are willing to wreck
the party and permit the Democrats
to come in for four years, they prop
ably can have their way. For the
election of delegates to a National
convention is far different problem,
under present conditions, than Pres1-
dent Roosevelt has ever tackled before.
| The men who do that work do not
always follow the popular will ana
there are countless ways to manlp-
ulate But Sin the last nanlysis, as
Uncle joe Cannon would say, tue
delegates to the next National Conven-
ton are likely to be impressed with
the fact that if they nominate a man
whom President Roosevelt does not
approve they will be inviting de1eat'
There are a hundred thousand othce-
holders who will cry out against any
such program as that.
The Presidents plans for proddlng
the South into line have apparently
not progressed to his entire satlstac-
ton. The negroes are in open REBEL
lion against him. Assistant Postmas-
ter General Hitchcock, who went INTO
Georgia, Florida, and South Carollna'
to drum up an organization Tor the
President did not have as good success
as the Presidents friends might nave
wished He returned saying that tna'
section of the country was on nre let
the President, which is undoubtedly
true. If Roosevelt would take the
nomination he could have Southern
delegates, notwithstanding the negro
onposition. But Mr.. Hitchcock foun1
no enthusiasm in the South for Secre-
tary Taft and that is the thing WHICH
most interests the President at pres
emit. Mr.. Hitchcock is to travel more
He will take other political trips into
other sections of the South and rally
the oficeholders to a strong grasp on
the machinery by which the delegates
will he nominated next spring.
The President has some shreWd men
at work for his cause. He has his
lieutenants busy in every States Where
there is a chance to gain some advan-
tage. Secretary Cortelyou has charge
of a lot of the Presidents workers ana
;e said IN he giving considerable at
tention to the Far West. While Mr..
CorteIyou is not at all enthusiastic
about the nomination of secretary
Taft, his loyalty to the President I'M
peIs him to help as much as he can
in bringing the convention TO the pol,'
where it will accept the PresluehI
dictation He has also Deen SNlhS
close attention to the Southern sltua
ton because, in the several years ne
was Postmaster General, ne had op
portunity to become acquainted win
the leaders and politicians In tnat sec
ton. ERNEST u. VAIN