Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-23
TAFT ,GAINsT THE FIELD.

The present situation as regards tn
presidential outlook may be fairly OK
pressed as TAFT against the field
For a while. and up TO a few days ago
Il looked as though the TAFT boon
were losing ground, bat since the sec
retary's return from his trip around
the world his cause has been Inn
proving quite rapidly, and Is now
showing the advantage which 1t was
expected would accrue to It from The
presidents positive statement setting
forth his position with relation to the
contest.
Take. for illustration. the situation
in New Mexico. OF course, our two
votes viii amount to very little IN a
convention Of more than nine hum
dred. but they are straws. ana show
which, way the wind blows. Up to the
time ~ the appearance Of The prcsi-
dents last note on the subject, those
who have control Of the machinery Of
the party in this territory. intended
to send q delegation 10 Chicago
%ostensibly for raft. but really for
Roosevelt And they made no secret
Of the fact. They would say that they
were FOR Taft. but they would always
Say II with a significant wink which
everybody understood Bur when
Mr.. Roosevelt stated his position in
such plain and positive terms that
q rts. not t.gaaIhI. 10 Iattp1grgH.s nj
what he said, those who had been IA
voring him. whether secretly or open
~. were forced to regard him as pos
lively n OF the contest In any con
%tingency, or else lmpeach his veracitS
and charge him, By implication az
least. with the deliberate intent ca
betray the Interest and confidence OF
a friend. That, Of course. no friend
OF the president could do. Even his
worst enemies would not do Fl. Ana
Of course this made Il necessary for
the machine" here as well as else
where, to re-arrange rs plans, and
very naturally since Mr.. Roosevelt IS
out Of the race, the second choice of
the Roosevelt supporters Is the man
who has been Mr. Rooscvclt's first
choice from the first. and the one he
Is most anxious to see nominated.
In a leading editorial on this sub
iect the New York World. which s.
q democratic paper, and therefore dis
Interested from a partisan standpoint
but withal one Of the closest observers
Of passing vents. puts the case in a
nutshell thus;
when the secretary OF war left for
the Philippines his boom had nat
tened. There was a common suspi-
oion hat his candidacy was only a
mask for Mr.. Roosevelt aud when
the psychological moment arrived he
would step aside 20 permit the dele
gates 10 force a denomination upon
the president
These suspicious have been OK
ploded by Mr. Roosevelts announce
ment. Tafts candidacy Is now ace
In good faith, and in addition
10 his own eminent qualifications he
r%ightfully inherits whatever political
strength Mr. Roosevelt policies act
command IN the public mind"
The world "a not an ardent admirer
" the Roosevelt policies. but like
millions OF other persons iu am parts
of the country. it objects less To- the
policies themselves. than to MT
Roosevelt transforming methods
~ trying Co carry them out-aud
nothing could show his palmer thau
The following paragraph from
innthcr article Boo the same paper.
Secretary Taft undoubtedly ssm
pathizes with most OF Mr Roosevelt
policies but Dee has the balance. judr
aud judicial temperament
which at Roosevelt so unfortunately
lacks Hs u.s. uo administration OF
government toy denunciauou HAD the
Roosevelt policies been carried Out Dos
raft methods. tho legitimate busincss
interests OF che country would be in q
.ar more prosprrou. condition than
hey are today
While Do is true that o. very large
Number of republicans who have the
cry highest respect for Mr. Taft
would have nothing t1 do with his cane
iidacy as ong as there seemed O.
veil grounded suspicion That he was
merely uut forward as Co mask Tor I.
mother man. Do &C. equally true chat
hssc same republicans are ready aud
90 give him an earnest and
nthusiasuc support now That au .
has been removed from the Glc, .
lat The candidacy af Tote mean.
AFT ere the i-mur1temcm Iu thp
.tHutl1u. so Tor as Dds chance. are
,ne~rneI "a already rlaluiy apra- d
The Missouri republican, uho D.
b to ne president lssf note. had r
rem counted in iht toubttlI column %
Since through thc action ar a
ieir stare Committee given ST.. Tan o
roriiai and unanimous enlsrsrmen. A