Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-02-14
NEW POLITICAL
SUN IS RISING
History Repeats Itself at
the Nations Capital and
Political Life Is Becom-
ing Superheated.
TAFT THE ATTRACTION
Most Prominent Candidate For Rcpub
n-Receiving More Visitors Just
Now Than the President.

Washington ID. c., Feb. PA new
Special to the Graphic
political sun is rising. In this CAPT
tai city it's rays already are beginning
to be felt. The environments of politi-
cal life in Washington are becoming
superheated Politics is fairly pop
ping. The corridors Of the capitol are
thronged with men who rarely are
seen in Washington except in the
midst of a campaign which has its
centre here. The situation today re-
calls the days OF the preliminary cam
paign for the presidential nomination
in 1896, when William Mckinley and
Thomas B. Reed were the leading can
didates for the Republican nominal
ton
In the early days of that year, when
MIR. Reed was the speaker of the
House of Representatives politicians
and would-be statesmen hung about
him with buzzard~lke persistence
They gave him no peace. His room
at the capitol was besieged by men
who desired primarily to bask in the
light of his presence, and, secOndarily.
to impress him with the power Of
their eventual political profit.
Scores, even hundreds of these peo-
pie, Speaker Reed appeared to be
forced to receive and treat with civil
ity. He was not a particularly i'm
pressionable character, however, and
most of his callers experienced the
blight of a frost.
SO it was, too, at Canton, Ohio.
There Mckinley received a veritabe
host of Republicans from all parts of
the country The callers nearly bad
gered the life out Of him. Being in
the public eye. he was unable to rid
himself of the horde of inconsequen-
tial persons who desired every thing
from him from a portfolio in the cabi-
net to a recommendation of a corn
cure. 1t was remarkable and char
acteristically American situation.
In the respects noted, history is
now repeating itself in Washington.
Secretary Taft, who, for the moment
at least, seems 10 be the most promi-
nent candidate for the Republican
nomination for the presidency, is
passing through an experience similar
to that OF Reed and Mckinley. Hun
dreds of persons desire to see him ev-
cry day He is besieged by callers.
So great is the pressure upon his
TIME, that he scarcely has oppOrtu-
nifty to sign his personal mail In
to the time consumed in re-
ceving people who have to be seen,
he is Obliged to prepare speech after
speech to be delivered in various
parts OF the country. AS weight
reducing process, the present situa-
ton is a decided success. Nobody
but one endowed with immense ply
steal and mental powers could with
stand the strain which Taft is now
The secretary, in self-defense, prac-
tically has abandoned his office in
the war department. He appears
there 10 attend to some official bust
ness. but most of his time is spent
at his own home. where he has set
apart suite of rooms in which he
transacts official and political bust
ness. He has a corps of clerks and
stenosraphers assisting him and one
or TWO confidential men who act as
buffers between him and the general
run" OF callers.
1t is a fact, remared upon by en-
perienced observers, that Secretary
Taft now is receiving more callers
than the president of the United
States The tide has turned towards
him and he finds himself almost SUBJ
merged. The president is not ne
elected by any means, but the politi-
clans are looking to the East. A new
political sun is rising.