The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-02-25

WASHINGTON January % The
Star says
Profound interest was manifest at
the Capitol today among politicians
over the announcement of Governor
Hughes that De is willing To consider
fayorabIy the effort to secure his no
minatiou for the presidency on the re
. publican ticket II was the consensus
of opinion that the declaration came at
an interesting crisis In the contest
over the nomination
One feature of the comment of the
day was caustic comparison of the Of
fetal attitude of Gov. hughes toward
the prospective campaign for the no.
mination with President Roosevelt
use Of his Official position To forward
( Secretary Tafts political fortunes Sen
ators and representatives IN private
/ conversation, called attention TO that
part Of Governor Hughes statement
wherein he said: The state admins
| tration must continue to be impartial
and must not be tributary to any can
! didacy, and desire, above all
things, that there shall be deliberation
honest expression of the party will and
harmony Of effort"
There has been bitter criticism by
| republicans in Congress who are pro-
minent in the councils of their party
over the administration use of it's
] In, an y,g Ft
nomination. Within the past week
some of these republicans had begun
to fear that the nomination might go
to Mr. Taft by default, and that the
precedent would be set of the Prest-
dent in Office selecting his own sue
cessor and using all the power of HIS
high Office to make his choice effective.
Objection to Mr. Taft personally,
there was none. Dissatisfaction with
the methods by which his campaign
was being promoted there was in
plenty, with keen resentment of the
Administrations participation.
1t was the threatened precedent
which the republican leaders feared.
Once established the vast possibilities
for future application of it alarmed
them. They saw how it would be pos
sible in case Mr. Taft should be nom
mated and elected for him to return
the favor in 1912 or 1916 and use the
influence of his administration, for
instance, to secure the nomination Of
Mr.. Roosevelt, thereby making the pre-
sidential office one of succession at the
will of the occupant.
! But those VINO felt and expressed this
. dissatisfaction and resentment have
not been doing anything about it. They
would meet in committee rooms and
lobbies and exchange protests with
= each other, deploring the conditions,
I but would get no further There was
no concert of opposition to the Presi-
dents aggression in behalf of his can
didate. No one was making a cam
paign. Lightning rods were up here
and there, but meanwhile the Taft
lightning was striking everywhere, and
Roosevelt was the rainmaker who was
bringing it, The country at large out
side of the "favorite son" states was
not aware that any one else was in
the running but Secretary Taft, and in
those states the impression was abroad
that the favorite sons were but stalking
horses for some one else. Whom that
some one else should prove to be nc
| one knew.
The situation in New York was real
lied to be chaotic. Gov. Hughes would
not talk, and while strong efforts were
being made to forward his candidacy
he kept silent The Taft men, back.
! ed by the direct and recognized repre-
sentatives of President Roosevelt
throughout the state, were busy build
ing up sentiment for Mr. Taft Tha
they were making Roadway, due large
N ly to the administrations efforts, wal
N shown in the two meetings of the re
N publican county committee when Pre-
sident Parsons, the President resi-
dent agent in New York city, blocked
efforts to secure an Endorsement b,
that organization of Governor Hughes
l. for the presidency.
0. The politicians in Congress who OBJ
l. jected to the plan of campaign pursued
p by the administration foresaw that i
2 New York state should seem to b.
g, swinging to Taft his campaign would
be UNNECESSARILY benefited Throughout
J. the country It is known here tina
Is strong representations to this effec
a have been repeatedly made to gov
ernor Hughes within the past fort
!, night. He was urged not to ALLOW
= New York to go by default.