Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-11
Washington Bureau Of
The Ottumwa Courier


WdSuinSlOu, ~. ", july y.
Secretary Taft is going about the
business of getting the campaign
under way in a fashion that threatens
to convince many Of those who have
criticised him as a poor politician
that after all they are mistaken.
Politicians vary in their methods Just
as lawyers do. Mr.. Taft is not a
politician of the kind that Mr.. Roose-
welt Is but this does not alter the
fact that he has shown extraordinary
ability in the art of handling men and
securing their cooperation on more
than n trying and dificult oc-
casion. He has done this in Panama,
in Cuba, in the Philippines and else.
where and there is no reason SO far
as yet appears why he should not
prove as masterful in the political
field as he has in others.
None a deny that Mr.. Taft pos
sesses diplomatic ability of a high
power. He does not use either the
Big Stick or any weapon of that sort
h%abitually. But those that know him
best know that he Is capable of
swinging a club as effectively as any
one. His disposition, however, is to
pacify and conciliate. In this he re.
sembles Mckinley rather than Roose-
welt.
Mr.. Taft has not yet afforded the
country much opportunity to gauge
him as a politician. But it can be
said that the impression that is being
formed among politicians in Washing
ton, where politicians are more num-
erous than anywhere else in the Unit
ed States, is that many have mis-
judged him and misread him to re.
spect to his capacity for politics. His
disposition to reach out to all parts
of the country and take the leaders
into his confidence and secure their
advice and counsel is looked on as in
dicating that he is not going into the
campaign blindly. His friends say
that there is much misunderstanding
as to the part Mr.. Taft played in his
own preconvention campaign, and
that he was at all times in close touch
with what was going on and was Civ
ing direction to things to q much
greater extent than many suppose.
Then, he was hampered by having on
his shoulders the enormous respon-
sibilties of the Office of secretary of
war. But now that he has no official
cares, he will give unremitting at
tention to campaign matters from now
on to November save when he is re-
operating, and 1t may be surely pre-
dicted that he will in no small degree
be his W campaign manager.
In the last week, since Mr.. Taft
left the war department, he has been
meeting leaders from all over the
country and has been doing a lot of
talking with them. He has not by
any lean been combining these talks
to the craftsmanship. He is inquiring
infinitely into conditions in different
states and is getting an idea OF what
efforts will be necessary in one sec
ton and another. He has called IN
many men who did not support. him for
the nomination and some who hive
maintained a sullen attitude since the
convention. He is smoothing out the
wrinkles left by the happenings al
Chicago wherever 1t appears needful
to do 80 and Is getting the Republican
machine in good working order. AL
ready there are nero signs that
his efforts to bring about peace and
harmony in various quarters are hav.
Ing their effect and that long before
November the Republican leaders In
every state will have their coats eff
and will be working for the success