The Washington herald., 1908-06-17
Hard Road Predicted for Can
didate Taft.
WAY IS NO EASIER FOR BRYAN
BIundering Tread of the Rcpub-
Iican Elephant VIII BE Followed
Ocratic Donkey, I'm the Opinion
of John Temple Graves.
BY JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES.

Chicago, June 16-There was never a
candidate whose pathway Of roses seems
so ripped with political thorns as that
of William Howard Taft. There is moth
Ing to halt him on his royal road to the
nomination.
The allies are gadhies that sting but
do not stop. There is only one tongue
in all the world that can avail now to
put a quietus upon the full grown boom
Of Taft. and that tongue Is proc,aimlng
through the lips Of 800 henchmen the
wedding bans OF william the legatee"
to the Republican nomination. It Is after
the running when the shouting and the
tumult dies, that the flowers will fade
away and the thorns will line the rougher
road that leads on 70 November.
For the thorns in the way Of Mr.. Taft
ara already evident. a goodly crop. and
the convention is planting new ones every
hour II the injunction plank is Inserted
under the White House demand, the "al-
lies declare It will array every business
man in the country against the Repub-
! lican party So upon one or the other Of
these two horns Of deadly dilemma Can
didate Taft must go forth to battle for
the Presidency.
Negro Vote RebeIIious.
The negro vote of Chicago. which is
numerous and radical. is leading so i'm
passioned a campaign against Taft that
the stalwart Chicago Tribune declares
in wrath that the leaders should be put
in padded cells. And the Chicago negroes
are simply leading the protest Of hun
dreds OF other negroes. some delegates
and some visitors. throughout the coun-
try. who are here and participating in the
protest with threats of revolt and an in
dependent party. for which they claim
nearly a million votes.
When the platform committeeman come
10 smooth out the record Of their nomi-
nee upon this negro question, they will
be again between the devil Of race
prejudice and the deep sea of the South
and will be more than likely to straddle
a compromise which VIII not be accept
able to either. II Is difficult to see how
Candidate Taft can handle this issue
to his political project. The reduction
OF Southern representation in the next
convention has thrown the Southern
delegates into fury and dismay. The
negro issue is reeking with danger for
Candidate Taft
The Menace of November.
The visit TO the Car and the subse-
quent eulogy of that autocrat of Kish-
enin is so intangible an incident that it is
as hard to explain eNay in person as IT is
to smooth away in a platform. But
there II is, and it menaces the Repub-
lican November.
If Taft thinks he has heard the last
Of the Grant memorial incident he has
only to refer to the campaign Of 1884.
And as Loyalty as the followers Of the
Republican party have been accustomed
to heal up their breaches and to fal, in
behind the leader the White House dicta.
tion is not likely TO be forgotten or for
given in that perfect way that 20
perfect peace. Here, in brief is tn,, con-
vention's surprising difficulties in speed
ing it's nominee on the way to success.
i And these are the results which must
lie behind the vigorous minority in its
opposition 10 Taft And there are the
results which seem to indicate that the
Republican party in this campaign when
its success is already doubtful. is about
to nominate, not the strongest. but the
weakest. candidate in it's ranks
Others Just as Foolish.
The balancing consideration IS the
usually evident fact that the Democrats
will doubtless meet them half way II
their folly. The laundering tread Of the
Republican elephant will be timed with
the silly footsteps of the Democratic
donkey. Each party will present It's
Continued ON Pnra 2 CnIu,,