The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-03
SKETCH OF OUR NEXT PRESI.
DENT

the pTeSluency began four years ago
Immediately after the recent O
election returns indicating the over
whelming victory of Presiden
Roosevelt.
At that time President Roosevelt
issued statement in which he look
ed upon his election as his secon(
selection to the highest place in thu
land, and that for that oreason ht
would not again be candidate
would not seek third term.
With this statement was born the
Taft boom, and the movement given
it at that time accelerated until II
included most of the states in the
Union and won for the war secretary
the majority of the votes of the con-
vention.
Taft was brought from the Philip
pines to take charge of the war port
folio at the time that President
Roosevelt elevated Secretary Elihu
Root to the position of secretary of
state, and from that time until the
present the unceasing endeavors of
the administration, with all of it's
immense influence was exerted in the
direction of securing the presidential
nomination for Taft
There were many doubts in the
minds of the people concerning the
attitude of the president; there were
still more doubts in the minds of the
but there was only one
purpose in the executive mind-to
secure the Endorsement of Taft and
thereby secure an Endorsement of the
Roosevelt administration, virtual
of it in fact.
The first step in this direction was
The gradual forcing into line of the
federal machine, made up of the
thousands of federal officials through
out the country. Slowly, silently,
but for that very reason effectively.
he work of molding this great army
INTO Taft machine was pushed.
Upon every possible occasion the
var" secretary was pushed to the
ront, where he would figure largely
n the public prints, and the expert
service of the administra-
ion was thus put absolutely at the
'eck and call of the presidential as
'irant.
The settling of the troubles at
'anama, the work of forming a new
nd stable government on the canal
one, the tremendous task of getting
ne work of the Panama canal under
'ay. the adjustment of the troubles
Cuba and Porto Rico, and the
lunching of the new legislative as
emily in the Philippines fell to the
1t of Taft. Each of these things at
lie time was the focus of the ewes
the country, and Taft, being at the
enter of the activities concerning
lem, was the real object upon which
le attention of the American people
as conferred.
Finally, for the purpose of widen
|
g that attention, for the purpose
making it worldwide instead of
erely national, President Roose- (
1t arranged the nd-the-world
Up for the war secretary, and in this
ay introduced him to the leading {
urts of the leading nations and
on for him worldwide acquaint- {
ICE. i
The "press bureau" of the presi- t
mt. admittedly the most complete a
d the best that has ever been or 7
nized, made use of every oppor-
hity to picture the war secretary II
write of him and his work, to o
ep him ever before the minds of q
people, to keep his name ever p
fore the eyes of the nation. II
Taft has never yet stood for an
ction; he has never yet gone be- :,
e the people and asked for their :"
les. ) All of his public positions
We been appointive positions, and "
has been holding one, with the
'eption of four years, ever since he -
$ Fl years old. He has had =,
lndant experience in the. affairs of u
nation, but the people have never
an opportunity to express their io
mon of him. For that reason
'sident Roosevelt realized that his &C
didate needed careful grooming.
With the advantage of this great U,
yer behind him, Taft took the lead
a candidate from the start, and ju
soon as the first convention in
lcted for him the ball was started pa
ing that gathered up many other Gil
es by the sheer force of it's mo-
ltum. The candidates. of the nj,
1orite sons" awaited little and in
- d.