Evening star., 1908-01-14
SECRETARY TAFT
AS A CANDIDATE
The Only One Who Is Working
AggressiveIy.
A POLITICAL MACHINE
He Alone Has One at Work in His
Behalf.
HE GOES OVER THE COUNTRY
Making Speeches and Friends for
Himself, for the Effect on
Ohio Politics.
HE GOES OVER THE COUNTRY

| Politicians point to the fact being
4 significant that Secretary Taft Is the only
republican presidential candidate who Is
doing anything. who is getting anywhere.
| They point out that other supposed or
would be candidates are muttering in their
boards. exchanging dark looks and omi-
/ nous shakes of the head with each other,
! and that meanwhile Secretary Taft pro-
ceeds on his way making hay Will" the
sun shines and in the open.
Secretary Taft is the only candidate who
| has active. aggressive and open and
| above boa rd political machine at work III
! his behalf In point of fact. he is the
| only candidate who thus far has come out
| and said Il want that job. and you bet l
! am going to try to get il. Suiting action
to the word. he is going in with might and
main to pull it off If he can.
| 1t is pointed out by politicians that no.
! where else in the presidential field Is there
any candidate intrenched. with outposts
| and sharpshooters. The "favorite sons
| have not done anything outside of their
own states. Senator Knox has Pennsyl-
F.. vania. but 1t is not in evidence that he has
/ any other state, that he Las. in fact.
I tried to make headWay in any other state.
! Speaker Cannon is loudly proclaimed in
! Illinois as tho choice of that common
wealth. but he is SO busy attending to the
very important undertaking of running
| not put his fortunes to the test elsewhere.
| Vice President Fairbanks Is also holding
! down his office and is not adventuring in
/ distant political waters.
New York's Favorite Son Not Known
New 1ork's favorite son has not been
disclosed. Gov. Hughes coyly shies and
| sticks close to his knitting. Secretary
! CorteIyou by the same token allows that
he will attend to the Trea sury portfolio.
| There is La Toilette in Wisconsin. tum-
Minis in Iowa and Foraker in Ohio, all
| waiting lor the lightning TO strike
As for Secretary Taft, no pent-up Utica
contracts his powers. but the whole
boundleSs universe of politics is his. He
gallops up to New England. lopes out TO
| West Virginia. PAGES back to New York.
and wherever he goes he gives il to be
understood that he Is an active and ag-
gressive candidate for the presidential
nomination: that he is not sitting idly by,
hlushing behind fan and waiting for a
partner. but that he is in the dance in
earnest and all the way from a dreamy
waltz to the Mobile buck he will put his
best foot foremost.
Secretary Taft is the only candidate who
has an active organization equipped with
money and employing men OF brains and
of political sagacity. He has big press
bureau in Ohio and his agents are abroad
Through the country He has men on his
pay roll in Washington who are watch
ing his interests at every point ana VINO
are utilizing potential forces OF the puolc
press in his behalf
| Employed in his behalf arc some OF the
most clever writer's for the public press
who miss no opportunity to forward his
campaign. His own magnetic personalitS
is used in frequent addresses to public as
| semblageS. and all the time, at all sea
sons and in all places. the fact is being
constantly put before the public that he
is a candidate for the nomination and
will obtain it If he can
Backing of the Administration.
In addition to all of these elements of
practical political strength he mas the
backing of the national administration.
All of President Roosevelt's power and in
fluence in the nation are being eXerted for
him. and it is not denied that federal pa
tronage is being drawn upon to aid nm.
Practical politicians realize that at the
| crucial stage of a political campaign fed
eral patronage is a most tempting oait III
. | the game.
politicians say that with all these forces
at work Secretary Taft is a most formida-
bic ,andidate especially in consideration,
and it is so admitted. of the fact tlat he
| is a most attractive man. II is not denied
ments of a desira BILE nominee for the
| presidency. Even those who would con-
test the nomination admit taat he is mag
| netic that he is able. that he has had
|
every way is qualified for the place.
In fact the only objection that thus far
5 has been raised to his candidacy is on
t the score of his being the legatee Of
President Roosevelt. and even in that re
spect the criticism has not been so much
| against himself personally, but against
the manner and method OF his canaldacy
and because 1t was coupled with a crusaiIe
| eainst the political prospect OF a col
league and political predecessor Senator
Foraker Many republican politicians are
of opinion that if Secretary TAFT could
have entered the race on his own account
and without involving an attempt to
crush the man who first introduced him
into public life there would be little op
position to his candidacy.
Effect on Ohio Politics.
Some of those who resent secretary
Taft's attempt to come in as the legatee
of President Roosevelt say that his ef-
forts at this time to forward his boom
are mainly for the effect upon ONO
politics. They say that a.. of this ac-
tivity of the moment has for it's lmme-
diate object a bearing upon Ohio. Even
Secretary Taft's most enthusiastic friends
are not obliviouS to the tact that Things
are not as they should be in Ohio. They
know that the first big bat = Will come
off in the Buckeye state between now and
March They realize that if there should
be an acute division in Ohio and II that
state should be divided between TAFT and
vention would be detrimental TO Secretary
Taft's interests.
They say that the main purpose, there
fore. of the present activity IN behalf of
the Taft boom in other states is to create
a favorable impression in Ohio by point
ing out To the country at large and TO the
voters of Ohio in particular the claim
that Secretary Taft Is the prospective
winner.
The politicians are more keenly alive to
this situation from the fact that they
realize and admit that Secretary Taft of
all the candidates is the only one who is
doing anything openly and above board
| Politicians of high degree in Congress and
out of it talk about the situation every
day and lay plans deep and dark 10 pull
| wires at the national convention.
In the meantime Secretary Taft is going
| about the country making speeches an
making friends and his campaign bureau
backed by the national administration. is
| working night and day and all the time
to bring his candidacy before the voters
III the districts in every state which will
l~1-