The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-02-21

q setback. Even some or the pro-
Taft members of the House from Mas
sachusetts have sent word to Mr.. Pow
ers 10 keep out of their districts by
all means. So the movement has sub
sided and apparently Senator Crane is
an easy winner. He is a very pro-
nounced anti-Taft man now because Of
the attacks the Taft people have made
upon him. At first he was kindly dis
posed to the Secretary of War but has
been cajoled. flattered and attacked in
turn till he is thoroughly aroused.
Probably there is no man in public
life who could have been so helpful
to Secretary Taft as Mr.. Crane. He is
a master hand at politics and more
over is very popular in Congress. He
wanted to arrange things so that the
Secretary could have had the nominal
ton by making peace with Senator
Foraker. New England would have
fallen into line. There would have been
peace in Ohio and the candidates. of
other Republicans could have been
gradually undermined so that there
would have been general good feeling
as it was demonstrated that the Sec
rotary was the greatest favorite.
But anita gonisms were provoked on
every hand and the management of
the Taft boom has kept everybody mad
who has been opposed to him. It is a
long story. extending back to the time
when Congress adjourned last March.
If the Secretary does not get the NOM
ination, there will be an important
chapter of political history telling how
the junior Senator from Massachu-
sets prevented it.
The subterranean work of the BOOM
ers is very active and comprehensive
at this time. Not little of it is i'll
the South. The plans have all been
laid and are now we'll completed for
contesting delegations there, wherever
the Administration has driven the Of
ficeholders into line for Taft. 1t is
said that between 20 and so contests
from the South are now assured. These
will inject a tremendous element OF
bitterness into the national convention
if they have to be fought out there,
as they will be, unless a majority Of
the uncontested delegates are pledged
TO some candidate before the couven-
ton meets. 1t not only BODIES trouble
for the convention, but for the party
in the campaign that will follow.
The Fairbanks boomers, who are
much stronger in the South than mas
been supposed, have already begun 10
show their hands there. They have
begun to demonstrate that they are
going to hold Kentucky. which adjoins
I'D ha },
Indiana in Republican conventions.
Although the Taft workers have
claimed the State, it is beginning to
appear that the Fairbanks organiza-
ton has had a grip on the Kentucky
organization all along and that the
Vice Presidents stumping tour of the
State last autumn, when the Repub-
lican ticket was elected, has been much
appreciated.
The Taft forces have been slowly
making progress in Ohio and showing
that the Secretary of War is likely
to roll Senator Foraker into the ma
cadam. And yet he fights them at
every turn and is proving anew what
a doughty antagonist he can be. His
latest stroke was to gain the party
organization in Cayuhoga County. one
of the most populous counties of the
State Many of his friends have de-
serted him. but he fights on and may
get a few of the delegates. The lead
ers at the Capitol, however, are not
so much concerned now about splitting
the Ohio delegation to the convention,
for they have put up such effective
barriers to the Taft candidacy else
where that they reason they can keep
him from getting the nomination on
the first ballot. That has not been
fully demonstrated yet, and it may
turn out that the Secretary can get
the nomination just as the President
predicted he would some two weeks
ago
The conventions begin this week,
which means that results can be tab
ulated more or less definitely every
week from now on. The Florida State
Convention meets February and the
Federal officehOlders are for battle
royal to determine whether the four
delegates at large from that State
shall be for Taft or uninstructed. The
in Florida, not so much with the hope
of beating the Administration as in
laying broad and deep the foundations
for a successful contest. State con-
mittee meetings and State conventions
will follow rapidly, although it Will be
we'll into March before any of the big
States act.
Beyond all the maneuvers ard mach
nations in this tremendous struggle TO
determine whether the President or
Congress shall control the next con-
vention and nominate a candidate Tor
President, looms the question of what
is going to happen if Secretary Taft
is defeated. AS soon as the allies dem
onstrate that they have more votes
than Taft has. if that is demonstrated
when the first ballot has been taken,
there will come the great struggle
among the allies as to whom they shall
agree upon. Then will be the oDpor-
tunity for real President-making If
Governor Hughes grows in public es-
timation as his friends hope he will
grow. the effort might be to center
Ipon him. But Cannon, who will have |
much support outside of Illinois, would /
Weld very grudgingly, and for one rea- |
son or other the same would be true
of the other allied candidates. And I
there will be the difficulty among the !
allies of preventing some of their
strength slipping away to Taft as the
Administration favorite. President I