Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-16
ROOT WOULD ACCEPT
Speaks of Candidacy for New
York Senatorship.
NOT SEEKING THE OFFICE
Depew Declares Platt's Successor
Will Not Be Chosen Here.
HE PREDICTS A BIG FIGHT
Speaks in Warm Praise Of Woodruff
Says Veterans Are Ignored.
Parsons Out for Root. 1,

If. after all these years, any further
proof were needed that Elihu Root, now
Mr.. Roosevelt's Secretary of State, is .
past master Of passive politics, 1t is fur
nished by the brief and soothing state
ment given out by that gentleman today
in answer to the innumerable queries as
to his attitude on the New York sena-
toral situation. In this statement, Mr..
Root says:
II think the republicans in New
York who have expressed a wish
to bring about my election as SEN
ator are entitled to a definite state
ment of my position. I do not
think that great Office ought to
be given to any one because he
wants it, but if the legislature of
New York, representing the peo-
pie of the state, feel that l can
render useful service to the state
and the country in the Senate and
call upon me to render th3*>serv-
ice I shall respond to their call
and accept the Office"
Importance of the Announcement.
First of all, the above statement is de-
cidedly important In 1t Mr. Root indi-
Gates that he is in a receptive frame OF
mind with respect to the Platt succession
and says in so many words that when the
tender of the toga is made he will be
Elihu on the spot with a neat little
speech of acceptance. But it means even
more than that. 1t has tendency on its
surface, at least, to dissociate the
White House at Washington and the
state capitol at Albany in the minds OF
those republicans of New York who are
inclined to favor a perpetuation of the
practice of the election of senators by
direct vote of the legislature. and 1t deli
cately conveys Mr. Roots expression OF
opinion that a desire on the part of the
'candidate-and. inferentially, on the part
Of his patron saints not sufficient rea-
son for the tender to be made
Protests Of New Yorkers.
All of last week there were small fiocks
OF New York politicians at the White
House for morning conferences and lunch
con chats and afternoon talks, and the
average man finds it hard TO believe, even
in the face of solemn assurances from the
executive Offices, that the senatorship was
not a subject of discussion at any time;
that the Empire state didn't even get a
However that may be. it is fact that
the republican organization in New York
has been fretting and champing on the
- t@f 49, h..
ter of a successor to Tom Platt was
being settled in Washington and that Mr..
Roosevelt was doing more than his share
to secure the selection of his Secretary OF
State for the job.
This utterance by Mr. Root today-con-
servative. modest, receptive. expressing
as 1t does proper appreciation of the
pre-eminence of the peoples prerogative
as expressed through their representa-
tives at Albany-will have, it is believed.
a most beneficial effect on the situation.
and, although not affecting the result in
any degree-for it has Teen conceded
for some time that Mr.. Root. in order
to get the Senatorship. would only have
to say that he would take twill do Won
ders in calming down Timothy Woodruff
and Others who have been breathing fire
and birthstone into the political air for
the last week or so.
II is thought that as a result of Mr..
Roots statement the matter of the Sc
lection of a successor to Platt will now
proceed in due course unobstructed by
any rows in the organization as the re-
suit of personal feeling. due to any pos
sible activity of President Roosevelt IN
securing MIR. Roots election.
AS a prominent politician who knows
the insides of this matter said tolay: 1T
doesn't change the facts in the case, but
just makes them look better"
Notice to MI. Taft.
1t also is significant that the issuance
Of the Root statement followed a confer
ence between that gentleman, Mr.. Roose-
velt and Mr.. Taft at the White House yes
terday afternoon. The statement, in addi-
lion to being an announcement Of Mr.
Roots position with respect to the Sena-
torship is also taken by many to be
a notice to the President-elect that Mr..
Root does not care to retain the portfolio
Of State after the 4th of March.
Senator Depew's Declaration.
Standing in the executive offices today.
Senator Depew reiterated his declaration
that the next Senator from New York
will not be elected in Washington.
"There are over 200 mighty good men
in the legislature" said Senator Depew,
land it strikes me that these men cannot
be controlled from Washington or from
any other place. The man who sits IN
or comes here and says that
Senator Platt's successor will be So-and-
So and that two years from now my
successor will be So-and-So, will probably
find that the days Of bossism, whether
by big or little statesmen in Washington
Or by other classes of men, is over"
That was not all the New York senator
said He had come TO Washington to get
mis- house ready for the winter, he said.
and called on President Roosevelt to pay
his respects. They did not talk about
the senatorship or about the preference
IF the President for Elihu Root as the
successor of Senator Plat. On coming
,ut of the executive Offices Senator De
pew readily admitted that he had made
some remarks about electing a senator
n this city. He declined to specify the
nen he referred TO. saying there seemed
o be four or five of them. and that one
If them was now in Hot Springs.
A Good Fight Promised.
Yes. there will be fight, and good
me. for the senatorship," said Mr. De.
,ew. There are a number Of energetic,
bile, ambitious young men out for the
'Iace. and they are not likely to be
crowded off the nIatforn nv Washinpfon