The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-23

that the president-elect would throw
down" a paper which belonged to
Brother Charles" In short, TO sur
face reasoners, surface seers, the cab
met had been decided upon and took
its settled place at once as res ad-
Judicata.
Comes now what I'M the slang OF the
newspapers is called follow story"
Nor is 1t altogether wanting In an at
mosphere OF verify. Also 1t emanates
from Foraker-Standard Oil, which has
an eye at every keyhole, an ear at
every crevice, a spy In every camp. in
GLIDING the Taft camp. Indeed, some
OF the spies OF Standard Oil are high
and celebrated men, who would warm
ly resent the application to themselves
OF. such an epithet.
Hand Of Standard OIL.
The name on that cabinet list about
which the currents of interest most
circled and eddied was the Ohio name
OF Mr.. Herrick. The story OF Mr.. Bur
ton having been offered the treasury
portfolio had been told and believed
That was week ago. and the story
was true.
Then came the story-earnestly cir
culated by the Tafts and their friends
that there had been a New York
quarrel between Mr.. Burton and Pres
ident-elect Taft, because Mr.. Burton,
In his alleged ambitions to succeed
Mr.. Foraker. wouldn't get out OF the
senate way Of Brother Charles" This
story OF a quarrel was believed by
some, disbelieved by others.
GfanAorI uvIt tha
tale OF the portfolios office. 1t was not
true.
How should It BET
You could no more quarrel-argues
Standard Oil-with Mr.. Burton. how
ever good your reason, than you could
set fire to water or strike spark from
cork. Moreover. Presidentelect Taft
would himself be Just now a. hard to
quarrel with az the uninAammable Mr..
Burton. mollifed. mellowsd. Of mood
as he IL because Of the warm heats
OF that presidency-the greatest, high
est ONCE granted In this life.
No. there was no TaftBurtou quar-.
rel, no withdrawal Of q portfolio OFFER
Those who disbelieved the yarn had
horse-sense for their guide.
But, avoiding the smaller, uglier
word. would the Tafts deoeivef why
not?
The Tufts, however innooen1y IN
the role becomes them. are actively
engaged at present a. practical poll
ticians. And, while the great poll
ticians. the wise, experienced ones, be-
lieve with Bismarck that when you
would deceive In politics You have but
to tell the truth. the little inexper-
fenced ones, whose managing hats Of
politics measure but SO, hold to an
other notion. They believe that best
strategy Is to lie and keep lying. They
invent you q new tale, tell you fresh
story, with the coming up OF each new
fresh sin. Certainly they hold that
such mendacity carries with It nothing
immoral. You are-they say-no more
entitled to what II In their hearts and
heads than what is In their pockets
that he who may lock a door, may lie
That Is the code Of the little poll
ticians, and however fine they may be
as gentlemen or sun-kissed tall as
statesmen, such IL the justnow rating
of the Tafts in their present new trade
of practical politics.
Duplicityl
That-with all I've written above
Is what the Foraker Standard oilers
say was resorted to by the managing
influences about Brother Charles" In
that matter of naming Mr.. Herrick
for the portfolio Of the treasury.
Not that they find fault. What
should be more proper than duplicity
at this pinch?
And then they correctively explain
that, so far as the treasury portfolio
Is concerned, II isn't to DO Mr.. Her.
rick, and that It is to be Mr.. Burton.
the whole being no less. no more. than
80 much milk-white intrigue-meant
to aid the senate hopes OF Brother
Charles"
The Standard oilers co-mingle fact
and reason after this manner: Mr..
Herrick doesn't want the portfolio OF
the treasury: has never wanted 1t.
He refused It when It was offered to
him by President Mckinley.
Mr.. Herrick does want seat In
the senate, and plans to succeed Sen
ator Dick two years from new. He
declared himself q candidate In the
present race only to defeat Mr.. Bur
ton.
Both Mr.. Herr1ck and Mr.. Burton
are residents OF Cleveland. The Ohio
senators have always been taken
one from the southern, one from tho
northern half of the state. Were Mr..
Burton to be named, II would knock
on the head the Herrick chances Of
following Mr.. Dick. The Dick toga,
by the unwritten Buckeye law, would
then go to the south.
Under these circumstances, ask the
Standard oilers 10 It believable that
Mr.. Herrick-who doesn't want q
cabinet place. and who does yearn to
go to the senate-would give up a
senate certainty two years away for
treasury portfolio which he In Mr..
McKinley's day declined7
More-would Mr.. Herrick give II up
under conditions which made for Mr..
Burton's success when that success
would mean Mr.. Buttons indefinite
possession of the place, and per con-
sequence his (Mr. Herrick's) indefin-
lite exclusion therefrom7
Or Is It likely that the Tafts. hat
ing Mr.. Burton, having just had a
bitter quarrel with him, would take
Mr.. Herrick out Of that senate race
In which his mere presence spelled
Mr.. Burton's defeat?
What. then. does It all mean7" you
demand Of the specious Standard
| Oilers.
Whereupon they reply after this
wise: The Taft desire, Of course, Is
to capture the IL Cuyahoga county
! (Cleveland) legislative votes for
Brother Charles" Were they left un-