The Washington herald., 1908-01-06

lican Presidential nomination. It's sue
cess depends upon the answer TO the
question whether there is at the present
time among Republican political leaders
Mark Hanna
Mark Hannas are not common. Like
genius. they come from no one knows
where; flashing from obscurity into the
sudden blaze of fame. Hannas political
genius was unsuspected until his mastery
management Of the Mckinley campaign
showed his wonderful power Of organi-
zati0n and his grasp Of detail
But the present prediction campaign
has. up to the present time. developed
no political manager worthy 10 be placed
even in the second class. The events Of
the last few months have demonstrated
the remarkable ineptitude OF the mana
/ gers of the various booms and a faculty
1 for blundering SO amazing that even
| tyro ia politics would have avoided il.
/ The managers are either amateurs or
/ local politicians whose experience has
/ been confined 10 a narrow and restricted
/ field They are. 10 use a military simiie,
/ excellent captains, and perhaps worthy
/ TO be colonels, but as commanders OF
army corps they fall short.
Taft Hurt by BIundereTs.
1T would be difficult for the impartial
Judge TO award the palm for blundering.
/ The Taft people deliberately handicapped
their campaign when they purposely
went out of their way 10 make an enemy
OF would-be ally. The bitter opposition
Of Senator Foraker to Secretary Tafts
nomination is one Of the most unneces-
sary things ever known in American
politics.
Senator Foraker was perfectly willing
/ that Secretary Taft should receive the
solid support Of Ohio. asking only in re-
! turn that no obstacle should be raised
against his return 90 the Senate. II was
such a simple and natural arrangement
/ that seemingly any political manager
with q grain II political acumen would
! have signed the contract on the spot
instead Of which the Taft people declined
/ the alliance and announced their prefer
ence for a fight Later, when Senator
! Foraker sent "A special ambassador 10
! Secretary Taft 10 negotiate a treaty Of
/ peace. oT at least a modus viyendi, his
I overtures were rejected. and Senator Fo-
Taker was made TO understand that 10
terms short Of unconditional surrender
which meant his extinction as a political
/ poweT-woud be entertained.
/ Cannon Also "A Sufferer.
Speaker Cannon is also a victim Of
the well-meanlng but bungling tactics Of
/ the amateurs who think they are playing
the game for him. although their blum
! ders are less conspicuous than those Of
! the Taft managers. simply for the rea-
son that Mr. Taft is the shining mark and
more attention is paid 20 his movements
than 20 those Of any other candidate.
/ "Rainbow-chasing was a political term
| invented some years ago 90 describe the
| cheerful asininity Of certain amateur
/ Democratic politicians who made des-
perate efforts 20 capture the pot OF gold
at the end of the rainbow, and with the
serene Indifference of great minds calmly
/ ignored the nuggets lying at their feet
/ Mr. Cannon's rainbow chasers are prop
erly endowed with variogated minds. and
lii is his misf0rtuue-fOT under normal
| conditions he is canny old gentleman.
with a keen grip on politics and a shrewd
| understanding Of the American tempeTa-
ment-that he Is living in an atmosphere
vivid enough 20 disturb the balance Of
/ even the most calculating man
/ There IS nothing so subtle as fiattery
and the glad hand. and the voice Of sin
/ cerity that would fool God 10 use one
I Of Balzac's impious expressions. Those
are the surroundings in which Mr.. Can
non lives. There is no candidate who
has such a vociferoUs and numerous
clique as the Speaker.
Fooled by His Friends.
Every member Of Congress feels in
duty bound to tell him several times a
/ day that he is the next President. and
the force of iteration we all know A
stone can be worn away by the constant
dripping OF water He must be a very
extraordinary man who, being told many
times a day that his nomination is as
good as assured, viii not come to believe
it, or at least 10 see the rainbow Of
promise.
Mr.. Cannon has elements of strength
but so far they have not been judiciously
developed He has managed TO involve
himself in an ugly snarl with labor, and
the friction. instead of being allayed is
constantly being increased y candidate
who has the open opposition OF labor is
/ heavily handicapped.
'The other candidates can be briefly
dismissed AT one time Vice President
/ Fairbanks appeared formidable. but a
combination of bad management and bad
/ luck is too muchi for any boom 10 with
stand and his is slowly dying Of inani-
ton. Senator Knox seems content TO
have the Pennsylvania Endorsement and
trust 10 luck for whatever may happen.
! Senator La Toilette is not seriously con-
sidered. Gov. Hughes IS the American
/ political sphinx. And no one can yet
solve that riddle.
Odds Lean Toward Taft.
Now, the situation Is this: Secretary
Taft is the strongest candidate, and un-
less the opposition can do more than il
has yet done to weaken him, he will in
all probability go into the convention with
only a hundred votes or so short of the
nomination. Combined. the opposition
can defeat him; divided, they are sure TO
be defeated by him. II is in politics as it
is in war, and Napoleon taught one great
military principle: Split up your enemy,
! thrust your own overwhelming force as a
wedge between the two wings of the op-
ponent's army, and it is not a difficult
matter to beat each in detail.
THAT is what shreWd observers see
as the outcome. which they are now try
ing to prevent If Mr.. Taft goes into the
convention with 800 votes or so it viii be
only a matter Of a few ballots before he
can detach the La Toilette men, eat into
the Fairbanks strength and make an in
road into tho Cannon line. And as his
opponents see their forces disintegrating,
they will be seized with panic and there
will be rush to Taft.
Coalition Is Proposed.