The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-28
Governors Appearance on the Presidential Field Has Caus- ed No Excitement at
 White House.
TAFT NOT LOSING SLEEP
Attitude of Members of Congress Toward Federal Patronage is
 One of Self Preservation.
Special Correspondence.)

Washington. D. C., Jan. 26.-Gov- ernor Hughes formal announcement that he is willing to enter the lists as a candidate for the Republican nom ination for the Presidency has not caused the excitement at the White House which had been predicted. It is a fact that prolongation of the Hughes program of silence would not only have been gratifying to the Taft managers but would have seriously endangered the ability of the Hughes boomers to make respectable snow ing in the national convention It is also fact, however, that the friends of Secretary Taft have been making their plans during the past fortnight with the definite understanding that they would be compelled to reckon with the Hughes faction in the nation al convention.
 All reports to the contrary not withstanding, there is to-day a feel ing of pessimism in the Hughes camp. Auy one who has occasion to meet Secretary Taft at the war office each day must inevitably gain the impres- sion that MT, Taft is not losing any sleep over the progress of the cam paign which is being waged in his in terest. While he evades every at tempt to draw from him an expres- to oh nevertheless makes no effort to con ceal the fact that his political future causes him much less worry than the welfare of the dusky inhabitants of the Philippine Islands.
 If there is any one great menace to retard the Taft boom, other candi- dates being put aside for the moment 1t is the factional fights which are cropping out almost daily in congress as the result of federal patronage. Congressmen and Senators alike, many of them at least, feel that Pres ident. Roosevelt is pressing this feat ure of the campaign with undue force.
 The distribution of offices among their constituents is of such great value as a political asset that even those members of congress who are friendly to the administration are dis posed to resent what they believe to he President Roosevelt's determina- tion to give out these offices with the sole idea of winning friends over to the cause of his war secretary. Self preservation Is the first law of the Washington politician and unless they are permitted to hand out, from time to time, the plums which secure for them valuable lieutenants at home they are more than likely to find themselves without the necessary en- thusiastic cooperation on election day. For this reason, if for no other, 1t is the almost universal desire of congressman and senators that the President change at least one feature of his campaign in the interests of Taft.
 If President Roosevelt has made political errors during the past two weeks it also is true that he has play ed politics so cleverly that more than one presidential candidate is sitting up and burning midnight oil to keer up with the pace. An illustration of this shrewdness leaked out. to-day, when it became known that the Presi- dent has In mind a plan which is in tended to win over to Taft the labor union sentiment which has for years been antagonistic. This feeling of bitterness was caused, as Is well known, by the famous injunction rul- ing made when the secretary was 3 federal judge in Ohio. Union men throughout the country have made much of the fact that the ruling re fered to established a precedent which has done much to injure the cause during strikes This feeling of resentment has never abated and real izing that 1t must be overcome Pres ident Roosevelt has determined tc meet the issue. This decision is due to two causes First, because the democrats are almost certain tc have on their ticket, either in first oi second place, a man who will poll g strong labor vote Second, because certain members of congress are plan. ming to make political capital fol themselves by introducing bill relat- ing to injunctions.
 It is the Presidents intention tc take steps looking to the passage of g law which will result in modifying tc a considerable degree the present in junction law and thereby place limita.