The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-06

THE ARENA OF
POLITICS.
Gov. Hughes's Speech Puts Him
Fairly in the Running-hard,
Close Work. Everywhere for
Delegates.
In spite of such compelling diversions
from the White House, the eye of all
Washington continues to be more OF
less upon the Presidential booms. 1t is
in fact, the important era of work to
plan and control conventions, and the
politicians cannot afford to be idle. The
wires are pulled chiefly from Wash.
ingtOn. They reach out into every city
and hamlet in the land. The President
and Secretary Taft have their separate
sets of wires that reach out to certain
individuals and organizations in nearly
every State. The old leaders in Senate
and House have their separate sets OF
wires that reach out to different indi-
viduals ard organizations. Both the
pro-Taft and the anti-Taft managers
have their workers coming and going
Never before since the present cam
paign began have so many men been
coming in for consultation and advice
and going away again to execute or
ders. Political operations, nowadays
are both aerial and subterranean.
week or SO back the operations were
largely aerial, especially the Taft oper-
ations, which were about the only oper-
atoms in view. The claims bureau was
had great outgivings daily.
All that has quieted little now. Tht
allied boOms, working shoulder rt
shoulder from the Capital, puncturet
many of the claims as thin bubbles
brought out Gov. Hughes as q Presi
Dental candidate and then settled dowr
to hard toll in building up the fences
to keep the Taft workers out.
Gov. Hughes's speech, of course, put
him squareiy In the running, but 1t may
develop that the interest of the Capita
politicians In getting him into the opel
was chiefly to enable him to hold New
York State and its great delegation
That has been assured. The alice
boomers would like for him 20 develol
strength elsewhere. but they are no
SO much concerned about that just nov
| as they are to have the New York dele
CATION out of Taft's reach. Gov. Hughe
must look out for himself as a candi
date. Speaker Cannon naturally woul,
not like for Co. Hughes to develop
| too much strength outside of New York
1t would be something of a menace t,
his chances. All the allies hope tina
the Governor will get a hold on Re
| publican vOttrs in New England, TO
| that is not "a. f,re-empted territory; is
| in fact. abo~e the only big Northern
territory that has not been pre-empte,
| by some cansi late. But the Taft boon
has been checked in New England. an
the plans OF The New England Senator
to send uninstructed delegates, who's
names are ..lready on states made u
by these Senator'S weeks ago in man
| instances, are progressing beautiful
from the Senatorial point of view.
| Last week Secretary Taft made
coup in Massachusetts by putting ex
Representative Samuel l.. Powers i
charge of operations there, and MI
Powers was going into every Congress
sional District and into every County il
an effort to test sentiment for Taft
1
punish Senator w. Murray Crane. jus
as President Roosevelt and Secretar
Taft are trying to punish Senator Flo
raker in Ohio and eliminate him fron
public life. The Massachusetts Repub
lican local leaders bounced savagel
upon Mr.. Powers, and therefore tn
Taft boom in the Bay State has had
setback. Even some of the pro-Tai
members of the House from Massachu
| 1.<v 60 Nv
keep out of their districts by all mean!
So the movement has subsidized, and ap
parently Senator Crane Is an easy win
ner. He Is very pronounced anti-Tat
man now, because of the attacks tn
TaII people have made upon him. A
first he was kindly disposed to the Sec
rotary of War, but has been cajolet
fiattered and attacked in turn till he
thoroIy aroused. Probably there is n
man in public life who could have bee
so helpful to Secretary Taft as Nj
Crane. He is a master hand at politics
and, moreover, is very popular in Cor
IgresS. He wanted to arrange things s
that the Secretary could have had tn
nomination by making peace with Ser
ator Foraker. New England would hav
fallen into line. There would have bee
peace in Ohio, and the candidates. {
other Republicans could have bee
gradually undermined, so that thel
would have been general good feelin,
as it was demonstrated that the Secrt
tary was the greatest favorite.
But antagonisms were provoked o
every hand, and the management {
the Taft boom has kept everybody ma
who has been opposed to him. 1t is
long story, extending back to the tim
when Congress adjourned last Marcl
If the Secretary does not get the nom
lnation there will be an important chap
ter of political history telling how tn
Junior Senator from Massachusetts pre-
vented it.
Work In the South.
The subterranean work Of the boon
/ ers is very active and comprehensiy
: at this time. Not a little of 1t is in til
South. The plans have all been lai'
and are now well completed for COZ
testing delegations there, wherever til
Administration has driven the offic,
holders into line for Taft. 1t is sal
that between 20 and 80 contests fro
the South are now assured. These wi
, inject tremendous element of bittel
ness into the National Convention,
they have to be fought out there, {
they will be unless a majority of IL
uncontested delegates are pledged
some candidate before the Conventio
meets. 1t not only bodies trouble fl
the Convention, but for the party
the campaign that will follow.
8 The Fairbanks boomers, who al
: much stronger in the South than h;
{ been supposed, have already begun
| show their hands there. They have b.