Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-03
DIETRICH SEES PRESIDENT
Talks Plainly on Present Method Of
Conducting the Campaign.
TIME TO DROP PERSONALITIES
Qualities which Fit Taft for PreSi-
dency the Central Question
Dietrich is the Original
Taft Boomer.
(From a staff Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.-(specisl Tele-
gram)-Ex-senator Dietrich Of Nebraska
had a conference with President Roosevelt
today and fearlessly told the president that
IL personalities were not stopped all
around people wosdd become disgusted and
nobody could tell what Novefn5eT mSht
bring Senator Dietrich. speaking of the
interview he had with the president this
morning, which has afforded the news
paper men of Washington opportunity
to tell what they know as to political con-
ditions, said: II told the president that
1t would be much better to talk about
Taft's good qualities, rather than to at
tempt to show up the bad qualities Of
his opponent l told the president that
the bulletin service and card-wrltng con-
troversy had now reached a stage where
1t is merely a question of your another.
and this situation does nobody any good
whatever. That the matters in contro-
versy were so trivial and insignificant that
the great mass of people took no interest
in them and that It really obscured the
real issue, Shall Taft be elected presi-
dent? l told the president that 1t was
his business to boost Taft wherever pos
sible and tell the reasons why be should
be elected rather than writing about people
and matters wholly subsidiary and Of little
moment l believe Taft to be the best
equipped man we have had as a nominee
/ for president in half century, and l
deprecate the injection of things wholly
| irrevelant to this campaign" Senator
Dietrich was congratulated by Mr.. Roose-
welt on the alliance between his daughter
and Mr.. Herbert Knox Smith, chief of the
! bureau of corporations. The president was
| a., III afea Of
! Gertrude Dietrich, whose marriage to Mr..
Smith occurred recently. The senator
stated that the honeymoon was being
spent in the Maine woods at the summer
camp of Secretary Straus of the Depart
ment OF Commerce and Labor. and that
early in November Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert
Knox Smith take up their residence In
Washington in apartments at the High
lands.
Original Taft Man.
Apropos of Senator Dtetrich's Interview
with the president today, It Is interesting
to recall that he probably was the first mar
to suggest Judge Taft for the presidency
and thereby hangs a story. In 1901 Senator
Dietrich and his daughter made trip to th'
Philippines and had occasion to meet tn,
then Governor General William II. Taft anC
learned his sterling qualities. Upon mis- re
turn from the far east and when Judgt
Taft was occupying the position Of secretar!
of war, Dietrich came into his office one da!
and addressed the war secretary as Mr.
President" Secretary Taft sat up and tool
notice, and protested against the designa
tion because of other plans in those far
away days to go upon the supreme bench
But Senator Dietrich persisted in his desig
nation of Judge Taft as "Mr. President
during the years he was in the senate ant
these gentlemen have had many talk owe
the matter since Judge Taft has become tn
nominee Of the republican party for presi
dent.
Senator Dietrich left tonight for Ne
braska, and while he does not expect [
go into the campaign will lend every assist
ance to the republican state committee i
carrying the state for Taft, for he told tn
president that Nebraska could be taken ou
Of the doubtful states and put in the reput
lican column. He also told the presden
= that he believed A. w. Jefferis would bea
I Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock for congress fror
7 the Second Nebraska district.
The Iowa republicans in the District q
Columbia formed a republican associatio
I last night. with the following officers
President w. II. Fleming OF Des Moine,
vice president. Edward p. Seeds OF Mar
chester; secretary, z. c. Graham of Grund
& county. The following were elected g
members OF the executive COMMITTEES Of III
(Continuad On Tkira PazaN