The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-09
PRESIDENT REPLY
ABOUT PATRONAGE
OUT TOMORROW
Will Hurl Back Charges
of Misuse of His APP
pointive Powers.
Senator Crane AvoWed
Active Leader of Anti
Taft Forces.

The notion, lately circulated, that
President Roosevelt was not going 70 is
sue his statement about the employment
Of Federal patronage in presidential
politics, proves groundless in view Of the
TACT that the statement will be made
public tomorrow.
There have been two recent develop
n1ents which determined the early issue
Of the statement, which, by the way, is
going TO be rather an attack than
defense. one is the renewal, in most
vigorous and threatening form, of
charges concerning the use OF patron
age, and another Is the fact that the
alleged Republican convention In
Florida the ether day has been constant
~ referred 10 as the 'Ofhcenolders
convention" That particular nomencla-
ture Is offensive and he proposes TO
demonstrate its injustice, in a public
statement
Will Be Characteristic.
The statement, it can be said, viii be
highly characteristic OF the President IN
his most combative moods. He will
give the history Of specific Federal
appointments, show by whom can
didates have been Endorsed, and demon
strate that Senatorial and Representa-
lives recommendations have continued
10 govern his selections.
IN short the President proposes from
the records to show that he has been
almost without exception making APP
pointments as the Senators asked that
political activity by officeholders has
been mainly activity against rather
than for Taft
Cannot Investigate.
The mutterings concerning alleged
b use OF patronage, especially IN the
South, in Tafts behalf, have recently
taken the form Of proposals to intro
duce a resolution in the upper chamber
calling for an investigation of the gen.
eral patronage and political situation
ct the White House. Whether there Is
power to make such an investigation
Is questioned. but II has been the APP
parent idea OF hackers OF this proposal
that the President would not object TO
the investigation, because TO object
would leave him in an embarrassing
position. as II ne might fear The re-
suits. It has been pointed ouJ that
short OF Impeachment, which must be
conducted by the House, there IS no
President The idea Of the House i'm
peaching the President never fails 20
call forth a smile.
Senators Blufing.
In Administration circles it is charged
now thaJ the Senators who have been
talking Of investigation are blufing:
and that their bluff will be called when
the patronage statement goes from the
White House.
As o result of this vigorous statement
from the White House the critics
q the Administration will be forced 10
show their facts and TO put forth their
Specifications about the Administra-
tons use of patronage in detail. The
anJi-Taft alliance insists that Il is
ready 10 accept the challenge. It is
positive that a comparison OF the two
shnwings will be decidedly to the dis
advantage Of the Administration and
viii impress the country that the pat
ronage power is being used to a dis
Creditable extent to- force the selection
OF Taft delegates to the national con-
vtntiOn.
The South in such a statement, will
be raked with a fine-tOothed comb for
instances, and II anything like the num-
Der OF cases with which gossip deals
freely are presented and verified, there
will be some sensational aspects to the
debate between President and Senatorial
opposition.
Crane Leading Ants.
r-,,zA es.,,.--,- , r--,-,---- 80 = 49,