The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-06-04
Republicans Look on Him as
Logical Head of Ma
tional Committee.
WILL HANDLE FUNDS
OF NEXT CAMPAIGN
Hitchcock and Postmaster General
Have Eyes on Cabinet Berths
If Taft Wins.

For chairman of the Republican
national committee-George Won
Lengerke Meyer, of Massachusetts.
now Postmaster General.
For campaign manager-Frank H.
Hitchcock.
For Secretary of the Treasury in
the Taft Cabinet-George Won Len
gerke Meyer.
For Postmaster General in the
Taft Cabinet-Frank H. Hitchcock.
Ihat is the sIace made up by ueople
VINO add especial opportunity for inlor-
o nation TO some general political wisdom
senator Crane is regarded as out Of
the consideration for chairman of the
national committee. Another man of his
class is desired; a man who wifi s1and
Wen with the property interests Of rhe
country. who can raise a campaign
Iund. and who has proved himself cap
able or managing the big business Of
national canvass. Mr Meyer meets
al the requirements
The plan is that the chairman shall
oeVote himself especially 10 financing
the campaign He win furnish the
slnews, which the active campaign man
ager will expend. Mr. Meyer is the
man 10 raise the money, Mr.. Hitchcock
Is the man 10 spend 1t. and 10 get re-
suits in doing so.
Organization Reversed.
Thus the organization which was
adopted by the Republicans in 1904
Will be practically reversed. Mr.. Cor
telyou was chairman in that year. al
though he did not attempt to handle
the finances. The money end Of the
business was looked after by the treas /
urer- Cornelius y. Bliss. Chairman
Cortelyou was the spender. Mr. Bliss I
the provider.
There is a special and peculiar reason !
why new form Of organization can
not well be avoided this year. The 4
original selection for the conduct Of the /
Taft campaign was Arthur I. Vorys, OF 1
Ohio. Mr.. Forys proved himself an ex- /
cellent man for the business Of han- /
ding Ohio, but when he got away from 4
there he was rather beyond his depth. /
He didn't know either politics or peo- |
pie on the national scale. It was made /
apparent early that some new arrange |
ment must be made, and at that stage /
Mr.. Hitchcock was brought into the /
game. he took charge nOminallV or 4
the Eastern and Southern ends OF the /
campaign, with Mr.. Vorys in the man
agement of the West. Before long the I
authority OF the latter was pruned /
down till he was really confined 20 |
Ohio. But his nominal relations 20 the |
business We're not changed. He has all /
along imagined himself the real boss OF
the campaign. or at least the co-equal /
OF Mr.. Hitchcock in il.
Choice Difficult.
For personal reasons. IL would be diff
cult for Secretary Taft to choose be
tween these two men for chairmanshin
OF the national committee. But for tuis
embarrassment, Mr.. Hitchcock would /
be made chairman. To prefer him
would cause embarrassment and diff
Guilty. SO the probable conclusion will
be TO go outside entirely, and that
leads 10 the consideration of POstmas-
ter General Meyer.
There was a time when Mr. Meyer
was regarded as a dilettante and a
mere rich man who had happened TO
stumble into a pot OF money by the
easy process Of Inheritance. That time
IS past, Mr.. Me Fer didn't have much
chance TO make his abilities known as
an ambassador albeit the State Depart
merit and the President realize that TO
MIN was in large measure due credit
for handling the preliminaries to this
country's Intervention between Russia !
and Japan, ending with the Portsmouth
peace conference But when he became !
Postmaster General he proceeded /
promptly 10 prove himself a real,
equipped man of affairs. He has been
growing on the country ever since.
Mr. Never is therefore looked upon
now as more likely to be chairman
than anybody else under consideration.
In that event ii is predicted that he
will become Secretary OF the Treasury
IN the Taft Cabinet. Mr.. Hitchcock, in /
consideration of his services as manager
OF the campaign. is picked for head OF
the Postoffice Department.