Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-22
Hale Says Taft Has Neg
1ected Official Duties

iof the contestants then was over
|wheIming, and political conditions had
made the men in control of the major
lily of the convention determined to
make their control complete. 1t is i'm
probable that such condition should
arise again in either party.
| The Presidents Position.
| My own judgment is that the Repub-
lican nominee will be Taft unless Pres
ident Roosevelt permits the convention
Ito be stampeded for himself and, ac-
1repts the nomination thus rendered. And
lnpropos of that l wish TO quote two
statements made to me in the course of
casual conversation by men unac-
Iquainted with each other. but each Of
Whom is one of the favored guests at
the White House. %
The first, the distinguished editor of
n New York magazine, coming directly
from a lunch with the president, said
to me that, without quoting Mr.. Roose-
|velt's words, he could say that under
|Eo circumstances whatsoever would
the president accept nomination this
Igear.
The other, one of the newspaper cor
respondents, who is known to be IA
leorite at the White House, declared
That the president had said to him that
liz nominated he would refuse: that if
the convention renominated him in
ltpite of that refusal he would tele-
Igraph its leaders that they must reas-
ltemble and select some one else.
There is a good old phrase which
lmay well be applied to consideration
lOf Mr.. sRoosevelt's position this year
namely, Put yourself in. his place."
At the end of almost eight years Of
lpower, with the house and senate in
laccOrd with the principles of his party.
he approaches the end of his second
term with the country i'll an almost un-
iprecedented state of commercial and
industrial depression.
That doesn't help presidential can
didate.
Should he be again nominee no soph-
istIT about IA second electoral term
could disabuse the minds of the people
that it was, in fact. the first effort in
American history made to brush aside
the patriotic and salutary rule laid
down by George Washington and fol-
lowed by every president to the pres
ent time that no man sIould serve
more than two terms in the White
House. A prudent politician in Mr..
| Roosevelt'S place-and he is politi-
clan even if he is not prudeht-would
set aside any immediate ambition. re-
tire for awhile. select not overstrOng
candidate for the nomination in his
stead. look with philosophy upon the
defeat of his party in this year and
four years hence seek to come back as
it's savior.
There are many people about the
capital who think that this will be the
Rooseveltian programme
! Oklahoma to the Front.
The two Democratic senators from
Oklahoma are proving themselves fight
Ing champions of true Democracy Sen
ator Gore. known as the blind senator,
succeeded in getting into the Congress
sional Record the famous letter writ
ten by President Roosevelt to E. H.
Hartman. in which the president de
clared they were both practical men
and should meet as practical men to
discuss the state of the nation. OF
course history records that the meeting
was held and that Mr.. Hartman raised
S24o.O0O for use in the state of New
York for Mr.. Roosevclt's political ad
vantage.
A lot of the somewhat old maiGenly
persons in the senate expressed much
horror and modification that United
= States senator should have inserted
x such a letter in the Record But Il
Y seems to me that Senator Gore met the
x criticism conclusively when he said
v that he would rather be responsible fol
" having had that letter read in the sen
U ate than to be responsible for having
* written it. 1t is peculiarly inept t.
v describe letter of Mr.. Roosevelt's a:
ri confidential. He neither writes nor talks
U confidentially. 1t is his practice whel
X any one goes to the White House will
U question to wave the inquirer ava!
Ut and answer with q shout that attract:
* the attention Of everybody in the exec
" utive offices. Mr. Roosevelt himsel
~ should be the last to assert that a let
N ter from him to E. H. Hartman. rail
" road magnate and pIutocratic politician
" was confidential and privileged.
Wl The other senator from Oklahoma
" Robert L. Owen. attended the recen
~ dinner given by the so called Nationa
NJ Democratic club of New York ant
~ there had an opportunity to preaci
" some Democratic doctrine which tn,
IN officers of that club did not desire t,
W have Mr.. Bryan expound before them
N This paragraph gives a fair example
W of the general tone Of his address, Th
M National Dnmocra tic clIlh which foa I