The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-03
According to the Observations
of Walter Wellman.
IF TAFT SHOULD FAIL
Roosevelt Is Still Suggested as
"a Possibility.
That Boston Speech Helped the
Secretary's Boom.

aid prints the following from Walter
Wellman, it's correspondent at Wash
ington:
Taft is making rapid strides toward
the Republican nomination for presi-
dent. That is the opinion everywhere
expressed in Washington today. 1t
comes, naturally, from his friends But
the friends of other candidates admit
it; so it must be true. In fact the
opinion is now quite general here that
the situation is precisely as it was out
lined a fortnight ago in these dis
patches-Taft against the field, with
President Roosevelt in the background
as a potent and picturesque possibility
in case Taft should fail. The increas-
ing probability that Taft will not fail
ninimizes the Roosevelt possibility
and puts it far into the shadow as one
of those flashes of lightning that may
suddenly appear if the sky becomes
darkened and the clouds of doubt and
uncertainty gather over the national
convention.
1t is now a serious question with the
friends Of other candidates if Secre-
tary Taft can be beaten There is no
denying the fact that he has already
secured, or in fair promise, about one
third of the convention. He is the
only candidate who is making much
headway outside his own state. He
is the only candidate for whom there
appears to be a national, distin-
guished from a purely or largely local,
favor.
While the time has not yet come to
forecast his nomination-as many
things may occur in the next six
months-he is so near an assured sue
cess that many think him already as
good as nominated.
Later on, it is the intention of your
Jor1f 20 Iyo ,1oir~
and the chances of all the other as
pirants, without partiality. Just now
the news of the day is the great pro-
gress Secretary Taft is making.
Boston Speech Helped.
1t is everywhere admitted that the
SecretaFy's Boston speech vastly
strengthens him. 1t was a speech so
fair so judicial, so well poised, yet SO
frank, that it must make a deep i'm
preston throughout the country. I
have already said that the more Sec
retary Taft is known the more closely
he is studied, the better he is sure to
be liked by his countrymen, and I
think the prediction a sound one. Ger
tainly his Boston speech has been we'll
received by the eastern press. Even
the New York papers, which hitherto
have tried to do pretty much all they
could to belittle the presidential move
ment in his behalf, are forced to COM
ment upon that speech in words of
praise. Only the known and recogniz-
ed, and therefore harmless organs Of
the administration or one of its IA
vorite members is mentioned, flno
anything to criticize.
The significant feature of the sec
retary's address, Of course, is his
planting himself squarely on the
persons knew that Mr.. Taft would do
this. But for some reason a consid-
cradle number of eastern papers gain
ed the notion and spread it conspic-
uously before their readers that at
Boston Secretary Taft would "cut
loose from the president and stand up
by himself Great must have been
their surprise and disappointment. AS
I had foreshadowed, Mr.. Taft made it
plain that If nominated and elected
president he would carry out the
Roosevelt policies. That much is set
tied, once for all, now.
RooseveItism the Issue.
After all, the greatest thing in the
forthcoming campaign is Rooseveltism.
1t is new thing. It is a revolutionary
principle. 1t has brought on another
era in our public affairs. Standing out
above all other Observation-Disclosures
drowning all other questions-fs this
one: Is Rooseveltism to be perpetrated
or is it not? This question must in
evitably become more and more acute.
The giant struggle" between Roose-
veltism and the interests" of which
Secretary Taft speaks, is still on. Taft
stands as the representative of Roose-
veltism. He throws down the gage of
battle to the interests They are well
come to defeat him if they can. There
horses, to stand for Rooseveltism with
one foot, and for conservatism with the
other, as many eastern writer's had
predicted. If Rooseveltism is to tri-
umph Taft logically should be the nom
inee. If the Republican party is ready
to turn it's back on RooseveltiSm it will
not nominate Taft IL it stands by
Roosevelt it will have to nominate Taft
or run amuck and name the president
himself.
ly becomes the central figure of the
battle. Around his personality the war
must rage. He is to be strongly sup
ported, bitterly attacked. Broadly
speaking, he is the only aspirant who
stands for something. What he stands
for every one knows. 1t is a Iiving. a
vital thing. Not only is his strongest
personality in the field, but, better than
that, he has a principle behind him-a
principle which has attracted millions
of adherents among the plain people of
this country, a principle which is to-
day the most potent fact in all our DO
litical thought and activity. And be-
hind him, also, is the man who made
that NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Roosevelt.
Taft has not only the living principle
and the personality in his favor. bur
when we come to the field of what is
known as practical politics he is NOT
inferior to his rivals. The game is he
ing played for him as skillfully as for
any other candidate
Fight on Hughes.
For instance, today the visit of Rem
resentative Bennett of New York to the
White House brought out an interest
ing bit of gossip which may be told in
q few words. The administ ra ton is