The National tribune., 1908-03-04
THE TAFT BOOM.
Continued from page one. :,

| newspapers have been kept full of press
matter with view to stirring up senti-
ment for the Secretary's advantage.
Senator Crane. of Massachusetts, who
stands for uninstructed delegates. be-
lieving that there is doubt whether the
Secretary could be elected il nominated,
has held out against all sorts of per-
suasiye tactics. He was called in some
weeks ago and offered big rewards In
the shape of political favors if he would
recant and come out for Taft. His an
| Swer was a stout refusal. Then the
Secretary of War in person got hold of
Gov. Curtis Guild. and promised him
| the nomination for the Vice Presidency
| If he would deliver the Bay States 81
| delegates. But the Governor is power
less to deliver. that ability, If it is pos
sessed by anyone, being the property
of the two Senators. Then the Taft
| people began to show fight in Massa-
chusetts and other New England States
all along the line. They started to put
up Gov. Guild as delegate at large in
| place of Senator Crane, which only met
| with smiles of derisiOn in Massac achu-
sets. So the Taft workers have aban-
| doned most of these tactics, and gone
to work on other lines for winning dele
gates who will be loyal to the Secre-
tary at the Chicago Convention.
The Taft warfare in that section of
the Union is waged with all the more
| YiSOr, because in winning delegates
from there Mr.. Taft would also be
striking a death blow to the Hughes
boom. Outside of New York Gov
Hughes has better prospects of New
| England support than of support from
any other quarter. With so votes from
New England and IS votes from New
York Gov Hughes could go into the
convention with $50 Delegates very
good showing, especially as all the States
would be reasonably sure to give him
their electoral votes in November.
What of the Hughes Boom.
But there seems to be some doubt
| as to how firmly the Hughes boom is
| taking root. Even New Workers ex-
press doubts about his nomination The
Governors official career is much ad-
| mired, but the politicians generally do
not warm up to him. HE is not well
| KNOWN" they say. which simple phrase
covers multitude of political objec-
| tions to him. Some sentiment is re-
ported for him in the far West, but it
| Is claimed that none the less Taft will
| get all the delegates from the far West
| The Governors friends have had work
| ers in the South recently, but appar-
emily that ground has been pretty well
pre-empted by Senator Foraker The
| negros, who comprise the bulk Of the
party in that section, are all shouting
| for Foraker. and will probably give
most of their delegates to him-if they
| are allowed to register their prefer
| ences.
The Hughes boomers are also BOOM
| ing In several New England States. They
have managers on the ground in New
Hampshire, Vermont and Massachu-
sets. who are putting down sound doc
| trine in behalf of their chief. Notwith-
| standing all this, there is much skep-
| ticism whether the Hughes boom IS
| being as well received in New England
| as the idea of sending delegates without
any instructions whatever, that they
may be free to pick the best man after
| they get to Chicago.
| The proselyting work for Taft goes
ron here in Washington apace. Politi-
| clans are constantly coming to make
4 report, and also to get Instructions
The propaganda is being pressed among
Representatives, many of whom are dis :
posed to go over to the Taft cause for
| the sake of the favor of the Administra-
| ton in their forthcoming campaign for
reelection.
| The President-makers in Washing
ton have daily proof of the fact that
| Theodore Roosevelt is an ally of tre-
mendous power for any boom for any
man. 1t may be that his power is wan
| ing with Congress, or it may not be-
| 1t may be that the country generally
heeds him less, as it is accustomed to
| do with reference to Presidents whose
| terms are nearly completed. But how
| the various political lights from some
parts of the country do warm up to
his ideas of the succession! How it
helps a candidate if his friends can say,
| The President is in thoro sympathy
with us"
The President Helps.
And how President Roosevelt does
| watch and foster that Taft boom! The
other day Congressman took up to
| him an ancient account of Andrew
Jacksons campaign for the nomination
| of Martin Van Buren,. 1t contained the
comments of that day about President
| Jackson's efforts to dictate the name
| of his successor OF course, the coun-
| try was much smaller then than now,
and 1t was a Democratic Administra-
ton.
But President Roosevelts eyes glis-
| tened when that account was brought
| to his attention. He was pleased all
over. and especially when it was en-
| phasized how Jackson put the cam
paign for Van Buren, thru in spite of
| he fierce opposition, nominated his man
and elected him.
'Old Jack" retorted Mr.. Roosevelt,
was very much of President. There
were lois OF good things about him. "
''Old jack is the term by which the
| President generally refers to Democ-
| racy's dearest patron saint, next to
Thomas Jefferson. He prefers that til
tie to "Old Hickory" by which the
Democrats chiefly call him.
| When a prominent Taft worker
| comes to town he gets even a gladder
welcome from the President than he
| gets from the Secretary of War. The
President does such things in more eff
| fusive vein. An appointment for any
such man is arranged with great celer-
| ity. Other politicians and callers have
to wait till the President has told him
| how glad he is to see him, and has
heard what the political trend is in
| that particular locality. If the visitor
| happens to be man of political prom
| inence in his State. who is ION the
| fence" or whose influence, If 1t can be
had, will help the Taft boom material
| ly, it is interesting to watch how cer-
tainly the White House will become
| informed of this mans presence in
| town, of how long he is to stay. and so
| on, and also it is interesting to watch
how certainly that man will receive a
request to take luncheon or dinner at
the White House. Politics? Oh, my.
no. OF course, not. But the visitor
goes away feeling mighty cordial to-
| ward the President, and the Taft BOOM
ers find a way to take him in charge
and pump good Taft nomination doc:
| trine into him.
| Governors Get a Glad Hand.
| Governors of States. who might help
4 l.l.a 10 .,I< q l.