The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-02

the White House was in complete ae-
cord.
Mr.. Lodge s Importance as a spokes-
man has been all the more emphasized
because he had no colleague, as spokes-
man, on the floor of the House. A
number of different men there have
stood forth from time to time as ex-
emplars of the President s views. 1t
was expected that Representative
{" Nick" Longworth, of Cincinnati, the
President s son-in-law, might become a
spokesman, but for some reason he es-
chewed that role. He has been making
only one or two speeches a session and
generally these have been on subjects
with slight bearing upon any import
ant administration policy. In some
minor ways he has stood forth as the
exponent of the President, but he ap-
parently never aspired to the stature
of full-fedged spokesman, and the
House never considered him as such.
Representative Townsend, of Michi-
gan, Jared forth two or three times as
a temporary presidential spokesman,
especially on legislation for the regu-
lation of railroad rates. However, he
never eclipsed the glory of Senator
Lodge as the presidential spokesman
in-ehief, in whom the White House had
absolute confidence and to whom it con
fided the most momentous of admins
tration secrets.
Washington is taking it for granted
that the House will have big presl-
Dental spokesman on the floor again
when Mr.. Taft comes into his own. That
man will be Representative Theodore
E. Burton, of Ohio, unless, perchance,
Mr.. Burton is able to win an election
to the Senate from Ohio. Then he
would be a presidential spokesman on
the floor of that chamber, although
whether he would he chief in that ca
pacity remains to be considered. Mr..
Burton has been an intimate personal
and political friend of Mr.. Taft for a
long time. He was one of the very first
to raise the Taft colors in Ohio, and
fought right nobly and with all the
power he had for the advancement of
Mr.. Taft IS candidacy. He is a recog
nized leader in the House, which would
enhance his influence there if he were
also to become Taft spokesman in
House debate.
Representative Charles H. Grosvenor,
of Athens, Ohio, who glories in the title
of cold Figgers,' ecause of his fond
ness for political predictions, was the
last real presidential mouthpieee in that
body. He was an intimate friend of
the late President Mckinley, who time
and again delegated to him to announce
some administration policy of note that
affected Congressional legislation. Gen.
GrOsvenor s role was all the more inn
portant because Mckinley and Reed
were not on amicable terms, and Reed
was not in the habit of going to the
White House to find out what the Pres
ident wanted. Mckinley, of course,
found ways of conveying his wishes to
Reed, but it became very essential to
have some man of good oratorical abil-
ity and political judgment to jump into
debate and to sound the keynote at
the proper pitch. Gen. Grosvenor s
functions in that regard ceased when
Roosevelt became President, and later
he was defeated for denomination.
Senator Lodge may remain something
of a presidential spokesman for the
next four years. He is on intimate
terms with the President elect, but the
two are not the close personal friends
that Mr.. Lodge and Mr. Roosevelt are.
The Senator's rating in the upper
branch of Congress is very high, he has
had long experience in legislation, and
on some questions, especially diplo-
matte questions, is regarded as an au-
thority.
If Mr.. Root goes to the Senate, how
ever, as now seems assured, be will
likely share honors as administration
spokesman on the floor with Senator
Lodge. For Mr.. Root has been exceed
ingly close to Mr.. Taft and possesses
his confidence to an unusual degree.
They have been colleagues for many
years at the cabinet table. Both are
very able lawyers, both have been Sec
rotary of War, and both have been as
ISOLATED in the solution of leading ad-
ministration questions in recent years.
Mr.. Charles p Taft, of Cincinnati,
has announced his candidacy for the
Senate in Ohio. Should he win he
might ecome a presidential spokesman
in the Senate. His words, as half
brother of the President, would certain
ly be scrutinized carefully, but although
he has served one term as a member of
the HDuSe he IS not in close tourb with