New-York tribune., 1908-06-19
THE NOMINEE.

In nominating William Hiatt for the fres-
idencv the Republican National convention mas
chosen the one man now In public lie pest quar-
ified to succeed Theodore Roosevelt More than
any other possible nominee. he has been associ
ated with and committed to the policies OF tne
Roosevelt administration. and the best judgment
of the party naturally fixed ON him as MI
Roosevelt's most acceptable and logical sue
ceSSor.
1t is no straining of the truth TO say that MI.
Taft is better equipped for the administrative
dut;es of the Presidential Office than any other
candidate for the Presidency has been at the
fine of his first nomination. The political eA-
perience of the Secretary Of War has Deen
extraordinarily complete and varied. He mas
served with distinction as state ana ieuei di
Judge held one of the most important posts I'D
the Department of Justice been Secretary Oh
War and acting Secretary of State, has governed
the Philippines, been temporary Governor Oh
Cuba. and has supervised affairs in the lsthman
Canal strip. He is administrator. negouator
and pacifcator who has proved his tact and
skill i'm many difficult fields and his all rouno
competency as public equals. II it does NOT
exceed. that of such earlier noted eXemplars OF
versatility in craftsmanship as Albert Gallatin,
lanes Madison and John Quincy Adams Mr.
Taft is Just as admirably fitted to be Chier JUS
tice of the Supreme Court or leader IN either
branch of Congress as he is to fulfil the duties
of the Presidency.
In nominating a Cabinet officer for President
the Republican party returns to the precenehts
of the early days of the Republic NO hepuo-
lican Presidential candidate has ever been taken
from the Cabinet. Fremont and Grant were SOL
diers: Lincoln, Harrison and Blaine were III
private life when nominated; Garneld WAS
taken from the Senate Hayes and Mckinley
moro state governors Service in the Cabinet
has latterly worked to diminish rather than to
promote the chances of candidate for the Pres
identisl nomination But Secretary Tafts emil
nent ability and availability have overcome TINS
handicap and shattered the notion that the &C
ceptance of an administrative post is necessarily
a bar to promotion to the Presidency.
Opnonents of the Roosevelt-Taft policies have
tried to make capital out Of the charge that Mr.
Taft's nomination was forced by fresloeht
Roosevelt Undoubtedly the support of the ad-
ministratfon added great strength to the Secre-
tarv's candidacy: but the vast majority OF the
ReDublican voters wanted q nominee who was
most closely associated with the administration
and its policies, and the preference or the voters
coincided completely with the preference OF the
President It IS absurd to say that Secretary
Taft's nomination was due to political manlpu-
latfon. On the contrary. the Republican conven-
ton has only expressed the overwhelming senti-
ment of the party On direct primary vote in
everv state we believe that Secretary TAFT
would have had an even larger popular majority
than his strength In the convention represented
He stands conspicuously for what the Repub-
ljcap voters want, and the voters not the lead
ers compelled his nomination. In him the party
has candidate whom It trusts and honors and
whom the country will gladly accept as the next
President