The National tribune., 1908-05-14

gree that he was not the strongest man
But the third-term talk waxed day by
day, and officials exceedingly close tC
the President were heard reiteratins
significantly that Republicans had bet.
ter take Taft or they would have tt
take Roosevelt.
The mystery continued as profound
as ever, but the Congressman who are
in touch with business interests have
been learning within few days thai
there is renewed concern among bust
ness men for the nomination of Secre'
tary Taft. The idea that I'VE need res
and sunshine" and nothing more just
now has taken all over the country
There is facetious prophecy that Rest
and Sunshine Clubs will soon be formed
extensively in the interest of Secretary
Tafts boom. Anyhow, the President
seems to have been getting certain
grim satisfaction over the renewed ter
ror of the business world lest he be
renominated. If the allies started the
third-term talk in the hope of weaken
ing Secretary Taft, they appear to have
made blunder. If the President start
ed it or encouraged it, in order to aid
Secretary Taft-as he undoubtedly did
do at earlier stages of the nomination
his purpose, according to the Congress
sional view.
Fairbanks for Vice President.
Another recent Presidential nomina-
ton rumor, much promulgated, is the
denomination of Vice President Fair
banks. 1t was at first attributed to the
Vice President and to his near political
friends. Some asserted that the Vice
u air,l-
ton of Roosevelt, because it would al
most certainly mean his own re7omi-
nation for second place. There Sre
however, the best of reasons for believ-
ing that the Vice President has been a
party to none of these rumors, either
directly or indirectly. Naturally he has
recognized that his chances of winning
the Presidential nomination have been
waning The inability of his workers
to obtain delegates in Kentucky, be-
cause of the great activity of Federal
officeholders there for Secretary Taft,
has confirmed his expectations of retir-
ing to private life after March next,
when he plans to return to indianapolis
and resume the practice of law.
However, it turns out that the two
Indiana Senators and other Indiana pol
iticians are now strongly suspected OF
putting the Fairbanks denomination ru-
mors into circulation. When the Vice
President took the oath of office in 1905
James A. Hemenway succeeded to the
seat in the Senate that Mr.. Fairbanks
had vacated. Mr.. Hemenway's term ex-
pires March next, and he wants to be
reelected. He has been the manager
of the Fairbanks boom, but fears that
Mr.. Fairbanks, if returning to private
life about that time. might come be-
fore the Indiana Legislature next Win
ter as Senatorial candidate. AS such
Mr.. Fairbanks would probably be very
formidable. Ii is certain that the Fair
banks rumors,i above mentioned, have
come from sources very close to Senator
Hemenway and also very close to Sem
ator Beveridge. The latter's term does
not expire till March 8, 1911, which will
be the middle of the next Administra-
ton. Mr.. Fairbanks and Mr.. Beveridge
never drove their political horses to-
gether, each representing different In
diana factions of the Republican Party.
If Mr.. Fairbanks could be retained as
Vice President for another four years
there would be no danger of his cutting
the Senatorial trail of Mr.. Beveridge in
1911.
As Mr.. Fairbanks is a native of Ohio
the politicians say the talk about his
quitting the Presidential race and sup
porting Secretary Taft at the Chicago
Convention in the hope of being named
on the ticket as Vice President carries
its own refutation. Ohio would be gen.
orally abused for having both feet if
the trough to the detriment of the Ma
tionaI ticket.o -.gnis.f 30 anET
Speaker Cannon has. not given serious
thought to quitting the Presidential
running but he wishes he were out OF
it. He has had Sbe. greatest. difficulty
IL. 10. 70, lsraA
The House of Representatives. especial
ly the Democratic portion of it, ha.
given him barrel of trouble in recen
weeks, and this has occupied him fully
AT one time the buZzing of the Presi-
Dental bee filled his waking hours ant
was echoed in his dreams. Now he ha:
shoOed the industrious insect away alb
soluteIy, and is content to round out hi'
public career where ii virtually began
in the House of Representatives.
Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania.
Game politicians gain the habit o.
taking long chances. One hears at the
Capitol again and again that, next t.
Secretary Taft, President Roosevelt un
questionably would prefer the nomina
ton of Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania
Senator Knox himself is aware, o
course, that the President feels tha
! way. Therefore, apart from the rae
( that Senator Knox is nothing If no
game, one can easily understand VIII,
Senator Knox is sticking by his boom
and is exceedingly impatient of any sug
gestion that he stand aside to give tn
Taft bandwagon a clear road. The part.
harmony crowd, who want the Chicag'
Convention to be an acclamation affair
have found no consolation from over
lures to the little Keystone State Ma
! poleon.
| The Senator is making no comment
on the situation. He goes about hi
daily affairs with the utmost calm o
manner. His Pennsylvania friends say
] however, that ii is still more than g
days before the Convention assemblies
and that lot of things might happel
during that period. They, of all tn
boomers at the Capitol, except the Taf
| boomers. refuse TO be gloomy, and con
tinue TO busy themselves with inspecting
fences and with looking for opportuni
ties to put strings of barbed wire aroun
any promising quarter sections.
A New Marine Device.
!