Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-06
Taft Trying to Settle National
Craftsmanship Question.
SMOOTHING AWAY RANCOR
Will Divide His Time Between Rec.
reation and Work.
MASS OF MAIL COMING IN
Another Conference With Senator
Crane to Be Held This After
noon-Sherman Gives Up Trip.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HOT SPRINGS. Va. July 6.-That the
craftsmanship Of the republican national
committee will go to Frank H. Hitchcock,
the steam roller man, Is now practically
certain Judge Taft is fast overcoming
the opposition that remains against Hitch
cock But the selection Of Hitchcock. 1t
is said, will be as much a matter Of ne
cessity as anything else. Other men have
been approached. but have refused to al
low their names to be considered.
Desirable candidates are apparently
fighting shy of what they believe will be a
hard campaign to manage with the popu-
lar feeling against campaign contribu-
tons. AS one of the men here comforting
with Mr. Taft put it this morning: eff
Taft wins there will be no credit to speak
of for the chairman, but If anything goes
wrong. he will be damned. 1t is thank
less job and not many men care to tackle
It,"
Senator Crane has offered no objection
to the selection of Frank H. Hitchcock.
Crane himself could have had the place
If he wanted 1t. He has refused from
the start, however, to allow his name
to be considered, and he maintained that
cussed here in the conference with Judge
Taft.
The Indiana politicians are now more
bitterly opposed to the naming Of Hitch
cock as chairman than any others. The
throwing out Of the Fairbanks delegates
from the south still sticks in their crop,
and Judge Taft is trying to sooth them
before the meeting of the subcommit-
tee here Wednesday.
Judge Taft was up before o'clock
mnrnin0 Tod
in the Denver convention. but he has
to be content with newspaper news
twenty-four hours old. After breakfast
he tackled the last pile Of answers to
the letters and kilograms of congratu
lation which he received.
An accident to the train made Repre-
sentative Burke and Senator Beverage
about an hour and half late in reaching
here today. The axle of the driving wheels
broke about five miles this side of Cow
ington. Va. and about twenty miles from
here. The train was running slowly, but
the passengers got a pretty good Joltfng.
The two drive wheels left the track, but
the engine was sustained by two other
smaller wheels on each side. The engine
bumped along for about $50 feet before
it came to a standstili. Representative
Burke and Senator Beverage left the
train and spent an hour and half view
ing the breakdown and the surrounding
country while another engine was being
brought from Covington.
Representative Burke and the other poll
ticians here are having great fun over
the accident.
'.Beveridge did it," they say Not even
an axle could withstand him.
Beveridge, on the other hand, contends
that he is only following the republican
fashion. Didn't Secretary Tafts train
break an axle when he was on his way
east from Cincinnati?
Boxes of Records Arrive.
When Judge Taft. republican nomi-
nee for the presidency. arose today he
more than ever realized what a difficult
task it is to be candidate for the presi-
dency and to attempt to secure rest even
amid the isolation of the mountains of
Virginia. Early this morning dozen
big boxes of records were delivered to his
Office. and his secretary superintendent
the work of arranging their contents in
the file ROOM where they will be accessible
during the next two months. A mass of
correspondence is coming to him. neceS-
stating his personal attention and the
ton of many letters. But, insisting
upon dividing his time between work and
recreation. he accepted challenge made
by Frank b. Kellogg for another game of
golf on the mountain links. The preSi-
Dental candidate and the trust buster
started out very soon after breakfast.
Judge Taft's horses have arrived. and
hereafter he will alternate golf with rid
ing over the mountain paths. He is
sufficient friend of his big horse to ride
only every other day. believing that to use
he animal more frequently would be alb
solute cruelty
He feels that he is subject for con-
graduation because he has signed all of
his acknowledgements to letters OF con-
graduation received after his nomination.
He brought 1,JOO of them from Washing
ton. and has stuck closely to the task of
reading and signing them. His mail is ar
irving with great regularity, and letters
needing his personal consideration are
constantly increasing in numbers.
Another Conference With Crane.
This afternoon he had another confer
ence with Senator Crane, who expects to
leave here tonight accompanied by Repre-
sentative Lawrence of Massachusetts.
who came with him. Mr. Cranes visit
has set at rest suggestions that he will be
enlisted in the active work of the cam
paign in any important way. He has
talked over the situation in New England
in great detail. and his suggestions have
been carefully noted by Judge Taft.
Harmony in Indiana Desired.
Senator Beveridge of Indiana and Repre-
sentative Mckinley of Illinois had an in
teresting discussion today with Judge
Taft. Senator Reveridge'S talk concerned
the difficulties stirred up in his state by
the action of the convention as to the
Fairbanks delegates. and Mr.. McKnley's
concerning the treasurershp of the ma
tOnal committee. The coming of Bever
idge a day ahead of Senator Hemenway
and Representative Watson permitted
Judge Taft to get information on the
Indiana situation before the arrival of
the men who directly represent the Fair
banks faction. The state is regarded of
SO much Importance that Judge Taft con-
sders it necessary that there should be
charm lnship, whoever may fill that posi-
ton.
Representative Mckinley is talked of
for the treasurership. but Charles G..
Dawes of Chicago. formerly controller of
the currency. is still in mind for that
office. Mr.. Mckinley's visit here today
will do much to clear up the situation in
this respect.
Great Game Promised.
There will be great base ball game
here late this afternoon. Senator Murray
Crane is organizing a nine to play the
newspaper correspondents. Among the
men that the senator has signed are
Representatives Lawrence of Massachu
sets, Burton of Ohio. Burke of Pennsyl-
vania. Mckinley of Illinois, National
Committeeman Kellogg and Senator Bev-
eridge. If the senator will consent. Judge
Taft is going to attend hut all efforts