Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-01
The Talk About the Presi-
DENTS Successor.
The Cranks Who Send Letters
to the White House.
Not Air Period Now Gives Way to
Real Campaign. =.

President Roosevelt, always the CEN
trail figure in Washington, as we'll as
the chief topic of conversation where
any number of representative men are
gathered here, has been lost sight of
several days as President maker. His
earnestness for the nomination of Sec.
TAFT has been forgotten for the time
being in the more prominent and fresh
er Washington topic of the quarrel be-
tween Bureau admirals.
None the less the President is as
much for Secretary Taft and as much
against the other candidates as ever,
although no politicians have been visit
ing him at Pine Knot and he has had
no plans for the immediate advance
ment OF the Taft boom under cppsidera-
ton there. 1t is still unknown just
how far the President will be.willing to
go in the use OF official influence to
bring about the selection of Taft dele
gates and hcw much he will be willing
to use patronage to the same end. i.
The White House mail these days
brings vast number of ideas about
politics. Politicians and cranks alike
join In expressing their views to the
President on questions affecting the
next nominee. The political letters are
regarded rs a very important portion OF
the Presidents daily mail for he has
good friends throughout the country
who keep him informed as to what Is
doing and very often give him valua-
BILE pointers. There is hardly state
where the President has not several
confidential political friends, outside of
them men prominently and publicly
identified with politics. Their judg-
ment may not always be wisect but
they gather up a lot Of details. all Of
which adds to the Presidents remark
able fund of political information ana
help him to play the game with his
usual consummate skill.
A great many cranks write the Presi-
dent about his efforts to make Secre-
tary Taft his successor in the White
House, but. as is the case with nearly
all crank letters to the White House,
they never reach the President. Score
tary Taft is himself the recipient OF
many crank letters written. him from
various quarters about his BOOM a lot
of these communications are from en-
tirely sane persons, who think they
know all about running presidential
boo;ns. The best Of intentions are back
Of the missives, which,. however. are too
tien.
It happens to be the favorite season
for that portion of the public that
amuses or entertains itself by writing
to men high in official station. The
crop OF these writer's is very large and
their output, as shown by the White
House mails, is enormous Excepting
the religious cranks and the persons
that write begging letters, of which
writers there are great numbers in this
country and also in Europe who Hood
the White House with their screeds
there is great army of writer's who
hasten to pen and ink to express their
opinions on every political and econo-
mic subject for the Presidents benefit.
These letters seem to come in waves
For q while they come in comparatively
small numbers and then they begir
coming like tidal food. There is nc
accounting for the ebb and flow OF this
volume of popular intelligence. Tht
bundles of communications are lugget
into the White House offices iii bags
opened, scanned, the wheat separated
from the chaft and, when it is merited
replies, even II only formal acknowl
2, edgment. are.f returned. 1t is verl
strange to note how people in widel!
separated sections of the country. wh'
by no possibility have any opportunit!
Of INSTRUMENTATION. write ct abou
the same time the same ideas couche'
in very similar language.
The Presidential topic is a very m
teresting one to- these chronic lette
writer's II the President read hal
what they write to him he would hav
his head full. The revival of these KIM
of letters, incident to the struggle TO
the Republican nomination, resemble
the appearance of such letters durin
other campaigns for the Presidentia
nomination. President Roosevelt re
ceived many such letters four year
ago, when it was assured almost iron
the start that he would have the nomi
nation without opposition. The chroni
Ktter writer's also used to address tn
Z late, President Mckinley about his re
Z nomination in 1900 and discussed ever
Il conceivable phase of the situation 70
q his benefit.
BY the, time the President gets nae
from Pine Knot and its simple rura
: surroundings and takes his place a
the head of the New Years receivin
CONTINUED on Page Nine.)