The Washington herald., 1908-03-18

A reader writes 10 say that 10 is In
comprehensive to him why The Wash
ington Herald. an independent and high
minded newspaper. which seems 10 think
so well Of President Roosevelt, so OBJ
viously disapproves Of the candidacy Of
Secretary Taft
The Washington Herald does not dis
approve of Secretary Tafts candidacy
It recognizes in him a man big enough to
be President-a fine, wholesome, full
blooded American citizen. whose public
career is rich in achievements and in
whom White House ambition is alto
gether becoming and in order II has
said this before. If not in so many words.
certainly in substance. and with Just the
same sincerity and emphasis. and is
pleased 20 say Il again
But while looking upon Secretary Taft
as a logical candidate for the Republican
nomination, The Washington Herald be-
lieves. and has believed all along that
circumstances have contrived 10 put him
before the country I'm most illogical and
unfortunate position. He was handi-
capped by entering the campaign as "a
mans man"-the Presidents legatee-
when he should have stood sauarelv on
his feet as William Howard Taft. a Re
publican worthy of the nomination and
one asking odds Of nobody OF favOrs
from any quarter. This naturally would
have meant his retirement from the Cabi-
net, move which he originally cOntem-
plated. and which, according to report.
he at one time had fully decided upon.
. I'D he followed such a course, he would
to-day, in the opinion Of this. paper. be
the most formidable candidate before the
people. not on the administrations ac-
count merely, but on his own account
primarily.
All powerful as II is prior TO a conven-
ton, an administration is not powerful
enough to make any man President. Ii
can command delegate support in conven-
ton. but 1t cannot command electoral
support at the polls. Harrison's admin
istration tried Il and failed.
If to-day serious doubt IS entertained
as to Taft's ability. If nominated. 10 de-
feat Rryan or Johnson at the polls. IT is
due TO no inherent weakness in Taft's
candidacy IN itself, but TO the obviously
short-sighted, not 10 say abhorrent.
methods that have characterized the
management Of his candidacy from its
inception. Beginning with the effort TO
eliminate Foraker, which admittedly has
put Ohio in the doubtful column. the Taft
campaign has. as a matter Of fact. been
so manipulated as to jeopardize Repub-
lcan ascendency. And everybody now
realizes that fact.
As this newspaper views the situation.
the policy Of a President undertaking to
name his successor is fraught with inf
nItely more danger than third-termism.
and resentment OF such policy is doubt
less widespread at this moment, in spite
of the fact that conventions continue to
instruct their delegates for Taft. Pos
sibly the undertaking may succeed in the
end, but doubt is growing. and will con-
tinue 10 grow.
The Washington Herald trusts that the
reader who interrogated il on this point
viii now understand. The aim is TO be
clear and TO the point. There Is nothing
in the least incomprehensible about IT, A
newspaper may esteem Taft and recog-
nize the logic of Tafts candidacy with
out approving the methods or the man
agement behind Tafts candidacy-meth-
DDS and management that have split the
Republican party into warning factions
and created differences that can only be
healed by the lapse Of time