Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05

known as running for Office" and
will probably find that he has many
lessons to learn about it. AS presi-
Dental candidate he appears for the
first time as a campaigner in his own
behalf. as the presidency is the only
office to which he has aspired The
versatility of his genius forbids the en-
tertainment of the slightest doubt that
he will make an apt pupil. "hether
he campaigns from a front porch OF
the rear end of railroad train. but
this sanguine view of his admirers does
not detract from the interesting fact that
as a campaigning candidate ne is mere
novice-in a position somewhat AKIN 10
that Of the man who puts on d pair VI
skates for the first time and ventures
forth on the smooth, frozen surface OF
a mill-pond at the time of the year tnaI
the ice reroses on the bosom OF the mill
pond and not in the storehouseS OF the
ice trust.
pectiye skater is, in every respect, like
the campaign as it looks to the canol-
date who Is just starting out-a VISTA OIL
glittering smoothness. but the smootnesI
places are the most slippery. capaDle oI
who is able to glide gracefully toward ms
goal without once losing his equilibrium Is
a wonder. Taft may prove to be won
der of that kind. but it Is more than pos.
sible that he will have to acquire skill
Just as others do. in the school Of ex-
perience. OF course. Taft has much ex-
perience as a speechmaker. and has done
some campaigning for others. but the
game he is now about to learn Is as Diff
ferent from any In which he Is an ADEPT
as chess is different from leap-frog.
On the day after his nomination the new
candidate figured In a little incident
which illustrates how circumspect can
ddate must be, and how easy 1t IS to
make mistakes. Mr.. Taft was calico 10
the platform of his train to respond to
the first demonstration Of his campaign.
1t occurred at Cumberland. Md. town
Of no mean renown. for Cumberland mas
been the nursery Of a few statesmen OF
it's own. and not many years ago boosted
voting precincts there lived United
States senator. a governor. member OF
Congress. a mayor, couple or Judges
and nearly fifty-seven other varieties OF
officeholders. and the residents or Cum
berland very naturally think that the
town occupies quite prominent position
on the map. Nevertheless, William How
ard Taft, after declaring that he had
been travelling through this metropolis
ever since he was twenty-one years OF
gathered in his honor that he was thank
full for the solid vote Of West Virginia at
the Chicago convention. This slip IN
geography was a harmless one, but In
many towns smaller than Cumberland 1t
might be scored up as a grievous offense.
Must Know Geography.
The candidate is expected to know his
geography as we'll as the experts in the
dead letter office-to know how important
in his own community is the chairman OF
the delegation that comes to meet him
and all the other members OF the delega-
ton. and to remember every one he has
ever met or. who has ever sent him
letter and what they said, and few
other impossible things. At least the
candidate must make good bluff at ON
niscience.
The day has perhaps passed when he
must carefully conceal the fact that he
sometimes wears clothes that are not Of
the homespun variety, although Speaker
Cannon is said to have constituents who
believe that he only dresses up" in
Washington because he is compelled to do
so by constitutional requirement, and