The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-05-02
Roosevelt and Bryan.


The following are some extracts
from Washington letter TO the New
York Evening Post:
Persons In Washington, correspond
ents OF newspapers and others, who
possess the confidence Of large num-
bers of men In public life and OF DIFF
ferent shades OF political thought and
opinion, are all coming to share the
belief that Secretary Taft will be NOM
mated at Chicago. Not all who hold
this belief have declared themselves
publicly. because making political pre-
dicti0ns Is an uncertain business.
1t is Of course, entirely probable that
this is but passing phase OF the pre-
convention campaign and that the
sentiment may entirely change before
June 16. What makes the situation
80 puzzling is that Taft's strength is
purely a manufactured or created
strength. An old republican senator
who has attended every national con.
vention OF his party for the last fifty
years was commenting on this circum
stance this afternoon:
In all my experience" he said, II
have never known such curious and
puzzling situation as exists In both
the republican and democratic parties
on the eve of national convention.
In both parties the effort is making
to nominate men who are not the nat
ural leaders of the party. / don't
think any one will dispute the asser-
ton that Theodore Roosevelt and VIII
liam j. Bryan are the natural leaders
OF their respective and opposing par
ties. Both of these men derive their
strength and power directly from their
influence upon the masses OF the peo.
pie.
Roosevelt and Bryan are the only
men in national politics who have
strength In all Of the states. The re
publicans of New York--the people,
mean, not the politicians--are un'
doubtedly behind Hughes. they be-
lieve in the governor, and are ready to
follow him. The same is true OF La
Toilette in Wisconsin, and Of Johnson
the democrat in Minnesota. In Penn
sylvania the republican machine is fol-
Knox, but the voters Of that state will
vote for any republican. Fairbanks
and Cannon control the republican par
ty In Indiana and Illinois. But In
every single one Of the republican
states have named, except New
York, Roosevelt would poll more
votes than the favorite son.
"The same hold true of Bryan anG
the democratic states. II the prlnci
pie of natural selection was allowed Il
prevail, the candidates would b.
Roosevelt and Bryan. II no nominal
ion conventions were held, and ths
people were allowed to vote for whom
soever they saw fit, does any one
doubt that Roosevelt and Bryan woult
poll larger vote than any other mel
In the country?
"Mr. Taft derives practically all o
his strength from Roosevelt He &C
knowledges this both In word and
deeds. He acknowledges 1t when hi
stays in the Cabinet. He acknowled
ges II In his speeches when he says
unreservedly that he is a believer in
and will follow up the Roosevelt pol
icies II nominated and elected. Mr.
Taft is an able man and clean man
and a big man in heart and body and
brain. but does anybody suppose that
he would today be the leading candi
date FOR the Republican nomination II
1t had not been for Roosevelt? II Is
because the facts In the case are whal
they are that the outlook is puzzline
and there is no legitimate basis for
safe prediction.
IF Mr.. Taft is nominated and
think he will be, 1t will be due almost
wholly to the efforts. direct and In
direct of President Roosevelt, ana II
will De up to Mr.. Roosevelt to elect
his choice. That he realizes this is
shown, think, In all of his various
recent messages and ACTIONS. The
message OF yesterday has no other
reason for its existence than this
one"
President Roosevelt has recently
put forward the interesting theory
that II Governor Hughes, early in his
administration, had declared himself
a Roosevelt man, and had come over
TO Washington two or three times to
consult the White House, he might
today have the nomination for the
presidency cinched 1t Is Mr.. Roose-
velt's idea that Gov. Hughes natural
Independent strength in New York,
when coupled up with the Roosevelt
feeling throughout the country. would
have made him invincible. The pres
ident holds firmly to the belief that
nobody hut disciple of his can be
nominated or elected this year; and
the disciple, following Whistler's def
milton, must have the courage OF his
masters convictions.
1t is phrasing the situation conser.
vatively to say that Taft's nomination