The Washington herald., 1908-03-18
TAFT OR ROOSEVELT.
Take Presidents Candidate
OR President Himself.
LODGE TALKS OF OUTLOOK
Now Begins to Share the View of
Senator Bourne as to the Second
Elective Term Idea - Significant
Talk Heard Recently at a Dinner
Party-Look Ont for Stampede.

The Washington correspondent OF the
Boston Herald sends the following to his
paper:
Senator Lodge. the closest personal
friend the President has IN Congress, is
now rival TO Senator Bourne in talk
ing second elective term for Roose-
welt.
"A few nights ago Senator Lodge was
guest az a dinner here. and in the smok
ing-room became one OF group OF four
who discussed Presidential politics One
of them. prominent Representative. re-
marked that II the Democrats would al
low him TO write the platform. Bryan
could give Taft a hard run. and could
come very near to defeating Roosevelt
Senator Lodge observed that people
need not be so certain Roosevelt would
not be nominated.
II they keep pounding away at Sec
retary Taft and succeed in preventing his
nomination at Chicago on the first ball
lot. look out for a stampede 10 Roose-
velt.' said he.
Oh. you are all saying that now in
the hope Of driving business men TO sup
Senator. who had been one OF the group.
1t is nice political coup. but it won't
work
Lodge Insists on Possibility.
Senator Lodge insisted. that there was
decided prospect that the President
would be renominated. He has been
talking il emphatically In other places
during the past week. so emphatieally
that some anti-Taft Republicans are be-
ginning 20 think the President may want
the nomination after all
AS far as political and Official Wash
ington are concerned. the Presidents s
name has never been used more in con-
nection with the present campaign than
of late. There has been new wave OF
third term talk, and, as has generally
been the case. Il proceeds in the main
/ from the Presidents confdants. Some OF
his opponents take il up as they fire.
quently have heretofore. 20 demonstrate
their claims that he Is not sincere In his
declaration Of election night, 1904
The Presidents friends used the third
term talk last autumn 10 keep his sup
porters from straying 10 other candi-
dates before the TAFT boom could be well
organized When that had been accom-
plished the third term talk was dis
couraged and eventually ceased for a
while. with the issuance Of the Presl-
dents reiteration that he would under
no circumstances accept denomination.
Wave of Third-term Talk.
Washington prophets say that the
present wave OF third term talk will sub
side as soon as il Is aseertaIned whether
business interests that are hostile 20 the
President Will be affected by it and join
the Taft standard
Incidentally. the denomination talk
proceeding frem administration circles
just now PROPOSES that the old ticket OF
Roosevelt and Fairbanks shall be put into
the running. The convention. II STAN
peded, would do It's work quickly, men
say. There would be nothing left 10 90
at that stage but name the ticket. as all
the preliminary work would be out OF the
way. And II the Roosevelt enthusiasts
should succeed IN their work they would
not stop for the usual consultations
about running mate. They would put
Fairbanks name through by acclanation
and adjourn sine die before Roosevelt
would have time 10 send telegram de-
cllning.T