The Washington times., 1908-04-12
THIRD TERN BOON
BEING WORKED UP
TO DEFEAT TAFT
President Regarded as
Only Candidate Ger
tain to Win.
Secretary'S Weaknesses
Pointed Out-ACCuSed
of Political Deals.

week that Roosevelt sentiment has been
developing with remarkable rapidity.
The demand for the denomination Of the
President has been voiced from all
parts Of the country, but especially
here in Washington, in the confer
ences and councils of party leaders, has
This movement gained ground.
The most notable feature, in this con-
nection, is the growing disposition Of
the supporters of favorite-sou candI-
date TO drop everything else TO seize
hold on the one remaining chance which
seems to represent some hope of de-
feating Secretary Taft.
People who a few short weeks ago
regarded Jonathan Bourne as an in
terestins freak, \ bit light in the head
though doubtless well-meaning enough.
are today tripping the second cleo
tive term" phrase from their tongues,
and delivering themselves Of the ar
sument with perfectly straight faces.
They are in earnest about il, too. They
have decided that candidates with whom
the party can win are scarce, and that
therefore the one whom everybody rs-
CARDS as unQuestionably strongest ought
10 be chosen.
termers are by no means all original
Roosevelt men. Their ranks include a
great number who have not been for
Roosevelt at any time, but who now de-
clare that they are for him because
they regard him as a winner.
President Outwitred Them.
There is a sharp difference between
the attitude of mind OF thOce people to
day and that Of four months ago About
tho time Congress met there was a deal
OF third-term talk Everybody realized
that it was largely insincere; that It
came to a considerable extent from
people who didn't want Roosevelt at all.
but wanted to use his name and pres
tiga as a shield behind which to organize
for other men; but the President. in
stead Of considerably leaving that
shield TO be used for the protection of
those who had been his opponents. de
urived them Of st by taking himself
cut Of the race. He set up the Roose-
welt policies as a shield behind which
to organize the Taft movement and
the allied opposition was left in sad
predicament.
SO now the allied opposition TO Taft
Is. proposing nothing less than mag
nifcent tour de force by which 70 re-
take this fertilization. They plan a
frontal attack. to thrJw aside all STRAIT
egy and pretense. and TO issue Mace
DOMAIN call to the country to get in
line for the one measure that, as they
declare, will save the party They pro-
pose in one glorious charge to retake
possession of the third-term ground,
and 20 hold IL against even the eX-
plosion of A mine loaded with further
renunciations by the President They
are calling on the country to witness
that they have at lasr got around TO
its position; they v ar Roosevelt, and
il wants Roosevelt. They need but to
get together and take the field. and
nothing can withstand them. Not even
the Presidents resolve; for, they say.
the President IS not greater than his
party. It has given him honor and con-
hdence; he cannot refuse it service.
Taft People Protest.
The Taft people somewhat patheticalIy
protest that all these assurances by
the erstwhile opposition ought not to be
taken seriously. They say it is at worst
another plot TO undo Taft; at best, it
is bad politics, exposing the weaknesses
OF the party's position to an enemy
which viii not fail 90 take advantage OF
the information after the nominations
are made. They decTy such suggestions
as that Taft will be weak with the
colored vote and organized labor. point
ing out that Taft is sure to win now:
it's all over, and this is no time for Re
publicans to befoul their own nest
1t IS too soon TO tell whether this
recrudescence Of the third-ternn move
ment will develop force. It has started
in Washington, where Roosevelt has al
ways been weakest Out in the country.
where he has been strongest. If It is
taken up and pressed and Endorsed, Il
may become a most serious matter. On
the other hand. the suspicion that il is
still insincere may result in it's rejec-
ton. The next fortnight Will probably
decide whether the new movement is
TO wax powerful and irresistible or to
fade and die before an onrushing wave
OF Taft strength
Taft's Weaknesses.
The opposition to Taft has thus fal
lacked the courage to come out and
say openly the things that are circulat-
ed IN private about the Ohioan's weak
1893 49, O. NfNAANAANeANN. ~ IL A4AdA eNA AAAtAt
Taft is getting the West with promises
Of carrying forward the Roosevelt pro-
gram. and enlisting Wall Street with
assurances that he is-.'- for that pro-
gram nor for the Roosevelt methods
1t is charged that he is trying TO warm
up TO labor, while holding the anti-un-
ion labor forces to mis- support. 1t i,
urged that, claiming 70 be a reformer
ne has lined up with the Ohio bosses
and that in the deal Ohio has beer
made a doubtful State
But ell these charges are made in the
closet and under cover. They are whis-
pered from mouth TO ear; nobody VIII