The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-04-26
ANTETAFT FORCES
STRIKE NEAR BLOW
At THE SECRETARY
Almost Call Him Things
in Statement About
the Outlook.
Allies Cheered by De-
veloping Sentiment
for Roosevelt.

The allied Ops sition TO Secretary
Taft's nomination for President almost
screwed up its courage in its weekly
emanation issued last night from its
press bureau 20 the point Of saying
something.
Almost-bUt not quite.
For several weeks the allies have been
trying 70 nerve themselves up to say
ing, with some trimmings, something
like this:
That Secretary Taft is the real can
didate Of the malefactors of great
wealth.
That he is getting support under false
pretenses.
That he is being touted out West.
where they like that sort OF thing as
another Roosevelt, full Of zest and Gag
ernsss TO carry forward the whole
Roosevelt program.
Different in Street.
That at the very same time he is
being urged upon Wall Street as a very
different sort OF person-safe, sane.
calm. judicial, and perfectly certain u
be the sort Of President big business
would like
That he has. under stress OF this kind
Wall Street.
That this scheme Of hirChinE Wall
Street and Kansas up in double harness
is certain to be disastrous TO the party
That is the sort OF religion the allies
have been wanting other people to in
culcate for them. They haven't had
nerve enough TO say il on their own
responsibility. But. really. they edged
f~rr O 10 Fe~r+
They are now holding their breath won
dering whether shorter and uglier
word Will be applied TO them.
Aching for Abuse.
They say. too. that they are hoping
II will be applied. They are just aching
so they alege-for a little abuse that
will justify them in telling all they
know about the Taft combination with
the Interests
The allies" or "rea ctionaries.' as
they also call themselves-for in Tie
accepted parlance which the numerous
Taft boomers have provided for the
campaign. everybody who is not fol
Taft is a reactionary-have been much
cheered by the developing sentiment for
Roosevelt. Il is no longer denied even
by the foremost Taft people that the
Secretary's real danger is in the prob
ability Of a swing toward the Presi-
dency, a stampede that nobody can
stop, and that Will decline absolutely
10 take no" from him when It is
telegraphed TO the convention.
But here is the allies bulletin which
came so near to saying something that
its failure made il rather notable:
The Development OF greatest sig
r1fFranH1 fro hal Ia Of ra
result Of the Chicago convention is the
confederation OF the statement which
appeared in a bulletin prematurely is
sued from the Taft headquarters at Co
lumbus. Ohio. some weeks ago 10 the
effect that the candidacy of Judge Taft
IS being promoted by Wall Street inter
csts which have been conspicuously an
tagonistic 10 the policies of the present |
administration.
THE delegates obtained for Taft west
OF the Alleghenies have been procured /
exclusively on the representation that /
Secretary Taft was the special champion !
o. certain Governmental policies objec- /
tionahle 10 influential interests which |
are now giving public indication Of their /
espousal Of his cause.
Plans Not ForetoId.
This support IS predicated upon the |
expressed belief that Judge Tafts candi- /
dacy represents an attitude on impor- 1
tant public questions widely at variance |
from that which has been portrayed in /
the creation Of -aft sentiment through I
out the West and Middle West
During the last week this support /
has been bold-voiced by prominent rep |
resentativos of great financial interests |
such as Mr.. Lcnier 81 the banking firm |
OF Winslow & Lanier. who declared in |
an interview that wall Street is for |
Taft The claim has been made for I
months In the literature circulated in /
behalf OF Judge Taft's candidacy that |
these interests were behind other candi- |
dates who have been described in this /
literature as 'reactionary.- The sup
port Of Secretary Tafts candidacy by |
these interests at this time is open. no |
torious and cannot be denied. II is not /
believed that delegates selected in the /
West on the theory that Secretary |
Tafts candidacy represented the cor |
tilUanCe OF policies Odious TO these in |
terssts can be held in lire at the Chi |
cago convention in view Of the changed |
conditions.
During the week there we're held two I
State conventions and n Territorial con- !
vention. All were claimed for Taft In /
all defeat was sustained by the Taft I
managers.
Taft Resolution Loses.
Although announcement had been I
made prior 10 the New Hampshire con-
vention that the delegates were almost !
unanin,Jusly for Taft. end that failure /
&c pass Instructions would be only
through tolerance on the part OF Taft
managers. a mild resolution Of prefer |
ence for Taft was defeated by a vote |
OF IA to 8. IN Nevada. also claimed fer |
Taft. Taft Instructions were defeated by (
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