The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-19
TAFTITES FAVOR FORT
Jersey Governor May Be Sec
! retary'S Running Mate.
GUILD NOT IN THE RUNNING
Massachusetts Mans Unfortunate
Remark May BE Partly RESPONSE
bie-Nhether Taft NeEIeets work
az Secretary OF War While Chasing
Presidency Question at Issue.

Gov Curtis Guild. Of Massachusetts.
is here. fast on the heels OF the rumor
! that President Roosevelt wants him TO be
the Republican candidate for Vice Pres
ident, provided Secretary Tart is selected
for first place on the ticket
If the governor cherished any decisions
on this score he was undecevcd soon
after he reached Washington, or at least
he declared that there was no truth in
the report affecting him.
Gov. j. Franklin Fort. OF New Jersey,
will be here to-day He VIII be a house
guest at the White House. He has been
called here 10 be looked over, in order
that the powers that be and those that
( hope to be may determine whether he
is of Vice Presidential size
Gov. Guild has not been considered. and
will not be considered. for second place
by those trying to bring about the nomi-
nation of Secretary Taft for the Presi-
dency
Gov. Fort is one OF the men-the fore
most man, in fact-uDon whom the Taft
management has its eagle eye in its
search for a Vice Presidential candidate
Attention was attracted 10 him when.
| in his inaugural address last month. ne
declared for strict government super
vision Of great corporations. and the lin
itation of their stock and bond issues.
COmpIimented by President.
The governor was in Washington on
January p, and had talk with Presi-
dent Roosevelt. who complimented him
highly on his inaugural utterances. Ap-
proval OF the governors sentiments was
J expressed in the Presidents special mes
sage OF January 81.
Mr. Forts return To New Jersey was
! coincidental with a report circulated there
I that the President had indicated that 8Ir.
Fort was wanted for second place on the
| Taft ticket. Nobody here in a position
TO know would confirm that statement.
but it is now pretty well understood that
! Fort is under consideration for nOmina-
/ ton as Mr.. Tafts running mate
! People may say what they please about
| Gov. Guild, but everybody VIII have 10
| admit that whatever were the hopes that
/ filed his breast when ne reached Wash
/ lngton. he was wise enough 10 see how
/ the land lay before he had been hero
! very long. He gave out a statement yes
! terday. following o visit 10 the White
! House, in which he indicated that he was
! out of Il. That accords fully with the
| view generally held i'm administrative
! circles with regard 10 GOV Guilds pros
poets or political advancement.
Think Guild II Piqucd
! There is a suspicion on the part Of some
/ Of those who have read the governors
! statement that he is piqued over the way
his chances for the Vice Presidency have
gone a-glimmerinE. Otherwise. il is ar
sued. why should the governor have made
such a significant remark-made twice in
fact-that he could not enter into q con
/ test for the Vice Presidential nomination
! without neglectinZ his duty as governor?
| It is regarded as very unkind and i'll
advised for the governor 10 intimate even
/ that any man who holds an important
governmental Office would be negleCting
/ his official duties by devoting himself 10
an active campaign for the highest honors
within the reach Of the Republican party
! This is reference pointing so directly
TO Secretary Taft's campaign methods
/ that Gov. Guild may find himself in i'll
favor AT the White House.
Taft Not NeEIecting Work.
| It is claimed by Mr.. Taft's friends that,
I although he is away from Washington so
much, he does not neglect his work as
Secretary Of War. lie works while he is
absent, they say, and works harder than
ever to make up for lost time when he
returns. OF course, there are some over
critical people who pretend 10 believe that
a man who occupies an administrative Of
flee under the government ought TO stick
1 10 his desk in these busy times, with Con-
gress in session and many important
measures affecting his department under
/ consideration. But this contention car
rieS little weight when it is directed
against the Secretary Of War. What does
carry weight however. is the assertion
1 that as long as Mr.. Taft remains in the
Cabinet he appears TO sanction the allega-
tons that President Roosevelt is seeking
t. name his own successor. and that Mr..
! Taft fears that ne viii lose much political
/ prestige If he sewers his official connection
with Mr.. Roosevelt's administration.