The Washington herald., 1908-06-08
Opposition 10 Taft.

The reports from the avant-coureurs.
the newspaper men who have arrived
early at Chicago indicate that the Oppo-
sition 10 the nomination Of Mr.. Taft is
by no means perfunctory. IL II does ap-
pear somewhat disorganized. Indeed, now
that some OF the preliminary smoke has
rolled away, we are able to discern some
Of the more prominent points in the at
tack on Mr.. Tafts candidacy.
Those opposed to Mr. Taft's nomina-
ton at Chicago take as their first weapon
the doubt whether, II he be nominated
he can be elected. Many reasons are
given for this belief. and most Of them
are summed up in a special dispatch to
the indianapolis News. which. It must
be remembered, being earnestly desirous
that IndIana's "favorIte son" shall figure
in the campaign. can hardly be regarded
as unprejudiced. Be that as 1t may. the
correspondent of the News gives as the
concrete expression of the Taft opponents
the following reasons for their doubt as
to his strength:
l. On reflection the people Of the country viii no,
elect man whose nomination was dictated from
the White House
: He viii lose the votes Of n large number OF
progressive Republicans eTery7here as a result Of
the support he is getting from Wall street and from
the trusts and the interests generally.
The negro vote Of the country is against him and
will never becomo recuncilei to his nomination.
4. Organized labor is nfdendly TO him and is
quietly planning 20 wage war against him II no
should be nominated.
s His statement about Gen Grant on Decoration
Day has offended the Grand Army men Of the land
and they may be expected 20 DO lukewarm in the
campaign, if they do not refuse to s1ppOrt him.
Here then, we have what may be taken
10 be the most severe arraignment pos
slble OF Secretary Taft Whether these
objections will carry weight before the
Republican convention there is little to
indicate.
It is true that there is basis for legiti-
mate criticism as 20 the selection of GER
tain delegates TO the convention. There
has been much more Federal interference
than we had any right to expect from so
outspokeu l. civil-service reformer as
Mr.. Roosevelt, and in the election of
Southern delegates especially there were
far too many Federal oficeholders in the
conventions.
But there has been no disguise OF the
fact that the Secretary Of War is Mr..
Roosevelt's chosen candidate. and the
country will believe that he was chosen
because he seemed the man best fitted
TO carry along the Roosevelt policies.
II people agree that they want those
policies 10 continue. and that Mr. Taft
is the man to do 1t. it will not seem to
matter much that the President allowed
one Of his pet reforms to be brushed
aside for the emergency so as TO assure
the nomination Of his favUrite.
The country at large Is not likely 70 be
much shocked at the objections brought
forward by the Taft opposition. Indeed
as 1t appears now. there is only one name
besides that Of Taft which has a chance
10 be seriously considered by the Republi.
can convention. That name, is Roose-
velts. II the opposition to Mr.. Taft
should succeed in casting serious doubt
as 70 his availability or his strength be-
fore the country, II will awaken the dele
gates 10 a realization of the paucity OF
strong Presidential timber outside OF Mr..
Taft. and rejecting him for fear of party
defeat, they must turn. perforce, to Theo-
dore Roosevelt and insist that it is his
duty to make the fight once more.