The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-15
HE COMES At
TAFT'S REQUEST
President and Famous Mining
Man Are Warm Personal
and Political Friends.
JOINS KITCHEN CABINET
POWERFUL INFLUENCE AS HEAD
OF REPUBLICAN CLUBS.

John Hays Hammond, president Of
the National League Of Republican
Clubs, who recently declined an ap-
pointment to the post Of minister to
China, has been invited by the president
to accompany him on his trip through
the west next month.
Because OF his long experience in the
west and his prominent part in the de-
velOpment of its mineral and other nat
ural resources, few are considered by
the president TO have a better under
standing of the men and problems Of
that section of the country than Mr.
Hammond. When the famous mining
engineer was a candidate for the vice
presidency last year, some Of those
most friendly to his candidacy never
reached the point where these votes
were recorded. AS president OF the
American Institute of Mining Engineers
and the Rocky Mountain club OF New
York, and as chairman Of the COM
mittee on uniform laws Of the National
Civic Federation. he has come in con-
slant and active contact with condi-
tons IN the Rocky Mountain states.
But it is more as a personal friend
that "Jack," as the president fondly
terms Mr.. Hammond, has been invited
to be one Of the few outside the Of
fetal party who viii accompany him.
The two were at Yale together. They
have been warm friends all their lives
and their respective wives are intimate.
AS president Of the National Republican
league last year, Mr.. Hammond did
much to arouse interest in the cam
paign. Mr.. Taft twice addressed the
national convention Of the league in
Cincinnati and 10000 persons crowded
TO hear him at its last session He has
openly stated that The league Of clubs
did as much as any one factor to carry
his own state, despite the success Of
Judson Harmon, the Democratic can
diiate for governor.
Taft to Outline Policies.
Many. speeches pertaining to the tar
IF and other live problems of interest
to the people of the country will be
made In them the president is expected
TO clearly outline the distinctive policies
of his administration. He viii follow
the Roosevelt plan of making an appeal
direct to the people for their support.
In the rear-car-platform stumping, Mr..
Hammond, who is an entertaining
speaker. viii assist.
It is a significant fact in connection
with the politics of the Taft administra-
ton that almost Immediately after the
last campaign had been concluded so
successfully by the Republican party,
the league of clubs, with its 1000, 900
members and 1000 clubs adopted a plan
of marking time" The headquarters |
at the Hotel Astor in New York, where
incessant activity was displayed dur
ing the campaign, were closed. Smell
Smith, the secretary and organizer Of
the league and Mr.. HammOnd's right
hand man in political matters. re-
turned to work as a Washington news
paper correspondent. but Immediately
after President Taft had been in
stalled in the White House a meeting
Of the representatives Of the league
from all the states was held in Wash
ington and headquarters were opened
there in the Union Trust building with
Mr. Smith in charge.
Shortly afterwards It was announced
that Mr.. Hammond had leased the
house formerly occupied by Mr.. Root
when secretary Of the state and that he
would entertain there extensively next
winter. These facts and Mr.. Ham
monds frequent visits to the White
House. occasionally spending the night
with the family, lent color to the grow
ing belief among the politicians at the
national capital that Mr.. Hammond
had been selected as a very prominent
member of the Kitchen cabinet"
A Political Friendship.
It was soon discovered that the al
lance between the president and Mr..
Hammond was not based upon friend
ship merely. but was also political. The
president sent to the senate the name
of Hy D. Davis Of Cleveland, organizer
for the league in his state last fall, as
United state marshal for the northern
district Of Ohio. Soon afterwards Mr.
Hammond himself was offered the post
OF minister to China and it was stated
that. If he accepted. the post would be
raised TO an Enthusiastically.
As a great business man with a To-
mantle career Of doing things, he was
thought TO be the man to cope with the
financial diplomacy Of Europe and Sc
cure for the United States some Of those
invaluable financial concessions, with
out which the country would be IN
able to gain practical benefit from
John Hays open door policy. But he
declined, as is now well known, upon
the ground Of a desire to remain at
home with his family, growing to man
hood and wOmanhOod.
Having lately purchased 600 900 acres
ae -,