The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-02-17

to the length of asserting that the
design of the combination Is to dis
credit the Taft administration and
elect Democratic congress this year,
This part of the story sounds fantas-
tic. but In the remainder there is per-
haps germ of truth. am led to this
view by remarks dropped by certain
newspaper men and other indications.
For example. the idea of having
Roosevelt return by way of San Fran
cisco was talked of In certain inner
circles In Washington weeks before
Champ Clark picked 1t up in the west
and gave 1t to the press.
There is just enough In all this talk
about a possible fight between the
president and his predecessor to arouse
the curiosity, and | have tried to dig
out the truth Of it. with no very great
success. From two men who were
very close to Roosevelt when he was
president and neither Of whose names
l can give without betraying a conf
dence | learned enough to convince
me that Theodore Roosevelt will never
again become a candidate for the pres
idency. The same reasons he had for
Directing in 1908 are still in existence.
One of these reasons is the popular
tradition against third term. To
show how much In earnest Mr.. Roose-
welt was In declining nomination
two years ago comes the incident of a
western senator who was friendly
with him. 1t happened that this SEN
ator's county indorsed Roosevelt by
resolution. The senator was not to
blame. but the president did not know
this, and when the statesman returned
to Washington he was called to the
White House and given some straight
talk that left no doubt in his mind of
Roosevelt's sincerity.
Those who come into most intimate
association with President Taft are
agreed that second term is the least
of his concerns. Indeed. he has been
known to say, with some heat and
force. that he did not give a double
deedee-or something to that effect
for another term, but was determined
to do his duty in the present one.
Moreover. he declines to be actuated
by political considerations. This Is
not exactly the usual line of talk in
Washington, or at least if INDUCED in
is not taken seriously. and for any
one to mean 1t literally has given the
capital a sort Of dazed and uncertain
feeling The significance of the re-
mark may sink in eventually. how
ever, and If Ii ever does will help the
politicians TO get correct line on the
new president. a thing that up to the
present they have somehow failed to
do.
At least one good joke has come out
of the meeting Of the house of gov
errors. 1t was noticed that whenever
America" was whistled or played in
the vicinity Of Governor John, Burke
Of North Dakota ne looked around ap-
prehensively. and the other governors
wondered the reason. Finally 1t came
out
When Senator Johnson died Gov
ernor Burke delayed the appointment
of his successor until the state was
bristling with candidates. His din
culties grew greater as the delay
heightened. and finally Governor Burke
turned TO his friend and neighbor, Sen
ator Fountain l. Thompson. and made
him a senator overnight Some of the
disappointed-and they were many
got ont card purporting to bear Gov
ernor Burke's favorite song. They
sung Ii TO the air America" and II