The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-01-28
ARE TRYING TO
BOOM ROOSEVELT
Said to Be Secret Organization
With That Object.
INVOLVED IN FORESTRY FEUD.
Called the "Return From Elba" Crowd.
Almost Certain Roosevelt Will Not
Consent to Be Candidate-Presi-
dent Taft's Acknowledgements of a
Former Roosevelt Senator.

Consent TO BE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
dent Taft's Acknowledgment of a
Former Roosevelt Senator.
Washington, Jan. %. There have
long been rumors in Washington that
there is return from Elba" organ
ization and that many of the things
which have been happening here have
proceeded from this source. The story
is that number of newspaper men,
some congressman, bunch of New
York magazines and others are includ
ed in the group. Their object is to
They have had chief part in foment-
ing the BalliHger- Pinchot controversy
so goes the tale-and are at least in
sympathetic relations with the inSur-
gents. One New York newspaper goes
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 a 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 it up in the west
and gave it to the press. The latest
circumGtantial story IF the return
from Elba" contingent is to the effect
that the secret meetings to boycott
high prices have been attended chiefly
by this element. Another report has
it that the president and his cabinet
have long known of a secret coterie
who were trying to discredit Taft and
boom Roosevelt
Roosevelt Not a Candidate.
There is just enough in all this talk
about a possible fight between the
president and his predecessor to arUu z
the curiosity, and l have tried IT, G.2
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
I can give without betraying a conf
dence l learned enough to convince
me that Theodore Roosevelt will never
again become candidate for the pres.
idency. The same reasons he had fol
Directing in 1908 are still in existence
One of these reasons is the popular
tradition against a third term. TIC
show how much in earnest Mr.. Roose
welt was in declining a nomination
two years ago comes the incident of a
western senator who was friendly
with him. 1t happened that this sen.
ator's county Endorsed Roosevelt by
resolution. The senator was not t.
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. Nor does this |
particular senator now believe that
Roosevelt will again become a candi |
date.
What Taft Thinks About 1t.
1t is impossible to quote the presi /
dent of the United States, but those |
who have been in conversation with
Mr.. Taft have told enough to make II
certain that he does not believe Roose I
welt will consent to another nomina.
ton. Those who imagine that Taft is .
always placid do not know him. There .
are times when the smile leaves his .
face and when he pounds the table and .
uses vigorous English. We can imag.
inc such an occasion and can think of
the president saying when this "back
from Elba" idea was brought up,
when Theodore Roosevelt gets back
he will be the most embarrassed man
in the country, and, mark my word, he
will make a public declaration that he
is not candidate for president" This
you understand, is entire
ly imaginary, and yet Mr.. Taft hSld-
ing the opinions he does, might express
himself in some such way.
A Question of Good Faith.
1t is altogether possible, Of course,
that a bunch of Roosevelt's friends
might be working up a third term
boom without the knowledge or con-
sent of the ex-president himself.
Hitchcock and Cortelyou tried that
game prior to the 1908 convention and
got a beautiful calling down for doing
It. If Roosevelt now returns and finds
that a return from Elba" contingent
has been using his name in vain, after
he had given specific promises public
" and perhaps privately that he would
not again become a candidate, it might
indeed embarrass him. Ii naturally
would embarrass any honorable man
TO have his sincerity and good faith
20 called In question.
A Political Pipe.
The running Of Roosevelt for presi-
dent in 1912 Is a dream. 1t is just as
well to wake mp and get back to reali-
ties. One Of these realities may be
that there is an organized effort to
boom him. and If so that can be dealt
with apart from the dream itself Ii
NAV even be that some Of those en-
ragged in the effort would not weep to
see Taft put on the blink. but that
they would go to the length Of help
ing to elect a Democratic congress