The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-01-17
ROOSEVELT
TAFT FIGHT
Special to the Record.

SPECTRAL 20 lHG IAGCoiu
Washington. Jan. 17.-Back of the
action of President Taft in openly de-
clarIng war on the insurgents, stalks
the ghost of Theodore. Roosevelt.
Mr.. Taft wants second term in
the White House, which is a perfectly
natural and highly laudable ambition,
and is here chronicled merely because
il is the fact. Wanting the job him
self, il is also natural and human
that Mr.. Tart does not wish anyone
else to beat him out of it-and that
he is going to take every possible pre-.
caution in an endeavor To prevent
anyone from doing SO.
Tle one man who stands a better
chance than any other one man of in
terferring with the Presidents ambi-
tioa To secure a denomination at the
hands of the next republican national
convention, is Mr.. Roosevelt. The
whole country realizes this. so of
course Mr.. Taft and his advisers know
it. too
Foreseeing that il must be Taft or
Roosevelt Mr. Taft and ais friends
are doing what any other politicians
would do under the same circum-
stances if they were wise politicians
Mr. Taft with able assistance. is MS
ing the federal patronage to builu
up a machine which. il is hoped, will
make il possible To pack the next re-
publican national convention in favo.
of Taft and against Roosevelt.
The recital of this fact is not in
tended to carry any criticism of Mr.
Taft, or of anyone. II is all the game
of politics as it is played in the Unit
ed States, and Mr.. Roosevelt would
dc the same thing under the same cir
cumstances. Mr.. Tafts activity is
here described simply because it is
uhe fact, and an interesting thing to
know.
The man whom Mr.. Taft depends
upon to pack the next republican 1 4
tional conception against Roosevelt
is Postmaster General Frank Hitch
cock, who has a natural talent fo-
suca work This is the test Mr..
Hitchcock applies to applicants for
'deral positions: "If you should be
esnt to the Republican National con
vention, or your political boss or any
man whose political boss YOU are,
should lie sent. would either you o.
they support Roosevelt in preference
to Taft?"
OF course, Mr. Hitchcock does not
apply these exact words. They indi
cate the nature of the test put to pros
pective ofIiceholders, nevertheless.
Often the public will notice. how
ever. that a nan recommended by
member of Congress known as an in
surgent gets his position. This will
be afforded the best evidence To
be had that the insurgent is one in
.Iame only.
1t is estimated there are 100000 fed
eral jobs all told. 1t would mean
pretty big Taft machine if every posi-
tion could be filled with men could
pass the Hitchcock test. Does this
mean Roosevelt is doomed? Not nee
essarily. although most of the trusts
and special interests would support
the Taft machine and oppose Roose-
welt. IL the delegates should get il
into their heads at the last moment
that Taft was certain of defeat, they
might scamper like rats from scut
tied ship.
The submarine boat lobby is with
us again in Washi gton. One of the
missions of this lobby is to bribe
newspaper men to write articles urg-
ing the purchase by the government
of submarines instead of battleships.
The lobby pays ex-members of Con
gress a commission of 1000 each on
every submarine of a certain type
taat the government purchases while
they are on the job. CNo charge for
this notice.)
When the Standard Oil Company s
chief product was under discussion
in the House of Representatives, dur
ing the making of the tariff bill,
Speaker Cannon abandoned the
speakers perch temporarily and made
a fine speech on the floor of the
House in favor of a duty on oil. Now