The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-08

Beveridge. We never did like ma,
With name like that.
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THE COMING or 1.-THE COLONEL.'
Walter Wellman las been finding
i out things over in Europe, whore he is
/ trying to connect with the Colonel
In one of his recent cable letters he
sends the interesting and cheering
news that the Colonel feels in nowise
responsible for Taft. and is not In
clined to do anything that may either
help or harm him. Moreover" says
MIR Wcllman the intimate friendship
once existing between them no longer
exists
This is due to certain actions on the
/ part of the President and also to the
| somewhat surprising change in the
| character of his methods since his
| nomination and election
Judging BY what he does not say
rather than by what he does, Roosc-
yelt's travelling companions understand
that his estimate of Taft is not now
so high as when he made his sue
| eessor. Roosevelt feels that no
obligations OF friendship or any such
considerations bind him in his rela
lions with the incumbent in the presi
dency."
Henry Watterson makes a great
mtration over what wellman says.
and licking his chops in anticipation
of that dinner at Washington, calls
on Mr.. pulitzer. of the New York
World, Joseph, put the kettle on.
Well ali have tea We have not
seen the Wellman records in this case
and doubt that they have been sub
mitted to Captain Loose and the New
York Times for veriacation; but some
how we fear that he has miscalculat-
cd both his latitude and longitude.
We have heard that there has been no
direct communication between Mr..
Taft and the Colonel since the latter
went on his great hunting expedition:
and We doubt very much that the Col
onel has made any statement on the
subject OF his relations with the Pres
iGent. We are quite ready to believe
that he would not suffer any obiiga
lions OF friendship to influence his
conduct in this or any other matter.
and we imagine that Mir Taft knows
him as we'll as anybody else in the
country. We also have an idea that
Mr.. Taft could be a very ugly sort OF
antagonist If the worst should come
to the best between himself and the
former President good -natured man
is the ineanest sort of a man in
really close hand-to-hand fight; for
which all good Democrats should fer
vently pray in the event predicted by
the pr Frederick A Cook, of Jour
nalism
There are, o. course. conditions
which might make it imperative for
the Colonel to enter the arena against
the best fitted man for President who
has ever offered for the place" or words
to that effect He would not hesitate
for example. to save the country from
japanese invasion, or suffer the Ger
mans TO land at Boston and burn up
that town, or permit brave old Ben
Tulman to take up any more sections
in Oregon; but we do not believe that
he has yet made up his mind not TO
be a candidate against Mr.. Taft in
1912. o'Loughlin's special dispatch
from Rome to Editor Moore, of the
Pittsburs Leader, we must say, has a
suspicious look and has set US guess
ing again
Roosevelt, of course. wants cele-
bration national, if held at all. As
you say, special desire is to give the
people at large chance 10 greet him
If they SO wish"
II that message was not written or
dictated by the Colonel John Callan
oLoughlin has learned how to imi-
tate him. Only a week or so ago, the
news came that the Colonel did not
want any reception and would not
stand for it a minute, and now we are
told that If there is to be celcbra-
ton at ali he would like to have IL Ma
.ional in character; and he viii get il.
too. unless his luck fails From all
parts Of this broad country, from the
and Hawaii and Porto Rico
and from the rising OF the sun back to
tho East again, for there is no setting
sun on our broad domains any more,
the tribes will go up-cowboy and
"cullud genterman," prize-dghtcr and
patriot. muck-raker and maIefactor, in
SERTED array to greet the returning
warrior home. It viii be little touch
Of ancient Rome, the conqueror drag
ging at his chariot wheels his hosts
of hostages amidst the cheers OF an
intoxicated mob. "of course" as
o'Loughlin cables from Rome. .Roosc-
welt wants celebration National, if held
at an And may we be there to see.
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AN EMPTY VICTORY.
Snrialiutc tirn,,.,L,..,,