The San Francisco call., 1910-12-28
PRESIDENT TAFT
Will run in 1912
Executive to Be Candidate for
Reelection Regardless of
ROOseveIt's Attitude
By IRA E. BENNETT
Special Dispatch to The Call


WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec 81
Whether Colonel Roosevelt supports
him or not, President Taft win be
candidate for denomination in 1912. He
is convinced that the people want him
TO return to the White House.
Taft is not waiting to see which way
the political wind blows. He is not
concerned with the question of whether.
should he make the race, he will be
elected or deefated. The only ques7
tion which he will consider will be
whether his party wants him to be a
candidate.
At the present time the friends of
President Taft are convinced that he is
the logical candidate for 1912. They be-
lieve he is the one man that can give
the slightest hope of a united party.
They believe. moreover, that from now
on he will grow in popularity. When
some of the achievements of Taft have
had time to sink into the public mind
they feel that he will be hailed as a
conservative man who has proven that
the deed is mightier than the word.
state leaders such as Lloyd c. Girls
com, president of the New York
county republican committee; Collector
Loeb and Otto T. Barnard, have in
formed the president that he is the
only man who can count on united
delegation to the 1912 convention from
New York Senators Penrose and
oliver of Pennsylvania declare the
same sentiments exist in the keystone
state. From Ohio, Maine. Massachu-
setts and other eastern states the
same reports have come. With the eX-
ception of the followers of Senators
Cummins and La Toilette the state
delegations in congress have made SIM
liar statements to the president
While Senator Cummins might be
able to line up several of the western
states for himself should he decide
finally to announce his candidacy, it is
not believed that he could win cough
votes to carry the convention. The
leaders are sure that Senator La Fol
lette could not do so. The only question
that has existed in the mindssof the re-
publican leaders with regard to 1912
concerns the attitude of Theodore
Roosevelt 1t has been asserted that he
could aid senator Cummins by throw
ing his strength to him, but it is
doubted that he would go to such an
extent. The former president was
quoted in New York as having said:
~All this talk about me supporting
Taft in 1912 is utterly absurd. There
has been nothing like that discussed
by me with any one at any time"
But it is pointed out that it would
have detracted considerably from pub
lie interest in the colonel had he made
any other statement
While the relations between Taft and
Roosevelt are very friendly and they
have been corresponding frequently, il
would be the height of folly for the
/ colonel at this time to indorse Taft foI
the presidency in 1912, at least public
". To do so would divorce him from
the eager eyed leaders of the west. who
denounced him for the tariff plank in
the Saratoga convention, and would
lose him the interest that is his as a
presidential possobility'-in word
his ability to draw crowd would be
cut in half
1t is out of the question for Taft t
announce his candidacy for re-electioI
at this time