The National tribune., 1910-05-05
EX= PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
A Not Entirely Credited An
nouncement of His Failure
Plans and Attitude

of authority was made here regarding ex-
President Rooseveltis political plans.
1t was to the effect that he indOrses the
Taft Administration; that he has writ
ten several letters to President Taft
to that purpose, and that he will not
be a candidate for the nomination in
1912 under any circumstances.
There is much more detail 10 the an
Inouncement. including a statement that
the eX-President is fully determined to
remain in private life and to devote his
efforts to literary work and lectures.
He will not accept an election TO either
the Senate or the House, and he will
not accept the Governorship of New
York State, preferring that his former
Secretary. William Loeb, Jr., should
be the Republican nominee therefor.
The President and former/ Secretary
Loeb cast doubt on this, however, by
qualified denial of the truthfulness
of the story.
All this first appeared with great -four
ish in Washington newspaper the
morning after the return here Of Mr..
John Callan OLaughin, former As
siStant Secretary of State, and now cor
respondent of the Chicago Tribune.
While the statement could have come
from some of President Taft's friends
it is generally believed to have come
from Mr.. O'Laughlin, and to have been
put out here in accord with directions
given by eX-President Roosevelt him
self. In all essentials the article fol-
lows the opinions expressed by the
friends in Washington of the ex-Presi-
dent that he was always a regular Re-
publican, and would not now eXpI ess
disapproval of the Taft Administration,
for which he, in large measure, was re-
sponsible to the American people.
Will Support the Administration.
It is indicated that Mr. Roosevelt will
not give the Administration a fulsome
Endorsement. but that he will stand by
it to the extent of making one or two
speeches in the West, advocating the
return of Republicans to the 62d Con-
gress. This is interesting in connection
with assertions from a confidential
source that the eX-President intends
giving only a sufficient Endorsement to
show which side he is on. For instance,
he puts his o. K. upon the conserva-
ton work that eX-Forester Clifford Pin
chot has done, without making any crit
icism of the removal of Mr.. Pinchot
from office for insubordination.
The newspaper article purportS to
be based on letters which the eX-Presi-
dent has written of late to president
Taft and others, to Senator Root and
Collector Loeb but it is unlikely that
any one person in this country could
have had the information in all those
letters other than Mr.. OLaughlin, who
is the ex-President's personal friend,
and who acted as the eX-PFesident'S
Secretary during most of the time on
the journey from Kartoum to Vienna
Those familiar with Mr.. Roosevelt's
methods of obtaining publicity under
stand that he would naturally have the
news put out at Washington. He is
known to have resented statements
cabled from Europe few weeks ago
that his disposition was to refuse in
dorsement to President Taft. There
Is reason for believing that the present
statement is in considerable part intend
ed to correct the impression which that
previous article may have made upon
the politicians
Did Not Cable for PfncIiot
incidentally it is learned that the ex-
President did not cable to Washington
for ex-Forester Pinchot, a1tho that was
claimed to have been the case. Mr..
Pinchot wrote inquiring where he could
meet Mr.. Roosevelt, and Mr.. O'Laugh-
lin, answering for the eX-President
cabled when and where they could
meet. He did not want to meet Sena-
tor Elihp Root, but it was more for
the purpose of obtaining inside infor-
nation about affairs in the United
States generally than for getting a new
sidelight upon the Taft Administration.
To New Workers the announcement
that the eX-President will have Will
lam Loeb nominated for Governor
of New York is almost of first inter-
est. There is some qualification about
the ex-President's attitude, the purpose
being to try OUT the sug-
gestion. BY the time Mr.. Roosevelt ar
rives in New York next month public
sentiment regarding Loeb's nomination
VIII have developed pretty thoroly, and
then Mr.. Roosevelt can determine
1t is wise to press the matter
further
AS he seems willing to have nomi-
mated for Governor of New York a Re-
publican absolutely of his own school,
there is likely to be a revival of efforts
to have snch men nominated for Gov
ernor in Ohio and other States Both
ex-Secretary of the interior James r.
Garfield and Representative Nicholas
Longworth, Mr. Reosevslt's sm-in-law,
have been suggested for Governor of
Ohio. II these nominations should be
favored, the campaign would take on a
RooSeEeftian aspect from the very start
While the announcement .contemplates
only "one or two speeches in the West"
for Republican nominees for Congress
the nominations of his favurites would
result in great efforts to
persuade the ex-Presideni to make
gubernatorial speeches in New York
Ohio and elsewhere.
After all, the announcement is be-
yond question preliminary, and marks
4 new effort to bring about harmony
in the Republican ranks. The pOliti-
clans Of the orthodox camp, in Congress
and out Of Congress, VIII make the
most of it. President Taft's cause will
probably receive fresh impetus and for
a time, at least there viii be new gaiety
IN National politics.