The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-26
PRESIDENT rArT.s CHANCES.

Already the political prophets arc
atudyins the possibilities Tor 1919 from
every eminence in this land.
The most illustrious example of tho
political peripatetic is President Taft.
who Travelled some $4,000 miles and
shook hundreds of thousands OF hands
and gazed into the upturned faces of
his fellow-citizens from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and return, in the vain
hope that he might find encouragement
for the Republican party and for him
Rclf.
How far the President failed in his
object was shown by his respondent
speech in Chicago. when he expressed
Erave doubts as &c the success of the
Republican party in the coming cleo
ton. This of itself ought to be enough
for the Democrats.
Now comes Samuel G. Blythe. the
political forccaster and horoscopist for
the Saturday Evening Post, who con
firms President Tafts opinions of the
West with 4 wealth of detail and
certainty OF conviction that apparently
leave no hope for the G. Q. P. next
year.
All through the wcst-that is. west
OF the AIississippi--Mr. Blythe finds
President Taft without followers and
without friends. He has been kindly,
but overcautious; he has boon truthful,
but tactless; he has progressed far
enough to drive away all the conserv-
Rtivcs. and not far enough to hold the
progress!ves; he pinned his faith TO
Canadian reciprocity only to lose that
prize and get in exchange the Demo
cratic wool and cotton bills; he revilcd
the Payne-Aldrich tariff, and then
signed st; he supported Bailinger, and
alienated the West, And so the story
goes of big-hearted bungling. Yet
the merceaaries of the South are at!ll
in the hands of the resident; Penn
sylvania is still faithful, though Cali
forn!a be lost: and Ohio cannot forget
her own son. That is why Mr. Tafts
friends declare that nothing save Mr..
Taft's own change OF mind can pre-
cause Harrison was able to force his
name on the Republican party In 1892
Is far from proving that Taft can do
SO in 1914 Twenty years ago tho
mslefactors OF great wealth were not
tagged and marked twenty years ago
Inc Sherman law was unfeared, ana
big business was worshiped in high
places; twenty years ago there was
no new and powerful political force
abroad in the land-ln word, Roose-
welt was not candidate Is he
candidate to-day: That IS the problem
that coafronts Taft, for with Roose-
welt backed by the Western Progress
siYes and the Eastern plutocrats the
Republican convention is likely TO see
methods and results never before
witnessed
The SATURDAY E"afsng Posts expert
dcc!aEed that RG@scE'eft would not run.
bur that declaration was written be.
fore the Colone!'s conspicuous plav 10
Wall Street. and in dealing with tho
greatest political genius this country
has produced It is never safe 10
count on anything being overlooked
Taft cannot carry the Insurgent
West and is Very weak in the stand.
pat East But the scrobatic Colonel is
riding both yoke-fellows at present.
II not unseated before June 1912 he
VIII so to the convention 20 strongly
supported thai even the presidential
patronage cannot defeat min.
Tsf' was made BY Roosevel. and
II 7he Colonel really trieE to s,amp.a.
the convention, Taft is very ap, TO he
unmade. With Roosevelt, As The r..
publican loader the Democrats w!u MOI,
nave nat easy victory which is now
promised them by every sign ana every
soothsayer.
DIR