The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-08
~ RooERIck CLIFFORD

0V HOOeHjCN CStPPOHO
Washington, Dec. 2S.-William How.
ard Taft is to be the Republican
presidential candidate in 1912. This
is the verdict Of friends OF the Presi-
dent who control the balance of power
in the Republican camp.
President Taft is willing to run
again. according to his friends. and
will become the Republican candidate
whether or not defeat seems certain.
OF all the presidential timber in the
Republican ranks, conservative and in
surgent, the President is the least
worried about 1912.
The Taft political boosters claim
that he is the only man in the lime
light that can bring together the Re-
publican factions: that he is the key
stone of the Republican party. and by
the end of his present term will be
riding on the high tide Of public ap-
proval. The President, unlike his
predecessor has little love for acclaim
and spectacular effects. He works
hard and strives for results. Deeds.
not words" said a Taft man at the
White House the other day. lis max
i'm OF the Taft creed"
While Postmaster General Hitch.
cock. the politician of the administra-
ton is working day and night fixing
up the Southern delegates to the next
Republican national convention. 9th
| ers of the Taft boosters are preparing
for an organized movement to get the
Republicans together for the struggle
two years off. There is talk of rre-or-
ganization and elimination of the anti
| Taft sentiment in several of the West
ern States. Then, too. President Taft
and Colonel Roosevelt will not clash
for 1t is understood thoroughly here
that New York will go to the next
convention with a Taft delegation.
| Lloyd G.. Griscom. who is the new
boss OF the Republicans in the En-
pire State, Collector Loeb. and other
influential Republicans who are close
to Colonel Roosevelt and are welcome
visitors at Oyster Bay, have told Pres
idcnt Taft that the New York Repub-
licans want him to run again in 1912.
Pennsylvania. Through Senator Pen
rose, has told the President that he
will be the States choice for Republi-
can presidential honor two years
hence. Ohio. Maine. Massachusetts,,
Illinois. and in fact all of the dyed-in.
the-wool Republican states are lined
up in the Taft column.
There has hardly been one Republi.
can senator or representative, except
ing followers of Senators Lafollette
and Cummins, who has not made it
his business to call at the White
House in the last month. and inform
the President that he is his personal
choice for reelection.
| 1t is recognized by the regulars that
Senators Lafollette and Cummins have
some following among radical Western
States, but the voice of these states
in national convention will be easily
showed under by the overwhelming
majority that the East and South can
send to the convention.
| It is these same Southern dele
gates that Colonel Roosevelt influ.
enced with the help of Hitchcock, to
have President Taft nominated in
1908. The delegates from the South
have long been bone Of contention
in the Republican national conven
tons. Efforts to eliminate the repre-
sentation Of the Southern states in
proportion to the Republican vote cast
have always failed. AS the case now
stands one Republican vote in South
Carolina for instance has equal
weight in national conventions with
rose in Pennsylvania.
whether Colonel Roosevelt sup
ports him or not" said a close friend
of the President in discussing the pc
litical situation, President Taft will
be a candidate for denomination in
1912. Mr.. Taft is not waiting to see
which way the political wind blows
lie is not concerned with the question
Of whether he should make the race
II the party wants him he is ready
to run. The party does want him
The delegates to the 1912 convention
will be for him and he will be renomi
mated.
President Taft is a man who will
be extremely popular before his pres
ent term of president expires. 1t is
a fact that in less than two years as
the head Of the nation he has haG
more real reforms enacted into Law
than did Colonel Roosevelt in his sew
en- years at the head Of national af
fairs. President Taft does not care
for notoriety. He is not proclaimins
his good works. In time what he il
accomplishing will be known to the
people generally. and then the public
will awake to a realization that Pres
ident Taft's administration has been q
big success.
Two years from now all opposition
to him will hawke disappeared. He
will be the Republican standard bear