St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-01
Taft VS.. LaFOIIette.

Washington dispatches say that
the Presidents friends expect oppo-
| sition to Taft'S denomination in the
next Republican National Convention
on the part of Senator Robert M. La
! Toilette, of Wisconsin, who has Pres
idential ambitions. 1t has been ru-
mored that another, but less radi-
cal Insurgent, Senator Albert Cum
minis, of Iowa, would also seek the
nomination, but it is now reported
that the Insurgents are divided, and
while he may seek the honor, his
candidacy seems less probable, per-
Senator.
A Washington correspondent of
the New York Sun, says:
Cup to few weeks ago there was
very good reason to believe that the
Insurgent Senators intended to fight
Mr.. Taft Now, according to infor-
nation obtained here, there are
signs of a division in the Insurgent
body. The ambitions of the leaders
of that faction are beginning to
clash. There has been no open
break between Senator LaFollette
and Senator Cummins, but their re-
lationS are said not to be as harmon
ious as formerly.
even Insurgents admit that they
cannot hope to make Roadway
against Mr.. Taft if their leaders
quarrel as to which one among them
shall make the race for the Presi-
Dental nomination. In sizing up the
field of availables, Mr.. Cummins ap-
parently sees no one in sight who
would make a better candidate than
himself. Senator LaFollette con-
tends that he originated the Insur
gent movement and, according to
his friends, he is entitled to Insur
gent support for the Presidential
nomination.
GA year ago it looked as if the In
surgents would combine for the sole
purpose of depriving Mr.. Taft of a
denomination. They counted on the
delegates of Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Iowa, the Dakotas, Kansas and other
States as certain to be arrayed
against the President. If, as now
seems likely, the Progressives are to
put forward more than one candi-
date there is certain to be a row
that will result in a decided advan-
tage for Mr.. Taft
t"There is good reason to believe
that before many weeks have passed
steps will be taken to protect the po-
litical interests of the President.
MI. 1dlL Will uOC COuuLOuduC0, nOI
will he permit the formation of a
movement to line up Federal Office
holders in his behalf. He is not in
different to the future of course, but
friends who will have charge of his
pre-conVention campaign will be
warned to make no move to drive
Federal off1cehoIders into line and
to prevent as far as possible Fede-
raj of1ceholders taking any part in
the selection of delegates or appear
ing at the convention as delegates.
Senator LaFollette is a radical of
the radicals, sort of Republican
Bryan. That he has overthrow
corruption in Wisconsin cannot be
doubted, but he seems impatient of
all conservatism and appears to be
good deal of demagogue. He is
bitterly hostile to President Taft,
and when the President made adj
vances toward a reconciliation re-
Gently he sent a letter that is said to
have been insulting in it's refusal to
go to the White House. The nomi-
nation of such a man is utterly out
of the question. He would appeal
only to the most extreme Insurgents,
and until the Republican party is
ready to let sensationalism run riot
it never will consider LaFollette as
probable Presidential candidate.
II Montpelier Journal.