New-York tribune., 1912-01-03
MFR. Taft Not at All Perturbed by
the Ex-PreSident's Failure to
Declare Where He Stands
Regarding Nomination.
HAS SENT NO MESSENGERS
Wisconsin Senator's Boomlet
Receives Hard Blows from Gov.
ernor Osborn Of Michigan
and Ohio Progressives-A
Change of Front.
fFrom The Tribune Bureau.l


ton under no circumstance" TO ac-
cent the Presidential nomination this
car. or n. will incur the undying en-
nifty of tho La Folletteites. That Is be-
coming daily more apps -ent as the con-
tinued discussion of the former Prssi-
dent as a Presidential possibility con-
tinues to destroy the tender shoots or
tn La Toilette boomlet in the few states
where 1t has shown any signs or vital
ity. Realizing the hopelessness OF Their
petition, the La Folletteites are hlling
such newspapers as will print their mat
te- with declarations that President Taft
is worried by failure Of Colonel Roose-
welt to declare himself, that Mr.. Tat
has sent messengers 10 Mr.. Roosevelt re-
ouesting such a declaration, and much
more to the same effect. all Of which, by
the way, is wholly innocent Of any foun-
dation In fact.
Mr. Taft is by no means anxious to
have Mr. Roosevelt declare himself with
regard to the nomination. The talk OF
Roosevelt is doing yeoman's service for
Mr. Taft 1t is serving most effectively
to destroy all sporadic and parasitic
g-owths on the Republican party. Mean
while, the work of securing Taft dele
gates is going quietly on, with every
prospect that in due time the Roosevelt
movement will die natural death, with
no concrete action by the colonel him.
self. But even If such action were
needed for the unification of the party
by the time the national convention met.
this would be far from the most effective
time for it to be taken-from the Taft
pC,1t Of view. From the insurgent point
of view it is now or never, for so long as
there is talk Of Roosevelt the La Fol-
lette boomlet can proceed only back
ward, and if its present rate of progress
in that direction remains unchecked, it
will soon be indistinguishable with the
naked eye.
Quick La Toilette Change of rrent.
With that slippery agility which has
long been the first characteristic OF their
chief. the La Folletteites sought to-day
TO distract attention from their defeat
In Ohio and from the arraignment o.
Governor osborn Of Michigan, by exc
cutting a prompt shift and declaring that
they had never hoped to secure from the
irsurgent wing of the party In Ohio an
Endorsement If La Toilette, but that their
whole purpose had been achieved when
they secured a declaration Of opposition
to Mr. Taft. Nor did the confident pre-
dictions made scarcely week ago. that
the Wisconsin cOntortionist would re-
ceive the emphatic Endorsement OF the
Ohio insurgents cause the slightest en-
barrassment to those who executed the
right about face. 1t is only fair to admit
that the slogan Of those who have seen
fit to support La Follette-with the eX-
ception, of course, of those who are in
his pay--has been anything TO bea.
Taft" Incidental thereto, 1t is interest
ing 10 noIe that when that statement
has been made in these columns as IL
has repeatedly in the past, it has called
forth angry protests and assertions tina.
the La t'ollatteites were actuated by less
jgnoble aims, bur to-day they are glad
10 hide their defeat behind declaration
of that worthy purpose-a declaration
the truth IF which few will care 10 deny
IN the case Of Clifford Pinchot, James II.
Garfield ond other disappointed and dis
pruntled members of the last administra-
tion.
Alleged Promise to La Toilette.
So far do the La Folletteites now real
ize the futility of the effort to secure the
nomination of their candidate that their
chief press agent announces to-day that
Senator La Toilette, with Mr.. Roosevelt
nominate and reelected, will find his
future "in the leadership of the Senate
during a four-year period of great con-
structive legislation"-an assertion which
takes no heed Of the fact that when Mr..
Roosevelt was President before he never
dared intrust any important piece OF
constructive legislation to the Wiscon-
sirlite, and of the further fact that there
is little prospect that. whoever may bs
the successful Republican candidate for
President IL will be many a long year
before a La Toilette can lead anything
but faction In the Senate
OF course, the plain words Of Governor
Osborn Of r.chigan greatly added to the
encouragement of both the paid and un-
paid employees Of the Senator from Wis
consin Coming from Osborn, Pro-
gressive Republican, and telling the ex-
act truth about La Toilette with neither
bitterness nor exaggeration, II Is bound
to do La Toilette great harm, and. &C.
ing delivered so close to Wisconsin. II
is feared that 1t may serve still further
to open the eyes Of the people OF that
state to the fact that Fighting Bob" has
always fought on the winning side, has
always espoused a cause only after II
had gained sufficient impetus to insure
its success, and has never attacked an
evil until he was quite sure it was In no
position to strike back
No Taft Messenger Sent to Roosevelt.
All talk of President Tafts sending a
messenger to ex-President Roosevelt 10
ask either pledge or a declaration re-
garding the coming convention is sheer
nonsense There are three members OF
President Taft's Cabinet who are on
terms of Intimacy with Mr.. Roosevelt
who when they go to New York. usually
take meal with the colonel and who
could easily inform the President Of his
attitude II Mr.. Taft expressed any par
ticular interest in it. These are Messrs.
Meyer. stimson and Fisher. But those