The Washington herald., 1912-09-11
FUTURE MUST now
be CONSIDERED
Presidential Campaign Of 1915 Has
Weight at the Present
Time.
La TOILETTE AND CuMMIEs
HAVE THEIR AMBITIONS
Only Way to Get Mr.. Taft Out Of
the Way Is to See He Is
Elected Next November.

To the Editor: It II interesting Il
watch political developments in thes'
times, for the Presidential campaigns o.
1872 and 1916 are now under full head
way.
parties and candidates have enough oi
them. or II anywise lacking, are ready
to be shown what Is wanting and tc
supply it By far the most important is
sue-the anti-third term-is most over
looked Just now. But let US consider
some Of the personalities involved.
Last January. President Taft was ap'
parently sure Of denomination. and req
sonably sure of reelection. Nothing
would have changed this, II he were al
good q candidate as he is President. II
he is not, 1t may be the fault Of the
people more than his own. When he pic.
lures himself as man Of straw, fighting
Ike a rat In q corner. or out Of politics
altogether. he does not appear at his
best, for he is none Of these. But VIII.
lam Howard Taft is truly the elephant
the noblest Of animal symbolism. both
of the Republican party and Of the
country. now In active public life. He
may be heavy to carry, but SO is a six.
teen-inch gun. He is a great statesman
a great President, and a good man
History will fix his place high up among
our chief magistrates. The people will
yet realize that they are now choosing
not a candidate for the next four years
but a President for the next four years
and will re-elect him for that reason.
T. RS Plotting.
For months Mr.. Roosevelt was sapping
and mining to see II he could get into
the field as a candidate against his will.
Had he then been attacked and exposed
in his sinister and revolutionary plotting
he never would have become formidable.
There were those who oomprehended
the situation and who urged vigorous
and immediate action, but our big heart
feelings Of his delicate friend, and Mr..
Roosevelt went on to reciprocate after
his own fashion, and he has been re-
ciprocating ever since. Evidently he still
believes in that kind Of reciprocity. Now.
Senator La Toilette has produced more
progress than any other one man since
I left the Senate, although ] say It.
who shouldn't say it. II you go to the
old Investigations of 1854, &c, you will
find the materials for much Of the stock
in trade Of progressivism for the last
thirty years
Mr. La Toilette feels, and he has a
right TO, that he has done more hard
fighting than all OF them. for Progress
with a large "P." But at q late day
Senator Cummins appears on the na-
tional arena, with fine, long, aggressive
State record In the same line. He makes
a good speech. knows all about his sub
ject and lives in Iowa, close by Wiscon-
sin. Both these great Senators have a
right to be, and perhaps are. ambitious.
Neither believes that President TAFT, by
good rights. should have another term
but Just about now Mr.. Roosevelt jumps
in with big stick in one hand and a big
wad in the other and proposes to fight
all three to a finish; and he. being a
third term revolutionist and monarchist
has a. perfect right to. l,obody can deny
the right of revolution. But you must
succeed or go hang.
Old Guard Hard Pushed.
So. now the Old Guard is hard pushed.
La Toilette fights the field and makes
great progress until he is taken ,ill and
loses two months time.
The Taft people. being needlessly over
thrown in many States, because they
are still too trustful and tender hearted.
begin to cast about for allies against
Roosevelt. None are possible but La
Toilette or Cummings. or both. But the
pugnacious Badger won't, and the Hawk
eye Senator turns fisherman himself
And so the Old Guard and the Hawkeye
Senator nibble at each others bait for
some time, but neither quite dares to
bite lest he himself be caught.
Either La Toilette or Cummins might
have given Taft a speedy victory at
Chicago. and thus in all human prob
ability have secured the united Republi-
can nomination in 1916, but neither did.
This In ~
prove, that all the practical men" are
now in the third term revolution.
think / recognize some OF their voices
singing Onward, Christian Soldiers
And, now, where are We at?"
Present situation.
La Toilette fights both Taft and Roose-
welt That he can do only by supporting
Wilson. But the Republican party never
will forgive him IL he does that-never-
and the Democrats have Wilson and
Clark and Underwood and Bryan and
growing Presidential timber OF their own
to last for centuries
Mr.. Cummins is in a criss-cross at
titude. sticking to the Republican party
with a glue of his own make never before
on the market and long may he stick
there, but on the other hand he is sup
porting its mortal enemy, the third
term revolutionists and monarchist, for
President of the United States-and
what is the logic of the situation II there
be any? First, the reelection OF Presi-
dent Taft. leaving a clear field for new
candidates in 1916, or. seAond, the de-
feat of Taft and the election of Wilson,
which will. for the present at least, put
down the revolution and the natural
usurper who leads it Third. IL he fails
now the denomination OF Taft in 1876
whose supporters possess and will re-
tain the party organization, the conse-
quent elimination of all other Republi-
can aspirants, and the extinction of this
crusade for a third Presi-
Dental term and monarchical power
II President Taft is defeated now both
the party and the country, with that
returning sense of Justice which always
leads a generous people to right a
wrong will re-elect him to his second
term in 1916. He is the youngest man
of them all. Bryan has been a candi-
date three times and Is available for
several more nominations. Meanwhile
let US amend the Constitution so that
no man can be eligible for more than
eight years, and remove this ever-re-
curing danger of an insidious revolu-
tion in our form of government
The war for independence began In a
the liberties of the people. Washing
ton wouldn't. Grant couldn't, and
Roosevelt shan't' HENRY W. BLAIR.
Different Now.