The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-20
TAFT Is NOW SURE ID BE THE NOMINEE Is Roosevelt Laying His
 Plans for 1916? WHEELS IN WHEELS Many Shrewd Republicans Are Now Recognizing This Is Democratic
 Year and Are Laying
 Plans for 1916
WHEELS IN WHEELS
By WALTER HARPER

Plans for 1916
 By WALTER HARPER
 Washington, January 19-(Special.)- There are so many political wheels turn Ting and in so many different directions these days that it is hard to figure out the gist that will finally come from the mill
 That the good year of 1912 is an open season for republican disasters is every where conceded. They have already be- gun They will fall thick and fast down to the final roundup in November. It is a good democratic year. Every | indication is encouraging. Harmony will prevail in spite of the rumblfngs that may sometimes be heard even above the elamor Of republican dissension. It is but nat ural that there should be differences of opinion and clashes of personal ambition when success is promised. But success of the party is more to be desired than the success of any one man or faction. Any man or faction who stands in the way of party success will be marked for future reference
 But the main show is in the ranks of the republican party.
 | That William H. Taft is to be the nomi- nee of his party for President is prac- tical certainty. The republican party does not want him, but it must take him. He will be nominated on the first ballot ac- cording to the way the cards cut at the present time.
 There will be a strong protest. That protest will go even to the national con- vention in Chicago in June. It will be registered good and strong, so that the protesters may say T told you so," after the November election. Then the way will be clear for the for nation of the new republican party along new lines.
 The republicans expect defeat this year. They know that the renomination of Taft means defeat. His repudiation and the nomination of Roosevelt or any other man means defeat.i MT. Roosevelt is wise to this fact, and waiting developments. Per haps he had rather lead a rejuvenated party in 1916 than a crippled and impos- sible party in 1912
 Flaw you thought of this?
 Isn't this good time to begin prepara- tions for 1916? Would you not think so if you were a leader in the repub- lican party? Mir. Taft will stand for re- nomination this year because a retirement for four years from the presidency will eliminate him entirely. He hasn't the 'come back" powers of Mir. Roosevelt. If Mir Roosevelt is the nominee this year and Is defeated, as he undoubtedly would be, he would also be permanently elimi- mated.
 With four years of democratic adminis- tration that would put the country to the bad, as is generally predicted .by the re- publicans, the republicans believe that with a recognized party along progress sive lines they could recapture the gov ernment for another long tenure of con tTol.
 Senator LaFollette. who has been wag- inging an aggressive campaign for months, has never had any hope of cap turing the 1912 nomination. He has had his eyes glued on 1916 all the time
 Colonel Roosevelt is not afraid to tackle the 1912 campaign if all the signs are right, but he will not consent to the use of his name until he hears from the boys and scans the political zodiac with exact ing scrutiny.
 He has had and enjoyed all the honors that the presidency can bring. A defeat at this time would sour the wine of honor and satisfaction that he may enjoy for the remainder of his days without further responsibility. He will not offer himself. for slaughter for any love he may have for the party or his country.
 As forecast in this correspondence some months ago, it is considered more than probable that Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock will retire from the Presi- dents sabinet before the meeting of the republican national convention.
 Mir. Hitchcock is out of line with the administration and cannot remain in the cabinet gracefully. His latest offense, which only adds to a number of other embarrassing circumstances, is his an- noVncement for public ownership of tele- graph lines. This announcement fell like a bomb in the camp of the administra- tion.
 To begin with the members of the cabinet, with the exception of the Secre- tary of the Treasury, are not allowed to make recommendations direct to Con gress. They must first submit their plans and ideas to the President for approval, and then such accommodations are sup posed to be those of the President or the administration, to put it in the broad and true sense.
 Mir, Hitchcocks telegraph idea was big idea, It was revolutionary. Without some explanation the recommendation would have carried the stamp of presidential ap- | proval. The President repudiated the whole affair and sent for the Postmaster General. They were in private consulta- | tion for almost two hours 1 The public does not and must not know what happened, but Mir. Hitchcock came ! rom the conference smiling. You can smile in any language The President has 1 not indorsed the sociaistie ideas of his Postmaster General. There has been no announcement of Mir. Hitchcocks change of opinion
 | Now, if this were the first time that | friction had come between Hitchcock and | the President it might be passed over. But they have clashed frequently during the past year. They have disagreed over she distribution of political patronage. and | Mir. Hitchcock has been turned down l The people of Alabama. especially the republicans, are familiar with the turn down Mir. Hitchcock got from the Pres dent and Secretary Hlles on the Alabama miXup. He was turned down in the same manner with conditions reversed in Ok lahoma and some of the other southern