The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-02-14
TAFT Is REAL
PROGRESSIVE
SECRETARY MACVEAGH
DECLARES IN MICHIGAN.
Record of President Cannot Be
lmreached Before the People
by Opponents.
Declares Roosevelt Will Not Be q
Candidate Against Taft for
Presidency.

LANSING. Mich. Feb. 13.-Franklin
MacVeagh. secretary OF the treasury.
firing an administration pre-conveu-
tton campaign gun here tonight at
the annual dinner of the Zach Chand-
Ter Republican club where he was the
guest OF honor. came out fatty with
the expressed belief that Theodore
Roosevelt would not-and with his
makeup. could nOt-run against Taft"
for the Republican presidential nom
ination this year
Secretary MacVeagh confined his
confidence 10 the present contest, how
ever. in;imating that there might
come time when the former presi-
dent would be justified in re-entering
a presidential race. averring that Col.
Roosevelt had placed himself out \of
the presidential arena by his declara-
tion of 1904. the secretary said:
1T may be difficult to explain away
the present appearances created by
Roosevelts silence and the volubili-
ties of his insurgent visitors: but
that. 10 my mind. is not so difficult
as IL is TO believe that Roosevelt
would accept nomination this year
under any conceivable circumstances.
For IL must be admitted that nothing
short of a national crisis-such as
may come in the future, but is not
within the range of sane Imagination
ncw-would ever be accepted as justi-
fication for such change or 'front.'
and this Roosevelt must know"
Taft Progressive.
The secretary OF the treasury under
took to define What is a progressive"
giving to President Taft that title. and
calling the Republican insurgents re-
dictionaries. Siis conclusions regard
ing Republican proGressives were epi-
tomized in these words:
We have today. a Progressive ad-
ministration and a progressive presi-
dent; and We have a reactionary op-
position within the party-reaction-
airy Notwithstanding the honest be-
lief of those who are carrying II ON
that they are progressives and not.
reactionaries at ALL"
Mr.. MacVeagh argued that Presi-
dent Taft had assumed and had been
; faithful to the policies of his pre-
decessor-the platform of the progress
selves in the Republican party"-aug-
menting them by another distin-
guished list OF good policies OF his
own"
Taft and Roosevelt" Mr.. Mac
Neagh continued. have been two ON
inent presidents; and their admins
trat.ons complement each other, and
are practically one.
Want to Beat Taft.
The motto of the Republican op-
ponents TO the president. the secre-
tary declared, was anything to beat
Taft"
The record OF Taft cannot be inn
peached before the people And
Roosevelt Is not. as I measure him,
the man 10 be caught with the thin
C'af Of thin opposition movement.
There Is no progressive crisis in the
Republican pariy-and no progressive
quality IN the anything to beat Taft
Moreover Roosevelt has laid down
the course OF his future political
career. He stated himself out OF the
presidential arena when he made his
declaration in 1904 And he viii not
com" back into it-and surely he
ought not To come hack into Ito
contest Tor more political honors nor
% help a factitious revolt nor for any
bat some imperative reason which viii
.ncontestabiy Justify in the calm Judg-
menf o. all nirh minded men the
change Of a de.ih, rafo hiFh conyic-
ION and the vlthdraual cf a deho-
crate profound promise