Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-21
TAFT is NOT
in POSITION OF
CANDIDATE
SATISFIED TO LEAVE OFFICE
Quits White House With No
Hope Of Returning

Washington, D. c., Nov 2O-Presi-
dent Taft has come to a number of
definite conclusions with respect to his
participation in politics after he re-
tires from the White House next
March. AS is generally known, he
will contribute his share to the effort
that is to be made to rehabilitate the
republican party, but will not under
take to have the party reconstructed
around him.
His interest in the plan to make the
party a dominant force, as it used to
be, will be unselfsh, inasmuch as it IS
not his design deliberately to proceed
to profit by it.
MIR. Taft, when relinquishing the
presidency On March 4, 1913, will not
step out of Office a candidate for re-
nomination in 1916. He made this
clear to two of his political friends
who called upon him yesterday, and
was willing that his attitude chould be
generally understood In the work
of reconstructing the republican party
Mr., Taft will play whatever part the
party leaders believe the best inter-
ests of the movement demand should
be borne by the retiring president. He
will not project his personality into
the situation, except as a co-worker,
nor presume on the fact that he was
once the titular head of his party.
The president considers himself the
kind of progressive republican that is
best for orderly as well as expeditions
reform in the conduct of public affairs.
He believes that more can be accom-
plished by party composed of sincere
and earnest workers who are willing
to work conservatively, yet effectively,
for legislation and reforms under con-
stitutional restrictions, than by pro-
gressives of blatant and demagogic
tendencies who are more proficient in
the making of promises than in &C
tual performances.
But merely because he has been
president Mr.. Taft does not pretend
that the success of the cause is de-
pendent upon his being the central
figure. On the contrary, he is of the
opinion that better Roadway can be
made if it were understood in the be-
ginning that his interest in it was not
inspired by an ambition to become
president again. Therefore, it will
not be with any personal aspirations
to serve that he enters upon the heavy
task of reconstruction which now con-
fronts the republicans. Neither will
his motive be to retaliate against men
who were more or less responsible TO-:
his defeat for reelection.
At the same time Mr.. Taft will main
tain that there should be no compro-
mise with men who, in order to gain
their personal or political ends, are
willing to override the constitution or
embrace socialistic and other doc
trines which are so repugnant to re-
publican tenets. He believes that in
the end this course will more quickly
bring his party back to power and win
the appreciation and respect of the
country. Mr.. Taft does not consider
the situation today analogous to that
which followed. the defeat of President
Cleveland in 1888.
In that year although the demo-
cratic party was repulsed it was not
divided as the republican party was
this year. Consequently more diff
cult prospect confronts the republi-
cans than was faced by the democrats
in 1892 when there was a popular de-
mand for the third nomination of
Grover Cleveland. The president is
not expecting that similar demand
for his denomination will come in 1916,
although in the meantime he will not
evade any responsibilities.