The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-05
Prospects Now Are for Real
Man to Man Fight for
the Nomination
PRESIDENT BADLY IN
NEED OF A MANAGER
Has Many Opponents, Whom
He Cannot Go After, AS
They Are the Friends
of Mr.. Roosevelt

WASHINGTON. Jan. 4.--The prose 1
pect for a real man to man fight be-
tween William II. Taft and Theodora
Roosevelt was never brighter than
it Is today,
Mr.. Taft ia apparently convinced
that Colonel Roosevelt Is a candidate
for the presidential nomination which
Mr. Taft himself has spoken TOR. H0
has thus far declined to be drawn into
a scrfmmage. but he has said that
he Is in the fight to stay.
Ii he is in any fight, It must be = 4
fight with the colonel Since th0
eclipse Of the La Toilette boom there
IL no one else TO fight. Barnes and
Ward 1t Is true. are hostile to TAFT. 4
but they are for Roosevelt IL tina
President fights them he has got -
fight the colonel.
Walter Brown in Ohio u also OPP
posed to the President, but he u for
Roosevelt. No fight can be made on
him without scattering the colcn61
with some of the shot.
Henry Cabot Lodge is as indiffersu&
to Taft as he dares to be, but he, too
Is a Roosevelt supporter. Taft cam
not fight Lodge without also battling
with the colonel. g
Abandons seriptural Teaching.
The President has given up hto
former talk OF turning tho other n
cheek Every time he has tried that
experiment. IN his recent dealings
with the colonel the other cheek has
got hurt He expresses himself -
surprised and grieved that the Colo
mel should oppose him. and tells ht1
friends that he has raked his mind
In vexation for reasons why this
sh ouid be. This, of course, n an Nd
mission that the colonel IL opposing
him.
Mr.. Taft 10 not lacking In tha1s
quality called human nature. He 60
be an good a hater az anybody =
supplied with reasons and cern4e1ES
to take away from you the hslkhS1k
Office In the gift Of the people Tiers
Is reason for getting mined- Mr.
Tafts friends are just as trritAted
| as he II over the attitude OF the cots
onel. and they are perfectly frank IN
asserting that here u something sub
terranean about II.
They aFe-dn3ug] utmost %
make Taft fight. and they are be-
ginning to feel encouraged. AZ sne
same time they are not altogether
managing a campaign.
Taft Needs MANAGER.
They say. for example. that some
body ought to be In charge ~of the
axht beside Mr. Hilles. who Is 50
busy with his job 81 private secretary
that he cannot possibly find time 70
DISCHARGE all the duties Of candi-
date trainer.
When so adriot a politician AZ Theo-
dore Roosevelt ia utter a man. that
! man needs all the advice he can get /
Htlles Is not an expert politician.
There are none In the cabinet Roose"
yelt's cabinet was full OF them
When a Senator or Representatives
or a party leader wants to unbcs0m
! himself about some fresh scheme OF
the enemy he has no one to whom 20
conflde It. Hllles is always busy with
his own job. Hitchcock has declared
himself out. And 1t Is admitted that
Mr.. Taft himself Is the last man in
Washington to go to as settler o.
political trouble.
These troubles have added weighS
| to tho burden of the President. His
| very friends poster hiir with criticism
and complaint. He Is much In tho
| position OF q man who Is engaged IN
| a stand up fight with grizzly bear
! and who also has a pack of piayu1k
| but annoying coyotes swapping At hf9.
| heels,
That the administration 10 going out
after delegates reached the capitol i
| today. Senator Coe |. Crawford, o.
| South Dakota, took a hard rap at thu
| President though he named no narneEsi
F! Crawford got the floor long enough
| to say that any plans made by any~8
| body to gobble South Kakota dele-S
gates would come to nothing. He sat4
| that certain emmissartes had been
| busy advocating the election OF 0efe-s
! gates TO the national COMMITTEES b.
| the convention plan which would M
+ set tho iaws.3 Of the State Thf1 r.
| said was unfair. and the unterrine4A
! Republicans of South Dakota did net
propose to stand for 1t. While Mr.
! Taft's name was not mentioned. evefy~s
| body knew who Crawford meant. A
Hitchcock May Flop.
A rumor that sent shHdders down tn1Ea
! presidential spine today reported that
there danger that Secretary Attels~~
cock Is likely at any minute to nuoa
I over 70 the Reosexfft@eaaat@
Hitchcock carries the Southern deloS3
gates around In his left hand. and
| the pocket, and every now and thor
takes them out and counts them 01aa
see IL they are all there.
He has not been partial to Taft On
| late. and II Ia not impossible that 80
which IL Just about now. II he dpG
| Mr.. TAFT might ~ well begin putti1
his personal belongings up in mel
| bulls for the journey back 70 g.
cinnAtL f@2
ono OF tho things which aggTavalA
those who are trying their patheel
| best to help Mr.. Taft In his hoNR
| extremity. y his disliks for getting N
| and plAyinE the gaIna- 4 49, III
All his NE No has been = 1n4
It han been his chief duty "a No.
| to MI there was to aAy on both 01&
OF the case, then look up the ~
come 70. dectsion. Judges da
originate: thsy decide. They ~
play the game, they unptfe.
TAft = ~ 6en,
| FOR Mr.. TAFT, no m9ttoR h0M
tsrmined ~ may b. % ngAt tllt
bitNer dea4A - mix ~ IN
ny 10 ~ eunA htng stAxte
80 sncss g - s - .ae.s T.