The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-01
misunderstanding Between Mr.
Taft and the Colonel. =.
WHY ROOSEVELT WAS MiFFED
Several Things Occurred That
Widened Breach; Interest.
ing Story Told. +.

washington. FeDruay 2o.-ln ne news
papers of March 5, 1909, recorded
an impressive scene that had taken
place in the senate chamber just af,
ter William II. Taft had been sworn
in as president of the United States.
Then the eX-president," says one
account of the Inauguration, started
TO leave the chamber with Senator
Knox as an escort. AS he passed
around the rostrum Mr.. Taft was
coming down. Mr.. Roosevelt ran up
the steps and grasped President Taft
by the shoulders. The president
grasped his predecessor in the same
way. For second they Rugged each
other and then shook hands VigOr-
Ously" ....
This occurrence, testifying more dra-
matically than any other to the warm
friendship that existed between vii.
liam II. Taft and Theodore Roose-
welt three brief years ago, was re-
called by hundreds in Washington
tonight when it became known that
Roosevelt had entered the race for
The 1912 nomination, and the ques-
lions were asked: What is the ex-
PLANTATION? What has brought about
the change in the relations between
these two men"
Break Bound to Occur.
Republicans who know both Roose-
Welt and Taft intimately will tell you
now that they realized from. the time
Taft was elected that break was
bound TO come between Taft and his
predecessor. They credit Roosevelt
with having been, absolutely sincere
in his early manifestations of regard
and affection for Taft, but they de-
clare they were certain in the end
that Roosevelt's ambition, his love
of power, his desire to dominate The
Taft, administration, his habit OF
magnifying innocent acts. into intend
ed Sights and bis disposition to lis
ten to the tales of trouble makers
would deal to an estrangement.
The irritation on the colonePs part
so his friends say, began even before
Mr.. Taft had been installed at the
White House. When Mr. Taft was
making up his cabinet Roosevelt is
understood to have made only one
request, and that was that William
Loeb, .Ir., who had served for years
as Roosevelt's secretary. should have
a place in the Taft cabinet. At that
time the country was specializing on
whether Roosevelt was to dominate
the Taft administration. The asser-
ton was being made that Roosevelt,
having dominated Taft and contribu-
ted largely to his election, would in
considerable measure dictate the az
fairs of the administration. It was
chiefly to put an end to these rumors
and establish the Taft administration
on it's own basis that the president
turned Loeb down as a cabinet pos
sibiljty. He offered Mr.. ROosevelts
secretary. instead any other executive
office within his gift. The president
eventually took only one man from
the Roosevelt administration, George
Won L. Never, now secretary of the
navy. a. 49,.
Miffed Before Inauguration.
Another occurrence before Mr.. Talt
was installed in the White House
irritated President Roosevelt. MT.
Roosevelt, it was said, resented the
appearance of Mr.. Taft in Washing
ton in the closing days OF his ad-
ministration. Mr.. Taft came to the
national capital five or six days be-
fore the date OF the inauguration as
a guest of w. ]. Boardman. With
the appearance of the incoming presl-
dent the limelight Immediately Shift
ed from the White House to the
Boardman residence. A long string
of prominent callers trooped to the
Boardman home. day after day, and
newspapers reported fully the doings
of the president elect. President
Roosevelt is said to have commented
disparingly to members OF congress
on the action of Mr.. Taft in having
come to Washington and undertaken
conferences with statesmen before
the Roosevelt administration had
breathed its last .~..s
But Mr. Roosevelt, after his de-
parture from Washington in blind
ing blizzard, gave evidence of what
many republicans regard as a sincere
desire to let President Taft estab-
Ush his administration free from
the Roosevelt domination. These re-
mblicans add, however, that Colonel
Roosevelt, while maintaining an at
titude of isolation, always hoped and
expected to be consulted in regard
to the policies that President TAFT
should inaligurate and carry out 1t
was in this manner that he expected
TO exercise his influence, but. Mr..
Taft. while endeavoring to adhere
TO. so-called Roosevelt policies as he
interpreted them, early gave evidence
of an intention to think and act for
himself. y
Was an Apparent Restraint.
Tn. the few weeks following the
inauguration, before Mr.. Roosevelt
sailed for Africa, frequent letters pas
sed between the two men. and while
the colonel was on his big hunt Mr..
Taft received several communications
from him describing his experiences.
From the flrst, however. there was an
apparent restraint between the two
in regard to the discussion of legis-
lation and other affairs of the ad-
ministration. Republicans in Wash
ington have been inclined to the
opinion that the president himself
has rather resented the popular i'm