LITTLE ENTHUSIASM: MUCH ABUSE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14327, 12 April 1912, Page 9

LITTLE ENTHUSIASM: MUCH ABUSE.

U'P.o.M orr. own < okkksl'onoknt). 10 SAN FRANCISCO, Alarch IS. > It cannot be said that the candidature of Theodore Roosevelt, the anP iioun<.-emcnt of whicii three weeks ago was the big sensation of tho Prcsidon--11 I tinl campaign of 11)12, has thus far *J j "set tlie country on fire." Some such ~ j conflagration was prognosticated by his I. i enthusiastic suuyorters as soon as his 11 j readiness to run should be made known '■ ito the people. Whether it is that the i j American people believe that the cards s ! are so stacked that with the aid of the d | delegates from thc machine-controlled >' Southern State:* President Taft is * I bound to be re-nominated, or whether it e| is the prejudice against a third-term (Candidate, the name of "T. 1.." docs ', I not seem to work tho same matj ; c as in r ! j former times. The furious mauling to ~ wli-ch he is being subjected by the Taft c ' newspapers is something unequalled in J recent times, particularly when it is: t ; remembered that tfieso newspapers are I • supporters of tho party of which he was 1 the unquestioned leader ur> to four r years ago. But many of thorn accepted his radical policies in very .Ink 1 -'" i warm fashion even when ho was "king,' and to-day aro delighted at tho opportunity to Hay him. t The malignant opposition being manifested to the ex-president by those who f would elefeat him may, however, have a . |wwcrfiil reflex action in the three - months before the nominating convention meets. There are signs already 1 that the Taft camp is a little alurmed about the possible consequences of tho unmeasured abuse being showered Colonel Roosevelt. it is announced that tho President has personally requested that personalities bo eliminated. [ What will happen when '-Teddy" takes ' the stump, as ho will do to «■ limited extent, is tho big question of tho future. k Two years ago he made a speech-inak- ' ing tour that attracted much wider publicity than any similar tour undertaken by President Taft during his oc- ' eupaney of White House. A burst of I enthusiasm throughout tho country before which the opjiosition will be, broken down is what tho supporters of ] Roosevelt aro predicting as soon as ho ' begins his active speech-making campaign. Notwithstanding liis request that personalities be eliminated, President Taft was rather outs_K>ken in a speech last week in his references to bis opponent's scheme for the "recall" of judicial decisions on constitutional questions. "This is a reiuakablo suggestion," he said, and one that is so contrary to anything in government j heretofore proposed that it is hard to , give it serious consideration." He went on to refer to it as "a crude, revolutionary, fitful and unstable.way of reversing judicial construction of tho constitution." Although Mr Roosevelt iv none, of his statements thus far issued has mado any personal references to the President or criticised liim in any way, it is believed he had Mr Taft in mind in a statement made by him in reply to the Secretary for War. It was in supporting Mr Stimson for Governor of New York two years ago, that "T.R." sustainoel such a serious reverse. Since then Air Stimson has become a member of President Taft's Cabinet, and in a speech at Chicago two weeks ago strongly identified himself with his chief as against Roosevelt. The reference made by Roosevelt in replying to Stimson that is generally taken as meant to apply to the President, -who undoubtedly owes his election to the support of his predecessor, is as follows: —"Let mo add, in view of the questions of certain friends, that neither Stimson nor any other man who I have supported for public office, owes mc any gratitude for doing so. I support a man, not to _;et bis gratitude, but because I believe he will render good service to tho people; and I ask nothing from any man in return except that he render such service to the" people, and I jtulge him accordingly." The New York "Herald," which makes a weekly review of the Presidential situation, based on a poll- mado by its representatives in every State, stated in its last resume, that an impartial forecast gave Taft 693 votes on the first ballot in the nominating convention, as ns.ainst 277 for Roosevelt. The number necessary to nominate is 539. so that if this prophesy is correct the President already has 54 more than the necessary majority. Tlie hooe of the Roosevelt men is that Taft" will fall short of the number to nominate, even although he has a larger following than any other candidate on thc first ballot. Should this event happen, followed by a deadlock lasting for somo three or four ballots, there is pretty sure to be a sudden break to Roosevelt resulting in his nomination. It is now generally conceded that the Democratic nomination lies between Champ Clark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Dr. Wood row Wilson, Governor of New Jersey Both are busily forming organisations in the various States, and it looks like an even fight between them, with the prospects somewhat in favour of Governor Wilson.