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Show 10 WILL SUCCEED I PDENI TAFT? I Politicians Have .Alroadj Started Campaign Four Years Ahead of Election. H PECULIAR COMBINATION OF H CONDITIONS THE CAUSE H Two Men Whose Names Are') Linked With Presidency Are Abroad. , -BY .RALPH M. WHITESIDE, By Leased Wire to The Tribune. WASHINGTON, Jan. 22. For the first time iu the history of the United States a national campaign has started practically four years ahead of the clec-tion. clec-tion. A peculiar combination of condi-lions condi-lions lias made this the caso but. Strang-er Strang-er still, two of the men whose names arc linked with future possibilities aro jH at present" iu the jungles of foreign jH lands Theodore Roosevelt in tho wilds of darkest, Africa, shooting lions and elephants, and William Jennings Bry-an Bry-an in the solitudes of South America' expounding principles, absorbing Latin-American Latin-American political ideas and issuing random bulletins which may or may not have to do with 1012. Clearing House for Ideas. Tho conference of the governors her this jveck'cnme at a psychological mo-incut mo-incut and it made Washington the clear-ing clear-ing house for presidential ideas. But I wish it distinctly understood that not a single governor so far as I know made ah open statement as to the sue-ccssor sue-ccssor of Mr. Taft. There seemed to be a tacit understanding, a sort or-political free masonry which made plain talk unnecessary. The governors who asscmblod here constitute a body of statesmen -who will exert a dominating influence upon the selection of candidates. Generally speaking, they aro broad men men of energy and with ideals as well as ideas. 'hcy havo tho respect of their people and several of them whoso names arc household words have the respect of tho entire nation. Each governor was will-ing will-ing to talk but not bout the next presi-dent. presi-dent. Among themselves they dis-cussed dis-cussed irrigation, extradition, ccutrali-zatioin" ccutrali-zatioin" mining, woifien's suffrage, drama, divorce, conservation, waiorways improvement, cost of living and many other things. Would Not Talk Politics. Governor Harmon of Ohio was will-ing will-ing to speak of the increase in prices, but not the next president: Governor Shafrotb of Colorado would talk of eon-serration eon-serration and irrigation, but w"hen I suggested that-'tho west ougbMo have representation at least in the vice-presi-dency ho assumed an abstracted air and fell mute. Governor Saunders deliv-cred deliv-cred an ardent discourse to me on the necessity of having; swamp lauds drained in hi? state, but wben t .suggested that the south wanted a show in tho nation-al nation-al politics, he veered to the need of bar-bor bar-bor improvements: Governor Brown of Virginia expressed deep and abidiug IH interest in tho good 'work of guberna- IH torial conferences, but was silent upou national politics; Governor Wilson of Kentucky was willing to deliver a lengthy homily upon the needs of in:- JM form laws and the immense growth of Kentucky, but oven failed to respond to the question of tho next prcsidenl. And thus it ran interminably. Activity Beneath Surface. But underneath the surface there was activity. Many of the men who were present at the governors' cqnforcuce havo been mentioned in the past, few jH davs for tho high ofrico of president. The declaration of Governor . Hughes IH that ho would not bo a candidate to succeed himself did not include tho IH clause that he would not bo a candidate for the presidency- But as the .Repub-licau .Repub-licau partv is in a bad way iu New York following graft disclosures, lead-ers lead-ers bciicvo that unless Governor Hughes does consent to bo a- candidate, that tho commonwealth will swing into De-mocracy.'1 De-mocracy.'1 As nearly as 1 can figure it out tho potentialities on tho Democratic sido are Governor Harmon of Ohio. Gov-omor Gov-omor Marshall of Indiana aud Mayor JM Gayuor 01 Now lorK t ity, me iasc uamed, of course, uot being herci Gov- IH ernor Shnfroth has many supportors IH throughout -the west who think ho is due for higher things. Mr. Shafroth served scvcrpl tortus in congress and provod himself a mau for his people. Toxas has been clamoring for represcn-tation, represcn-tation, 'which leads to tho belief that. Senator Culberson may aspiro to the JM vice-presidencv. Senator Newlands of Nevada is another legislator who 13 spoken of for future honors. Another is Senator Goro of Oklahoma. And now we again havo tho name of William Jennings Bryan, for it happened that coincident with Jho conclave of the statp. executives the story came, out of lho west that Mr. Bryau would accept another nomination. ' Position of Taft. jH President Taft has announced that IH ho would have pledged measures en-acted, en-acted, uo ma It or whether il annihilates his chances for auolhor term or not, which shows that he already has his mind made up. Presideut Taft is now the vortex of threo movements, each of which bears upon presidential possibili IH lies. First of these is the insurgent jH light: scoud, ( lho Ballingor-Pinchot eontroverM with its many rauulicatious; third, is "the legislation planned and urged by him as the result of the last Kenublicaii national platform. IH Aside from Presideut Taft, Colonel Roosevelt is alway.s available tiuiher. IH so far as certain-ardent supporters are concerned. I am waiting daily for Son- ator Jonathan Bourne to lauiurh a now tH series- of his second elective ti-rm homilies fnr which ho is justly eclebrat- jH ed. Governor Wilson has been men- John Hays Hammond Figures. There is another name looming high- or and higher as tho days go Iry that H of Koprcsontntivcs James Tnwuoy of 1 Minnesota, tho man who will likely f jH Continued on Pago Two. ijl WHO WILL SUCCEED PRESIDENT TAFT? Continuod From .Page One. succeed Joseph G. Cnunon as speaker of tho house. I havo left to tho last tho mention of John Hnys Hammond, the multi-millionairo mine owner, who has settled down as a pormanont resident resi-dent of Washington so that ho may keep in touch withtho nationnl legislators, legis-lators, who also, by tho way, havo a habit of making presidential or vice-presidential vice-presidential timber. Mr. Hammond has nlrcndy had a taste- of politics, having been candldato for tho vice-presidential nomination, but he is rich and nmbilnous and has the support of President Taft so that his namo must ever bo kopt in mind. Prohibition a Live Wire. At the samo: time mou aro considered who must consider moasures, for it is a conclusion reached by all that prohibition prohibi-tion will piny a heavier hand irr 1912 in national politics than ever before I have it today from Atlornov Walter Grcsharn, a mcmbor of tho Galveston bar, who hcadod a party of Texans lo plead for harbor improvements, that prohibition will bo the live wire issue in tho Texas campaign noxt fall when a governor is to bo olocted. Prohibition is also tho principal issuo in the California campaign, which is progressing nt this moment. In tho south prohibition , is now and has boon a predominating principle prin-ciple of politics. Tho nlovcmcnt is spreading further north, with West "Virginia "Vir-ginia and Pennsylvania and Ohio caught in tho movomont. Of course, a prohibition prohi-bition president will not. be clocted in 1912, but it will bo a lively plank in tho big party controversies. Ono Clovor Movo, Tho movement started to olect Col-onol Col-onol Roosovolt to congress from the First Now York district, ultimately making him speaker of tho house, is brandod as one of the clover moves to sidetrack iulorcst in tho bigger ques' tion. It is not generally credited. I aslccd Governor Ansell nf South Carolina if Mr. Taft had finally caught tuo loyalty of the southorners with the ultimate consummation of breaking the solid south, so-called. Ho replied: "We are still Democrats in the south. "Mr. Taft is very much liked and some of his measures aro approved, but I would not undcrtako to say whether he had gained any ground." Outlook for Taft. Governor Elberhardt, who came 'into tho governorship of Minnesota through tho death of Governor Johnson, thinks Mr, Taft has Town in general favor through tho northwest. Governor Brooks ot Wyoming believe? be-lieve? that if President Taft is successful suc-cessful in gotting through legislation any appropriations for westorn improvements improve-ments that ho will bo a very fonhidablo man. "Prosidcnt Taft has gained much ground in Wyoming since ho has been lexocutivo. and if ho continues tho work he hn.s mappod out ho will gain further ground," said Mr. Brooks. Govornor Carroll of Iowa mado tho same statement, but when I asked Governor Gov-ernor Burke of North Carolina I got this reoly: "I do not caro to discuss Mr. Taft 's popularity." Govornor Norfis of Montana is a Democrat, Dem-ocrat, and a loyal one. "Really I do not caro to discuss Mr. Taft's increased popularity," ho said; "I am a Democrat Demo-crat nnd I represent a Democratic state. That is all I care to say." Govornor Vesoj- of South Dakota also elected to remain siout. Hoosier Governor in Race. Stato Senator Lovi Harlan of Indiana is working in the vanguard of tho movement move-ment to make Govornor Marshall the noxt president. Senator, Harlan was here following tho conference of governors. gov-ernors. Upon being aslccd for a survey of Mr. Marshall's chances, he said: "Governor Marshall's term is growing in popularity overy day. Our governor is n clean, straightforward man, honest and sincero in every respoct. Ho is one of those mado of best presidential timber tim-ber possible. Indiana will put forward his name at the next Democratic national na-tional convention. There is ovcry possibility pos-sibility that wo shall have a Democratic legislature, consequently Democratic senators sen-ators from Indiana." Ho declared that ho liked Senator Bcveridgo personally, but then Scnutor Bcveridgo is a Republican. Re-publican. Thero will be two more conferences of tho frovernors boforo 1912. but some of thoso who ntteudod tho latest conclave con-clave mu' not bo among them, so that impetus, -was roally added to the political po-litical -significance of this movement by that vory fact. Wliat Taft Is Doing. Presidont Taft is attempting to weld the oast, west and south into harmony. In the east ho is examining trusts, prosecuting prose-cuting mergers and preventing railroad magnates from carrying out some of their plans. For the wesfc lie is urging reclamation, irrigation and improvements; improve-ments; for the south ho is bending to tho dosires of tho Democrats and advocating ad-vocating harbor improvements. For the middle west ho is calling for federal action to koep down living expenses 111 tho industrial rogions and is asking for impropriations for river improvements; for the southwest; he made himsolf snonsor for 'the statohood bills for Now Mexico and Arizona. What moro could an executive do? What, further expenditure expen-diture of action could even Colonel Roosevelt mnko? Demands Statehood. , Whilo tho senate committeo op territories ter-ritories announces that no new stales will .be admitted this year, Govornor Lurry of New Mexico, who was here for the conference, believes that President Pres-ident Taft's pot measure cannot bo held up. "Both parties pledged us state-h.ood state-h.ood and statohood wo will have " declared de-clared Mr, Curry. |