Life — January 4, 1912 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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“ While there is Life there's Hope.” VOL, LVIV, JANUARY 4, 1912. No. 1823 P LIFE PUBL! SoA. MITCHKLL, Pres’, 7 West Thi blished by HING COMPANY A. MILLEM, Sec‘y and Treas, st Street, New York HE New Year be- 1 gins with June 18 set as the date of the Republican National Con- vention and an FH Gintcresting = group of candi- dates awaiting that day, and whatever date the Democrats may fix upon. It is still probable, but by no means sure, that the Republicans will invite Mr. Taft to make the effort to succeed him- self. Recent comment has dwelt more on the defects, obvious enough, in Mr. Taft's presidential equipment than on his great merits. Yet in the next five months there will probably be many who will reflect that while Mr. Taft has made plenty of political mistakes which were damaging to his reputation a party leader, he has made very few which were damaging to the coun- try. Even now his record on the tariff is incomplete and may be mended somewhat before June. Séme persons consider that he has enforced the Sher- man law too much; others too little; but few hold him responsible for that law as it stands, or for not compelling, or at least advising, a substitute for it That he could not well do. Yet if he runs again he scems quite likely to be beaten, If he doesn’t run, who will? Hardly Mr. La Follette, or Mr. Cum- mins. The former has too many hearty antagonists. The latter seems not to weigh quite heavy enough on the political scales. Perhaps, if the Republicans, when they come in June to the point of decision, consider Mr. Taft's candidacy hopeless, they will sort out of their nursery some man not yet considered, and not ostentatiously allied with cither of the divisions in their party. There are other such men besides Justice Hughes, but it would be mean to drag any of them out of *LIPFE*s the grateful shade of their present re- tirement and present their qualities for premature consideration. 5 HEN, of course, there is Colonel Roosevelt. As befits a Contribut- ing Editor, he has been active of late in consideration of political questions, and, of course, everyone who wants to, sees in him an adroit angler for the nomination if it looks good to him when the time comes. There are sev- eral ways in which he could avoid this appearance. He might contrive for himself an aeroplane accident which would eliminate him from the list of candidates. Possibly he might an- nounce his determination not to run with an accompaniment of such con- vincing execrations that it would be ac- cepted. General Sherman once did that, but he was differently situated from the Colonel and had a different gift of language. Colonel Roosevelt has al- ready once announced his purpose not to be President again. He may change his mind, but if not, a second self- denying announcement would be quite as likely to weaken the first as to strengthen it. Probably, being still young and in good enjoyment of life, he dislikes to keep taking himself off and inciting the ceremonies due to a political corpse, so he may have to re- main ‘in some men’s minds as a Repub- lican who may be nominated in June. S for the Democrats, it seems quite likely that they will put forward the best man they can find. Enthu- siasm seems to have made room for sagacity in the Democratic counsels. Governor Harmon is an excellent man, older than a beginning President ought to be, but very sound; objectionable, to be sure, to Mr. Bryan, but, a_trust- worthy, seasoned man, and particularly suitable if the Republicans should only nominate La Follette. In the public mind Governor Harmon figures as a man not under suspicion of having revolution up his sleeve, and therefore a conservative. He would probably run better against a radical than against a man like Mr. Taft, more like himself. A good many worthy people would hope to get their natural rest with Gov- ernor Harmon in the White House. Mr. Oscar Underwood seems quite likely to be the Democratic candidate some time on his merits as a states- man. As the Democratic leader in the House, he has made a reputation for his party. He is able, sagacious and patient; of an even temper; a godsend to the Democrats. That lie comes from Alabama should not make him a worse candidate, for he is a modern, Union- born ‘Southerner, without any sectional sympathies that would make him less useful to one part of the country than to another, But Mr. Underwood is mighty useful where he is, and does not seem likely to be moved from his present employment. The other leading Democratic can- didate is Governor Wilson. All the prudent citizens of this town sit up to denounce him. He is like the Sherman Jaw, in that he contains an area of un- certainty. Nobody seems to be quite sure what he might do if he got to the White House. Even William Bryan is not sure that he does not deserve his support. Now there are some advantages in these doubts that Governor Wilson in- spires. If “ Wall Street” was sure he was “just the man,” that, of course, would mean a candidacy still-born. If Bryan was satisfied that he was the only real man in sight, that would be disturbing, but Bryan has a school- houseful of ‘candidates that he likes just as well as Wilson, It is quite pos- sible that no Democrat could be elected whose deportment in the White House could be accurately predicted. Yet Governor Wilson has not hesitated to expose his mind, and as many of his political views as were in shape for ex- hibition. He has come very lately into politics from the academic shades, and some of his political ideas have had to be brought up to date, and others he has had to think over. But he has disclosed many, and has been judged sometimes on passages in speeches which may have conveyed imperfectly the opinions by which he will finally stand. But he is a good man, very able and trained in sound ideas of economics.