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CHAPTER  XXIII
Helping to Choose His  Successor
M
R. TAFT'S candidacy was not of his own seeking, neither was it arbitrarily forced upon the party by Mr. Roosevelt.    It was the result of much consultation; and Mr. Taft, who would have preferred to return  to the  federal bench, became  a candidate only because it was the prevailing view of the administration  and the party that he was the most available man.    Until the very last moment, there were great numbers of Republicans who clung to the hope that  the  convention  would  be  stampeded  for Mr. Roosevelt.

NOT A  WEAKLING Prom the Evening World (New York)
•• HE'S ALL EIGHT " From tlie Evening Matt  (New York)
There were those who said that while Roosevelt himself would be acceptable to them, they did not approve of his dictating the choice of his successor. Governor Hughes had entered upon a brilliant record in New York, and it was decided by a majority of the New York delegation that his name should be presented at the Chicago convention as a candidate for Presidential honors. Senator Knox was the favorite son of Pennsylvania, and his name also was offered to the convention. Vice-President Fairbanks had the endorsement of his own State of Indiana, and some strength in other parts of the country.
Speaker Cannon had the great State of Illinois behind him, although he himself regarded his Presidential boom in the light of a mere personal compliment, and was ready to support Taft. The delegation from Wisconsin was instructed to present the name of Senator La Follette by way of reminding the convention of the turn in that gentleman's fortunes since the refusal of the convention of 1904 to seat him and his friends.

170

A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

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Helping to Choose His Successor

171

THE SHADOW ON THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS
From Judge (New York)
But Mr. Roosevelt fully realized that if the convention were deadlocked by reason of the conflicting claims of too many favorite sons, the outcome would inevitably be his own re-nomination. He bent all his energies, therefore, toward the securing of enough pledged

secbbtaky taft   (to the President):  "What's that blamed racket ahead, Theodore?" (Secretary Taft does not find the trip to the White House devoid of adventure and opposition)
From the Saturday Globe  (Utica)

172

A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

LOADING   THE   BAND   WAGON
Prom the Spokesman-Review  (Spokane)

PRETTY GOOD AT " WINNING THE WEST "
HIMSELF From the Blade (Toledo)

A LIVELY CONVENTION
(The  President interested  in  the  New  York   State Convention.)
From the World (New York)

Helping to Choose His Successor

173

"THE  THIN  RED  LINE   OF   HEROES"   IN  THE   CONVENTION   OF   1908 (The  Taft  delegates standing firm  in the  face  of  the tremendous enthusiasm for Roosevelt.)
From Collier's Weekly

\
THE " BIG STICK " WAS THERE Prom the Eagle (Brooklyn, New York)

DEE-LIGHTED ;   OR,   THE   RINGMASTER From the Eagle.  (Brooklyn, New York)

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A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

TAFT'S WRITING MASTER From the World (New York)

MR.   ROOSEVELT   GETS   THE   CHICAGO   NEWS
WITH  EVIDENT DELIGHT From the Philadelphia Inquirer, June 10

delegates to nominate Mr. Taft; and so the thing was accomplished. It was regarded by the country as an endorsement of the Roosevelt administration, and a determination to continue the Roosevelt policies.
For Mr. Taft had been a very conspicuous and highly trusted member of the administration, and at all times one of Mr. Roosevelt's two or three closest advisers. Mr. Roosevelt had a very high opinion of all his cabinet officers, but for the statesmanship of

THE   GREATEST   LEADER   OF   THEM   ALL From the Herald  (New York)

Helping to Choose His Successor

175

the president (to Bryan) : " You'll call me papa, will you?"
From the Journal  (Detroit)
Mr. Root and Mr. Taft he had an especial regard. He ranked them with the great men of the early period of the Republic in respect of attainments, experience and constructive statesmanship.

• WE'VE   BOTH   HAD  A   PERFECTLY   CORKING
GOOD TIME ! " From the Eagle (Brooklyn, N. Y.)

"HE BEGAN IT, TEACHER"—(Messrs. Hearst, Roosevelt, Bryan, and Kern in the campaign)
(The National  Schoolmaster is somewhat indignant at the prevalence of mudslinging.)
From the Saturday Globe  (Utica)

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A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

ROPED!
i
From the Spokesman-Review  (Spokane)
- Governor Hughes, who might have had the Vice-Presidency, was unwilling to accept it, and the New York delegation secured the convention's approval of the Hon. James S. Sherman. The ticket of Taft and Sherman was regarded as a little more conservative than Roosevelt himself, and the Democrats were ready to try their chances again under Mr. Bryan's leadership.
The old opposition to Bryan within the Democratic party had largely disappeared. There was a strong feeling that the ticket of Bryan and Kern might win against that of Taft and Sherman. Mr. Roosevelt as President could not, of course, go on the stump, but he took an intense and active interest in the work of the campaign, and did his best to refute the claims of Mr. Bryan that he, rather than Taft, was the true exponent of Roosevelt's progressive policies. The election of Mr. Taft was universally hailed as another Roosevelt victory.
It was a notable thing that both Taft and Bryan were presented to the country bv their chief exponents as true and fit successors of Roosevelt, in respect of their doctrines and policies and of their personal attitude toward their fellow-citizens at large. The whole campaign as conducted on both sides,—even though it developed the usual asperities and heated accusations,—was in reality a tribute to the character .of Roosevelt as a national figure who summed up the general aim and common belief of all honest and right-minded men, regardless of party.
The controversies of the campaign were not about fundamental things. The Republicans were accused of receiving campaign contributions from Wall Street,—with considerable truth, no doubt,—and the opponents of Mr. Taft were annoyed by disclosures connecting some of them with a certain Trust then under government prosecution. But

Helping to Choose His Successor

177

THE PRESIDENTIAL HANDICAP !—Prom the Constitution (Atlanta) (Mr. Bryan is in doubt whether he is running against Mr.   Taft or Mr. Roosevelt.)
these things were mere incidents, inevitable always in national campaigns. The Roosevelt administration was again before the country for endorsement. Taft was part and parcel of that administration, was the choice of Mr. Roosevelt, and was fully ratified by the party. And the country in the election once more gave a vote of its confidence in government of the Rooseveltian stamp.

ALONE I DIDN'T DO IT mr. taft   (breathless but triumphant) : you,  Teddy ! "—From Punch   (London)

' Thank

ROOSEVELT'S BIGGEST BUBBLE From Pasquino  (Turin)

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A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

I'Tom Puck.     Copyright,   1908.     By permission.
THE  DISPUTED  TITLE—WHO  OWNS  IT?
(A cartoon expressing the idea that the great issue of Roosevelt's administration had to do with the attempt of privileged and corporate wealth to control the country's resources and policies.)