U.S. PRESIDENCY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 22, 9 January 1912, Page 2

U.S. PRESIDENCY.

COMMENTS ON CIANDI DATES. That the business advantages of Robert M. La Toilette’s possible incumbency of the Presidency of fhe United States had been seriously called to the attention of prominent Wall-street men, was asserted to-day by several bankers, who for the first time since La Toilette appeared as a candidate, admitted they were inclined to bo, if not impressed, at less inimical (writes the New York Evening Post of 23rd December). Within the last two weeks, it was said, men close to La Toilette, whether with or without his consent, had. talked with important business and financial men in New York on what they called the “Eastern misunderstanding” of the principles of the Wisconsin Senator. In the first place, said these advocates of La Toilette, the Eastern bankers and moneyed men were wrong in thinking that La Toilette was a nat-ural-born distributor of business conditions. They, argued that tho business men in, his home State wore thorougly satisfied with the laws that iiad made Wisconsin a “model State,” and their railroad legislation, they insisted had not only the support of the people, but was eminently satisfactory to the corporations. ‘What,” they asked, “could be fairer than that?” “Kind words for Wall-street, said one banker, after talking of the La Follette missionary work, “seems to, be in order just now. Having been cursed and abused, having listened for several years to the cries from tho housetops that we all bo sent to goal, with tho approaching election, it is suggested that perhaps, the men we have been forced to oppose arc not so bad after all. Here’s Roosevelt with the first soothing'statement we have had in months. 'Now appears Hearst an the scene all dressed up like a Conservative, and discussing economic issues in the ordinary-sized type. And, as if to add to the wonders, the Lochinvar of the ’ bitterest Progressives has friends who come too tell us that hidden away in the West he has fathered a business Community that would make Wall-street envious. “There is only one word more and that is to be heard from Wickersham. Haven’t you heard? He’s a candidate for the Presidency too. Quite seriously, I believe. Perhaps, after a while, he will appear to tell us how much we misunderstood him, in fact a view was advanced the other day that Wickeisham’s suit really had saved us from r worse fate at the hands of the Stanley Committee. Remarkable, isn’t it ? But, seriously what a chaotic mess it is, when you think that back of it is the fact that, when we should be preparing for the stiff world competition wo must face, we are being threatened with the obsolete economic condition of competition to the knife?” Other bankers seemed amused when they, were told about the appearance of the La Toilette missionaries in Wall-street.

‘‘Like .many other men down here, saidi a man of national prominence, T am a Republican, and it goes against, the, grain to think of voting the Democratic -ticket,, but I , confess that I. am in doubt. J was brought ub with the, idjea, that a Democrat >vas, an evil - thing, and lit amuses me ,now to think of i some of. the things that I oncejthought ofliDtjmocrat^.. ,j : ~ “But as Republicans, whqt lqwe we P, Taft, whose theory,'is destruction, and whose war on established business is little less than revolutionary. Roosevelt, who comes with, a plan that is sane and big, but who is still distrusted by many and could not be elected, (l - any way., *, Xa, -If olh-tt^rr-P 0 , matter what the truth may bo as to what ho has done in Winsconsin, he is still a man who says things that are inflammatory. . a VOn ,!.the Democratic M Ahw’h IS;. Wilson*,. a big man, and an; jntellectual one, but apparently,: ho.Jia{?|dfivelopc?<J, i (leraagogic streak that is.-„certainly. dangerous. Harmpp, is, little known, 1 ! out, apparently, hn, has nuuiy fine qualities. .Underwood, : less known than Harmon is amoven more attractive figure. Hearst, of course is out of the question. • - •• ,m ■ “If the election were,to take place to-day I have no idea ■ how I would rote not within my recollection have conditions been so mixed. As for Wallstreet, I believe the influence it once had, cither in the selection of a candidate or the election, is past and gone. In fact, ,1 think the support of the Street would go far towards defeating the man who carried its commendation.”