The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-11-10
Entered at Richmond. Ind. Postofac
AS Second Glass Mail Mattsr
THE REAL SITUATION.

didates are nominated to be elected,
and not to be defeated the Indianap-
oils News endeavors to show that the
elections just passed proved Secretary
Taft a weak man to seek the nomina-
ton for the presidency on the repub-
lican ticket. The News claims this
on account of the result of the Cleve-
land election, in which Congressman
Burton was defeated by Tom Johnson.
The News makes it appear that this
defeat for the republican forces was
on account of Taft's lack of strength
in Ohio, and because President Roose-
Welt saw fit to wish Burton success
when he first entered the campaign for
mayor. According to the News, the
president in doing this, injected ma
tional politics into what was purely
a local election. But is that right ?
Has not President Roosevelt as a re-
publican president, the right to wish
a fellow republican success in his cam
paign? No law or custom OF the
country, written or unwritten, can be
found that denies the president or any
other officer of our government the
right the News would deny President
Roosevelt, nor when 1t is done is it
necessarily injecting national politics
into local politics.
Burton lost his campaign on purely
local issues. Had he won he would
have done SO on purely local issues.
Burton is republican and Tom John
son is a democrat. This difference,
however, was not what determined the
Cleveland election 1t was the trac-
ton question, and the fact that the cit
liens of Cleveland considered Tom
Johnson's way of settling that ques-
tion best, that enabled him to win his
election. Nor do we blame the citi-
zens of Cleveland for feeling this way.
traction interests of his city for five
or six years and has almost won the
point he set out to attain. With this
fact in mind it would have been decid-
eddy foolish for Cleveland's citizens to
turn down Tom Johnson now and be-
gin the traction war all over again and
tn another way for settlement by elect
ting Burton.
In support Of it's contention that the
Cleveland election shows Secretary
Taft to be decidedly weak the News
says, What is serious, considered
from the point of view of men who
get delegates is the fact that there
Is factional fight on in Ohio that
seems peculiarly bitter. 1t is not
necessary for the Foraker people to
develop any considerable strength.
All they need do is to make a showing
and to kick up Il row all over the
state. II they do this, there will be
many who will wonder whe Their a man
thus fought at home is available "
Surely, and the more row the Foraker
people kick up all over the state of
Ohio the more the common people OF
Ohio and every other state in the I'm
ion can feel justified in placing their
confidence in Taft. The mere fact
that Foraker old corporation Senator
Foraker, is kicking up all this row is
enough to place the stamp and seal of
honesty upon Taft. II the News is
right in its contention that the Cleve-
land election was lost to the republi-
can party on account of the factional
fight in Ohio between the Taft and
Foraker forces. then Foraker is all the
more Of dirty politician. For to vent
his personal spite on Taft he helped
to defeat the republican ticket in
Cleveland-that is if the News is
right in laying the blame for that re.
publican defeat to factional fighting in
the republican party in Ohio.
Ohio can thank God that it has a
factional fight going on in the republi
can party in its borders for the end
OF that fight will soon bring about the
elimination of Foraker and all his dirty
gang of corporation heelers and make
way for a decent lot Of republican
leaders Leaders who have the hes,
interests of all the people at heart and
not the interests of grasping corpora
tons. The people of Indiana woult
thank God If there were only a faction
al fight going on in this state to bring
about the elimination of Vice Presi
dent Fairbanks and his machine. Bu
as long as the Indianapolis News, the
Star League and many minor papers
OF the state support that machine
either through their own free will OF
through fear of it, just SO long mus
the people of Indiana be forced TO reaC
the kind of slush those newspaper: