The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-04-15
THE ANTIsTAFT FIASCO.
10 New York Globe says:

The New York Globe says:
"There Is adequate explanation of
the seeming fiasco that has over
taken the attempt to prevent the
nomination of Secretary Taft at Chr
cago. American political history is
rich in the record OF silly campaigns,
but nothing touching IN Stiffness the
antics OF the so-called "allies" during
the last three months. There was
plenty of material for robust and
|Intelligent opposition to Taft but 1t
was practically ignored and endeav-
ors concentrated on efforts to foist on
the public ridiculous and childish
things.
During the last three months the
Taft opposition, when 1t was not
merely making faces, has hopelessly
floundered to and fro in behalf OF the
following propositions;
81 That President Roosevelt did
not mean and would not stick to his
declnation.
"2. That Taft was a man of no
character or personal Independence
a contemplate me too
"3. That to secure the nomination
of Taft the chief reliance was on the
Republican boroughs of the south.
"a. That the movement for Taft,
so far as there was one, was of, for
and by the officeholders.
Not only are all of these things
untrue. which is important, but they
are demonstrably and manifestly un-
true. which is more important. NO
sooner was there a fair amount OF
team work in the advocacy of one or
the other of the foregoing PROPOSE
tons than the underpinning was
knocked from underneath. The the
ory that the president is merely seek
ing to use Secretary Taft as a decoy
is an insult. not merely to the presi-
dent, but to the general intelligence.
President Roosevelt has his faults
but it has been impossible to con
vince any considerable number of his
fellow citizens that he was capable
of deliberately playing so despicable
a game. AS to the me too charge,
il became dead and showed not even
mechanical life when IT appeared that
with respect to the Roosevelt policies
Governor Hughes, senator Knox
Speaker Cannon, Vice President Fair
banks. and the others were quite as
much of them as Secretary Taft.
Not a few people in this country have
personal acquaintance with the big
secretary. and it has been difficult to
persuade them that he is mere
echoing nobody.
"As to the south, It early developed
that the allies were corrupting and
rough housing far more than the
Taft faction. 1t has been from
northern and Republican states that
Secretary Taft has received the two
hundred instructed delegates now on
his list As to the officeholder the
DRY. it is so utterly refuted that 1t is
no longer worth the dignity of no.
tice. II is the Republican rank and
file that is instructing delegates. not
of machine politicians acting
from instructions higher up. More
of the federal ofiiceholders are for
Taft than for any other candidate, but
SO are there more non-officeholders
for him than for any other candidate.
1t is profitless to inquire whether the
people caught the Taft sentiment
from the officeholders, or whether the
caught 1t from the peo-
pie. The main fact is that 1t exists,
and that never has there been a freer
chance for candidates TO get fair
hearing.
at is quite possible, in view of the
general knowledge of his character,
and general fitness for the
than in no event could the
of Secretary Taft have
been defeated. Nevertheless 1t is
clear that those opposed to him have
thrown no impeachment in his way.
His opponents have steadily bungled
BY assuming that an uncandid course
was the most profitable course. The
people have not unnaturally refused
to partake OF the feast of peanut
issues laid before them. Hence II Is,
as the Boston Transcript remarks,
when discussing the Massachusetts
primaries result, Secretary Taft
al ~