Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-07-13

Convention Left Many Sore Spots
Old Line G. o. P. Leaders Enraged
The Outbreak For La Follettc-Vita
Issues lgnored-The Slap at Union
Labor.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.
The Republican convention ended
amid pickering. hard feelings. disnp-
pointed ambitions and Il sense of out
rage on the part of the minority lead
Srs. 1t would be dithcult TO exagger-
ate the amount of discomfort which
the Republican convention has left
among Republican politicians. 1t Is OF
course impossible to mention names
but every Washington correspondent
who has been here in Chicago and who
Gnows the Washington leaders has
stored away In his mind the acrimoni-
Gus utterings of more than one Of the
great figures at the capital concerning
the methods oS the convention and the
character of the ticket. Where Presi-
dent Roosevelt could have obtained the
opinion that Taft would be popular
candidate is difficult to imagine. He
could not have got it from the leaders
in the house or in the senate or the old
time leaders in Republican or doubtful
states He could not have got it
through the time honored method of
feeling the pulse Of the people. for
such popular enthusiasm as there was
and is for Taft has been manufactured
at heavy financial expense and by the
use Of the power Of the federal gov
eminent through its officeholders.
In separating to go their various
ways the Republican leaders, with the
exception of the little ring who han
died the steam roller that crushed old
time Republicanism out of recognition.
complained bitterly of these wrongs:
The fragrant and open Intervention Of
the administration to force the nomi-
nation Of a member Of the presidents
official family and thereby perpetuate
in fact if not In name the Roosevelt
dynasty; the methods by which the
4najority in the nationa! committee and
The majority on the floor of the con-
ysention ignored the rights Of the MI
nority and carried through cut and
dried programme with heavy hand:
the platform, which was written at
Washington and concerning which the
sold time leaders of the party had no
more to say than the pages who car
ried messages about the aisles of the
convention hall, and the summary side
tracking of the tried and true war
horses Of the party in order to make
place for new blood. new men and new
Ideas
Nobody can overestimate the extent
TO which today these things are resent
ed. But 1t is not for Dem ocrats to rely
too much upon the present unrest in
the Republican party. for dissension in
that organization is apt to die out be-
fore election day. It is fC- us rather to
close our own ranks and to proceed as
though we were to meet an enemy
united, strong and confident of victory.
Tho Conventions Best Moment.
The one real burst of unmanufac-
'tured enthusiasm came when man
almost unknown to national politics
rose ut the end Of the roll call Of
lette of Wisconsin. There was no
chance for the nomination of his chief
He confronted body of delegates
pledged to Taft and who represented
an investment In preliminary cam
paigning Of more than three-quarters
of a million dollars. He spoke without
effort or OratOrical effect, but he set
FORWARD clearly and calmly the three
planks In the La Toilette programme
which the Republican party in con-
vention assembled had refused to
adopt. Even among the delegates who
were tied hand and foot by instruc-
tions his earnestness and the way in
which he expounded the nature and
purposes Of these planks aroused en-
rtbusiasm. The galleries blaZed with
Toy, and save that the officers of the
convention and the Taft leaders on the
Tnoor put out their utmost endeavors to
CHECK the outbreak the demonstration
for La Toilette would have equaled
that for either Taft or Roosevelt
There Is significance in this-double
Significance. Do not forget that Senator
La Toilette Is yet young man as pol
1tics goes, having reached his fifty
third birthday the day before this con-
Wention assembled. He still holds his
state organization and the devoted sup
port Of vast majority of the voters
OF Wisconsin. Very wisely-and l say
this as II lifelong Democrat-he tele-
graphed to the nominee of his party his
assurance Of his support of the ticket.
but explicitly reserved his right to crit
ictse the platform. How useful Sen.
ator La Toilette aid under these cir
cumstances may be to Mr.. Taft Is get
TO be determined, but the support thus
extended keeps La Toilette regular"
and when about four years from now
we observers Of politics gather at an
Coer Republican convention the little
giant" OF Wisconsin will be factor to
<be ,reckoned with.
Tho Famous Three Planks.
Before this campaign Is over there is
Yoing 10 be much said in debate on the
stump and In the newspapers concern
Ing the three plnnks Of the La Toilette
platform which We're offered for a spe
cial vote on the floor OF the convention
and each one of which was voted down
~