Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-09-24
The Republicans Arc in Lac.

The fraterniZing of Mr. Taft and
Senator Foraker at the G. A. r En-
campment at Toledo comes to us ST.
multaneously with the announcement
by Chairman Hitchcock of the Nation
al Committee, that all OF Mr.. Taft's
rivals for the presidential candidacy
are about to take. the stump for him.
Gov. Hughes will be the star speaker
AT the demonstration in Youngstown
tomorrow, which will formally. open
the campaign in Ohio. About the mid
die of the month Vice President Fair
banks is TO start on a speaking tour,
beginning in Indiana, which the Re-
publican leaders are tentatively placing
III the doubtful list. Senator Foyaker
has placed himself at the service of the
National Committee, and it is under-
stood that he is to open the campaign
III Kansas. Several weeks ago it was
announced that Speaker Cannon was
10 talk in every one of the close con-
gressional districts, in aid of the Re
publican, candidates for Congress. He
Is also TO talk for the national ticket
IN all those places. Although the Ma
tlOnal Committee seems not to be espe-
clalIy anxious TO get Senator La Fol-
lette to talk, he is booked to make
many speeches for the presidential
ticket. So is Senator Knox, whose
name has seldom got into the papers
since the Chicago convention.
Ihls rallying of all the Republican
leaders to the support of the national
ticket is significant. The only danger
mat Is ahead Of the Republicans is
overconfldence, and measures are be-
ing taken by the National Committee
10 avert that. The big Republican NH
Jorlty IN Vermont shows that the
apathy in that quarter was not so great
as had been feared The vote was I'D
10 the average. and the Republican
margin was far enough above The o.
900 mark TO show that the party was
holding its own. At this stage of the
canvas all the indications point to Il
brilliant Republican victory. 1t is al
together safe to predict that the situa-
ton will steadily improve to the end
Usually, the Republicans do the hard
est part of their work within a few
weeks Of the voting day. If the cleo
ton had taken place within a month
OF the time when the Democrats ac-
cepted the Liberal Republican ticket
and platform in 1872 Greeley and not
Grant would probably have been elect
ed. The efferyescence in the Demo-
cratic canvass had all evaporated,
however, long before November came
and nearly everybody saw that the Re
publicans would sweep the country.
Garfield and Arthur were beaten in the
indications in September when Ver-
mont's small Republican majority and
Names Democratic victory came to
dishearten the Republican national
leaders. The Republicans, though, inn
pressed all the sulkers into the service
after the Maine disaster, the tide was
turned, and Garfield carried the coun-
try Probably Bryan would have been
elected in 1896 if the voting had taken
place in August or September, instead
of in November, but his boom went to
pieces when the people got a chance
to inquire what he stood for. Parker
created a sensation in 1904 by his gold
telegram TO the st. Louis Convention,
and for a week or two he seemed to be
strong with the country. In 1908 Bry-
ans greatest strength was Immediately
after Denver put him in the field. Prob
ably even Bryan himself now sees that
the tide is against him.
1t will do no harm for the Republi-
cans to place Indiana, New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and West Virginia
in the list of doubtful states. This will
serve to arouse the party from any
feeling Of apathy which it may fall
into. The Republicans have a large
majority of the people on a full vote
The duty of the campaign managers
will be to get that vote out. Conf
dence is an excellent thing for the
party to have, but if it should lead any
considerable number of voters in each
precinct to stay away from the polls
it might easily prove disastrous. Even
with 100000 plurality, like that of
Roosevelt in 1904, the staying at home
of a few Republicans in each voting
precinct in the Northern and Western
states would have reduced the Repub-
lican lead sufficiently to have made
the result very close. 1t would be I'M
safe to count on repetition in 1908 Of
the tidal wave of 1904. Bryan will IN
doubtedly poll a larger vote than Par
ker. He has a far larger following in
the West than Parker had while he is
not likely to be any weaker in the
East than Parker was. Carelessness
among Republican voters this year is
peril which should be guarded against.
The size of the Republican majority is
a detail which deserves attention. The
country needs a majority for Taft and
House belonging to his party, which
will be sure to mean a complete Repub-
lican ascendency for at least four
years more, and thus bring Republican
prosperity to us again in its old-time
mea sure.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat
JOHN AND HIS IDOLS