The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-02
FACING BOTH WAYS.

FACING BOTH WAYS.
The Republican campaign for the
presidency so far as developed can be
summed up in fey words, the only
question being as to the best means of
making the people of the great west
believe one thing and the people OF the
effete east another.
This side OF the Allegheny mountains
the average american citizen is sup
posed to be a breezy sort Of individ-
ual. frank and open-hearted, as dis
tinguished from his brother on the
other side of the range, who is pictured
as cold and calculating and not in the
habit of allowing religious convictions
or political opinions to interfere with
his pursuit of the dollar.
For the western men who like buster
and bluff the campaign cry of the Re
publicans will be Roosevelt-"the big
stick" the president who is always
doing things regardless of conse-
quences; who airs his views on the
proper size of families. the number of
battleships the country needs, the
proper way to spell and countless other
subjects in a manner which admits of
no denying-unless the unfortunate in
dividual who wishes to interpose an OBJ
lection is willing to be called a liar.
The eastern brothers who are at
tracted by the clink and CLINT of the
yellow metal are not friendly to Roose-
welt, so Taft will be held up to public
view-the weak copy of the president;
an abject sample of the me too poll
tician. This much on the surface. The
game so far as it has been played is
to convince the men who control the
destinies OF the United States in a fin
ancial way that while Taft thinks as
Roosevelt does, If he were elected pres
ident he would be an entirely different
creature; that the prosecution-perse-
cution they call it back thereof law
breaking corporations would cease: that
il an oleo manufacturer can make any
body believe his product is butter. but
ter it is; that fifteen ounces is near
enough to a pound for all practical
purposes, etc.,-etc- '-- '-7-'7 'f --r s
Then. to make the play stronger in
the west, we have an attack of Roose-
welt upon the United States circuit
court of appeals for its decision in the
Standard Oil case. an attack which II
made by Mr.. Bryan would be denom-
mated treason in it's worst form and
show conclusively that the Democrats
were unfit to control the destinies of
the country. There has been a hurry
ing and scurrying of legal lights TO
oyster Bay, and the press groans with
accounts of the things we're going 10
do to John d. and the Standard Oil
company. Forty-seven or more cases
will be started right away for that $780,
100000. which nobody under heaven
supposed ever would or could be coll
lected. This serves to distract the at
tention of the people of the west from
issues which directly concern them,
such as the revision of the tariff, guar
anty of bank deposits and other reform
measures advocated by the Democratic
platform.
In the improbable event of Judge Taft's
election, which section of the country
will get left? Would he prove true to
the granger states of the west after in
voking the high and holy name of
Roosevelt, or would he be an easy
mark" for the stock gamblers?
And what of the rank and file Of the
people? Do they expect oil apd water
to mix, or the leopard to change its
spots? Have they ever considered the
impossibility of a man serving two
masters? Will they go blindly into this
campaign, trusting to luck that all will
come out right in the end?
At present the Republican candidate
for president of the United States is
facing both ways, and no reliance can
be placed in his professions of honesty
of purpose. The rebuke will be prompt
ly and effectively applied in November.