Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1908-07-23
Poor Imita ton Of an Imitator.
News and Obseryer.l

News and Observer.)
Mr.. Taft has a rough q n d
rocky road ahead of him in his
campaign to ensconce himself in
the White House and is badly
handicapped by the fact that the
people recognize that be is not
his own candidate. that every
time he wiggles there is Presi-
dent Roosevelt in the back
ground working the wires.
That he is merely Roosevelt's
man has been clearly shown by
the two things OF Importance
that he has done since his nomi-
nation, outside of the selection
OF Hitchcock as his National
Chairman and Sheldon as Ma
tional Republican treasurer. The
selection of Hitchcock was of
course because he manipulated
the steam-roller for Roosevelt at
Chicago and was handed Taft
by Roosevelt, while the appoint
ment of Sheldon was because be-
ing a member OF such q great
number of trusts he knows how
to milk them and keep it on the
quiet, despite the buncombe Of
campaign publicity, after the
campaign is over.
The two special blunders which
Mr.. Taft must shoulder are those
made in a weak attempt to fore
stall and to copy after planks II
the Democratic platform. The
first was in a matter of promise
OF publicity OF campaign funds,
with the string hitched toit that
publicity is perhaps to come af-
ter the campaign is over, as II
this would be ofservice. The ev.
ident purpose was to foresta Il
the publicity plank in the Demo.
cratic platform, but it was not
so patent a thing that it excites
ribald laughter because of ite
crossness. While Sheldon may
say that he will make public cam
paign contributions and expend-
itures "after the campaign" be-
cause he is q New Yorker, hi {
headquarters are in New York
and there is some sort Of a New
York law on the subject that he
alleges compels him to do so, il
does not cover the case atall, fol
who is going to keep tab on what
Vorys takes in and pays out in
Ohio, or what the Republican
managers in other states collect
from trust corporations and use
in "blocks OF FIVE" methods. In
his weak attempt to even up with
Democratic pledges Mr.. TAFT is
poor imitator Of President Roost
velt, who on his part is the imi
tator of Mr.. Bryan, whose ideas
and politics he has filched time
and again, and Sheldon, his q
gent in money getting is so tact
less that he gives the game away
thus early by announcing to re
porters that he had received can
paign contributions from twelve
declining to tell from whom ant
adding, ''it will be published al
ter the election"
Item number two is the hast
ing of Candidate Taft to attemp
to square himself with the labo
forces OF this country, which were
ignored at Chicago and giveI
deserved recognition at Denver
But the hasting was 80 precipi
tate following the adoption o
the Democratic plank concerning
auti-injunction that even imita
tor Taft is putting up the pre-
tense of baking at the announces
lnent so as to sugar-coat the i'm
itation of Democracy, followin,
! the lesson he has been given b.
Roosevelt. The industrial head
. quarters" OF Taft's managers il
Chicago published that he woul
] ignore the Republican platforr
!, with regard to injunction meas
ures and use in the campaign
) personal plank setting out tina