The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-07-03
UNPOPULAR TICKET
REPUBLICANS DON'T ENTHUsE
OVER TAFT AND SHERMAN.
Crushing Methods Emplyed in the
Convention Left Many Sore Spots

Convention Left Many Sore Spots
The Slap at Union Labor.
:. By WILLIS j. ABBOT.
The Republican convention ended
amid pickering, hard feelings, disap-
pointed ambitions and, a sense of out
rage on the part of the minority lead
ers. It would be difficult to exagger-
ate the amount Of discomfort which
the Republican convention has left
among Republican politicians. t is OF
course impossible to mention names,
butt every Washington correspondent
who has been here in Chicago and who
knows the Washington leaders has
stored away in his mind the acfinoni-
ous utterlngs Of more than one OF the
great figures at the capital concerning
the methods Of the convention and the
character Of the ticket. Where Presi-
dent Roosevelt could have obtained the
opinion that Taft would be a popular
candidate is difficult to imagine. He
could not have got 1t 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 1t
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
ernment through its offlceholders.
In separating to 80 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 noml-
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
majority in the national committee and
the majority on the floor of the con-
yention ignored the rights of the NIL
nority and carried through q cut and
dried programme with heavy band;
the platform, which was writtel at
Washington and concerning which the
old time leaders Of the party had no
more to say than the pages who car
ried messages about the alsles 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 it is not for Democrats 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. 1t is for us rather to
close our own ranks and to proceed as
though we were to meet an enemy
united, strong and confident Of victory
The Conventions Best Moment.
The one real burst Of unmanufac-
tured enthusiasm came when mar
almost unknown to national politics
rose at the end Of the roll call OF
states to nominate hopelessly La Fo.
lette ofs Wisconsin. There was no
chance for the nomination Of his chief
He confronted q body Of delegates
pledged to Taft and who represented
an investment in preliminary cam
paigning Of more than three-quarters
Of q million dollars. He spoke without
effort or oratorical effect, but be set
forward clearly and calmly the three
olanks 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-
thusiasm. The galleries blazed with
ioy. and save that the officers Of the
convention and the Taft leaders on the
floor 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