The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-10-06

state republican convention last
week was undoubtedly triumph
of the better element of the party
and as such it is gratifying to the
whole country. The victory how
ever, gives no encouragement to
the progressive movement as 1t is
advocated in the west by such
leaders as La Toilette, Cummins,
Dolliyer and Bristow. These
leaders have assumed to be the 81
mon pure supporters Of the Roose.
velt policies, and have persistentIy
discredited the administration of
Pres. Taft. They have declared
that he had forsaken the Roosevelt
policies, haveimpugned his motives
and apposed his efforts. The stand
taken by Col. Roosevelt at Sara
toga places these critics Of Pres.
Taft in a ridiculous position. In
his address as temporary chair
man of the convention Mr.. Roose-
yelt gives the president unqualified
endorsement. He said: Gin the
last eighteen months a long list of
important legislation, most heartily
E -.
to be commended as combining
wisdom with progress, has been
enacted by congress and approved
by President Taft" He then
enumerated long list of these en-
actments, nearly every one of
which has been condemned by the
progressives of the west, and said:
.'Fhey represent an earnest of the
achievement which is yet to come.
and the benefcence and far reach
ing Importance of this work done
for the whole people measure the
credit which is>rightly due to the
congress and to our able, upright
and distinguished president, Will
lam Howard Taft"
The platform adopted, which it
must be conceded, was approved
if not dictated by Mr., Roosevelt
says: "We enthusiastically indorse
the patriotic and statesmanlike
leadership Of William Howard Taft
and declare our pride in the a.
chievements If his first eighteen
months as president of the United
States" The platform then emu
merates many of the achievements
among which are the Payne-Ald-
rich tariff, and conservation acts.
From these declarations it is evil
dent that the Roosevelt policies
are identical with the Taft policies,
and those who have been criticiz-
ing Pres. Taft must now acknow.
ledge, either that they do not be-
lieve in the Roosevelt policies, or
else that their criticisms, of Pres.
Taft have been unjust. 1t is true
the Saratoga convention endorsed
the direct primary that New York
has been striving for and which
Mr.. Roosevelt, and Gov. Hughes
have endorsed, but this provides
only for nomination of governor,
congressman, and members iof the
Legislature by direct vote, but does
not do away with the convention
for all minor state
Offices. This means a short ballot
and one that the voter can vote in
te!ligently. A ballot containing
the names of candidates for all
offices, which is necessarily so COM
plicated that no voter can COM
prehend it, has never been endorsed
by Col. Roosevelt, and can not be
considered a Roosevelt policy.
1t is we'll to compare the action
of the republican convention in
New York where Col. Roosevelt
was IN control, with the Iowa con-
ventlon where Sen. Cummins was
supreme, and where the platform
did not mention the name of Pres.
Taft and his picture greeted with
Kisses or with the Wisconsin con
vention, controlled by Sen. La
Toilette, where the Rayne-Aldrich
tariff was condemned, where La
Toilette was declared to be the
"pioneer in the progressive move
ment," and where the platform de-
clares that the laws against trusts
should not be changed "until the
l. ~