Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-10-21
Washington Letter.

Washington, Oct (Special) Theo-
dore Roossv elt's star of destiny is fall
ing
While he was in the South dicker.
ing for the support Of Republican del
egates to the 1912 convention, vigor-
Gus movement was started among the
"genuine" progressives Of the West
and Middle West looking toward the
withdrawal Of all support from the
former president.
Some Of the leaders of the Congress
sional delegation Of progressives quiet
ly TALKED the situation over and de-
cided not 10 permit Roosevelt to run
away with the leadership Of the ma
tional progressive movement. If nec-
essary, to prevent the ex-president
from using the progressive movement
for his personal advancement, these
real progressives will publicly repudi-
ate Roosevelt. They will direct public
attention to the gross dupllclty Roose-
veil practiced on the people proclaim
ing himself progressive and then
straight way turning about and al
lowing the New York state convention
over which he had absolute control
to adopt platform indoTsing the
Payne-Aldrich tariff jugglery and the
reactionary Taft administration.
The New York platform squarely de-
scribes the Payne-A lava :ul-
tillment of Republican promises, be-
cause it states there was an average re-
duction Of all duties of II per cent,
which if true, would constitute revision
downward.
This is in contrast to the Wisconsin
republican platform which states un-
equiyocally that "Fhe Payne-Aldric h
tariff is not compliance with the
pledge of the Republican party" La.
Toilette, Clapp, BrIstow, Cummins
and Doliiver are on record as saying
the Republican promise of down ward
revision was not carried out. There
fore if Roosevelt was right, the Pro-
gressives who declared otherwise are
members of the Ananias club, which
they emphatIcally deny, and which
the public does not believe.
The Roosevelt-made platform con-
tains still another paragraph which
makes L. R. impossible as leader of
the genuine progressives in 1912 to-wit:
"We enthusiastically indorse the pro-
gressive and statesmanlike leadership
of William Howard Taft"
The genuine pr0gressives "epthu-
siasticaliyn do NOT indorse the Taft
administration. Progressives like La
Toilette condemn Taft for having fill
ed his cabinet with representatives of
the special interests; for having in
dorsei Cannon as another Lincoln
Aldrich as the greatest living finan-
ciel and the tariff law as the best tar
if bill ever passed; and last but not
least, for having throughout his adj
min stration sought counsel from men
like AIdrch, 5uggenheim, Stephen
son, Dalzell and Fordney, while at the
same time refusing to give even re-
spectfui notice to the suggestions of
progressive Republicans.
Through indorshg the tariff and
Taft, Roosevelt has queered himself
with the progressives, they will not
permit him to eater the 1912 progress
siVe movement, much less to bring in
with him Mr.. Taft and Elihu Root,
the messenger boy of Wall street.
Roosevelt declares that had he
been IN absolute control of the New
York republican convention he "would
have written the turiff plank different
ly." He was in absolute control. He
named the platform committee shim-
self, IN violation of all precede is. AS
temporary chairman OF the .conven-
ton he removed four mem ers of the
committee and substituted delegates
personally acceptable TO himself He
had made rough draft Of the plat
form before he left his home at Saga.
more Hill, He made speech on the
floor Of the convention IN behalf of The
direct nominations plank, but he sad
never word about the tariff. Query:
If lie had pronounced views on the
tariff " Gy did Ire not ar them? IL
woult have h"e.' So opportunity 10
re> Ca 80 '.,tssn-Oo.oseu cOut4se 4nu
fear,ess.iess. Alr 40 sevelt could have
prevented the platform from indersins