Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-29
sE1wEsN TWO STOOLS.


President Taft to come over to the
trust and corporation side of the road
and warns MIN that he must take the
consequences If he refuses. 1t tells him
that insurgents don't want him and
that he had better come across to those
who are ready to use him If he will
only convince of his availability and
trustworthiness. The Chicago organ
argues that:
The conflict between the socialistic
ideas of LaFollette and Roosevelt and
of historic republication is as ire
concilable as was the conflict between
secession and, the union atty years
ago. When such issues arise In par
ties-when they open a gulf between
men who have been marching together
they can not be palayered away at
pink teas. and the middle OF the road"
between the opposing principles leads
those who essay to tread II to the place
where they are trusted by neither side.
However reluctant the pleaders
for an impossible harmony may be to
confess it, the day of decision is at
hand. The situation requires that
every man take his side.
The Inter Ocean, which may be ac-
cepted as the mouthpiece Of the big
business side OF the political struggle
which is up for settlement is right in
its assertion that the progressives do
not want Taft. 1t Is absolutely cor
rect in its announcement to the presi-
dent that the interests propose to have
him irrevocably committed to their
cause or to favor another whom they
can fully trust. The warning IL in
effect that any candidate who favors
the Roosevelt socialism" and the curb
ing Of illegal combinations can not
have the support Of the Inter-Ocean
and the crowd it represents in print.
In short unless Taft gets in line there
will be no wad for the campaign fund
and the services of the Hines Of the
interests will be devoted to putting
him under instead Of putting him
over
The Chicago paper IS right again
when 1t says this question must be
fought out in the field. It is irrepress-
ible. There Is nothing left but battle.
There are but two ways away from a
clinch. The progressives may. II they
choose. surrender all they have won
in the past twenty years and buy
peace with dishonor. They are as like
ly to do this as Charles Sumner and
Wendell Phillips would have been to
start slave warehouse. The big
trusts might unscramble Themselves
and relinquish their advantage. They
| incline toward this solution very much
| as Bob Toombs leaned toward the abo-
lition of slavery.
But It all shows how impossible
President Taft is as candidate who
means leadership one way or another
Neither side Of the mighty alignment
asks or desires or will follow leader
ship which hops back and forth like 9
hen on q hot sriddle. The night II or
ana on definite and irreconctlable t.
sues. There may be evasion but there
will never be compromise upon thu
principal issues raised by Roosevelt
ana which the Inter-Ocean ana thu
trusts and the Lorimers call '.Rooss-
welt socialism" It II ~ well for PRO.
1 grsssives to understand that ana bsal
themselves according to the know
ledge. And in the peculiar position II
which President Taft finds himssl
candidates and officials may see tn
results attained In this day BY tho0
who fatuously imagine the America
people neither read nor think for thsn
selves.