The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-11-12
denomination Of Taft Is Now
In Doubt For The First Time

of the Cox machine and
their overwhelming defeat is regarded
in the light of another presidential
blunder His endorsement of the Cox
was denounced by Repub-
licans as ''ill-timed." and "undigni.
fled, foolish and unnecessary" The
election of Republican legislature
in New Jersey has no unusual signi-
ficance. The Democratic candidates
were "s!oughed" by the Swift -Nugent
faction as rebuke to Woodrow Will
son in the same manner that Bever-
idee was double-crossed in 1910 by the
faction OF the Republican
party. The result in New Jersey may
be expected to react in favor of Will
SON
The New York election showed how
keenly sensitive are the people to the
hlunders and misrule of political
party. The people knew that Tam
many hall had dominated the New
York legislature and that the pledges
made in 1910 had been ignored. They
voted accordingly. The defeat of Ar
thur Pue Gormon. jr. in Maryland
in Illinois. The people turned from
Gormon in disgust after the disgrace
ful Democratic primaries.
The state house democrats are by
no means convinced that the next ell
ections are a walk-away. The cleo
tions have proved that the party must
nominate it's best candidates or accept
lafoat tho pYhar alfarOativa
To indicate how uncertain Demo-
Gratis feel as result o fthe elections
last week, state house Democrat,
high in the councils OF his party said:
Il was very sorry to hear of the de-
feat OF the Democratic legislative tic
ket in New Jersey. 1t goes to show
one thing. however, and that is. that
this is a government of political par
ties and that nothing can be accom-
plished without party harmony. The
progressives are not getting anywhere
in their fight To regenerate the Repub-
lican party and they ought to join q
party that is truly progressive. Nine
tenths Of the Democratic party is pro-
would not accept a nomination on q
platform that was reactionary.
THE up-shot of this whole business
will be that William Howard Taft will
be reelected President of the United
States. This will happen because both
old parties. the Republican more than
the Democrats, are divided between
progressives and reactionaries."
Another state house official of =
different school from the first said
the elections over the country were q
dog fall" He contended that Har-
mon is the most available candidate
for the Presidency; that he can carry
New York, Ohio and Indiana and raise
more money to finance the campaign
than any other man mentioned. Yet
he was dubious about Harmon in the
West. He believed that Harmon could
be elected without the West. Wilson,
he said, would plunge the business
interests of the country into chaos,
and make certain the defeat of the
Democratic party for twenty-five
years.
These two views are given because
they represent the feeling of the two
Democratic factions in in this state.
The latter is in accord with the Wow
taken by standpatters in the Repub-
lican party who want Wilson nominat-
ed by the Democrats and if not Will
son, then the most radical" Democrat
available, because they believe his ad-
ministration would fail.
The enormous gains of the Social
lists in the elections held last week
have sounded the note Of fear to Dem
ocrats and Republicans. BY many.
the heavy gains are regarded as signs
of growing menace" The time
when the Socialists will hold the bal
ance of power throughout the entire
country is feared almost as much as
the day of judgment by politicians of
both parties.
The progress of Socialism is admit
ted reluctantly to be the result of mis-
government by the two old parties
their failure to bear seriously the re-
sponscibility of honest, economical ad-
ministration of public affairs.
Conservative Socialists are claim
ing $4,000 votes in Indiana next year
and there is speculation as to which
old party will suffer most by the in
roads of this third party. Democrats
contend that the Republicans will lose
most because, being in power, they
must bear whatever odium Is attached
to present conditions. In Indiana the
Mcnamara incident will drive many
votes into the Socialist column, it 10
believed. In the cities of this state,
where union labor is strongest, the
Democratic party also is strongest and
a present view would indicate rather
a heavier loss to the Democrats.
An early convention will be called
by the Democrats. 1t is fairly GER
tain that the state convention will not
be held later than the first week in
March. Dale J. Crittenberger, news
paper editor of Anderson, and promi-
nently mentioned as a candidate for
state chairman, published an editorial
in his paper last week, favoring an
early convention. w H. O'Brien, aud
itor of state, said the convention
should be held early and the earlier