The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-11-28
TAFT DEAD DUCK
&c Is Dssmsd to Defeat Shaald Re Be
Renemiaaled for President.
SAID 10 Be VERY WEAK

What An Observing Correspondent of
The Saturday Evening Post, Who
Has Travelled All Over the Pacific
Slope and the West, Says About
His Chances.
The national political pot Is be-
ginning to boil In dead earnest, and
the chances OF the different men
being mentioned for President are
being canyassed on all sides. In
recent issue of the Saturday Evening
Post, Samuel G. Blythe writes inter
estingly of the chances of both par
ties in 1912. The writer has trav-
eled more miles than President Taft
in order to secure first hand data
for his conclusions and has visited
every State in the Union save three
O: four that he calls pocket bor-
onghs, and which will not affect the
result. In summing up the general
situation Mr.. Blythe says:
civilian Howard Taft will be re-
nominated for President next June
If he continues in his present attf-
tude and demands denomination.
William Howard Taft will not be re-
elected President next November un-
less the Democratic party is guilty
of the incredible political stupidity
Of nominating for President some
man for whom the hundreds Of thou
sands Of dissatisfied Republicans will
not vote. If the Democratic party
is thus stupid and nomiaates for
President some man who stands, In
the public mind, for about the same
things Taft stands for, or some man
who, from his own record and per-
sonality, does not meet the require
ments of the newer elements In both
Republican and Democratic parties,
there will be a strong movement
which may or may not be successful
for a third-party ticket that shall
BIZ made up Of men who will COM
nand the support of the Progresslves
In both parties"
The, point that Is stressed by Mr..
Blythe throughout his careful and
well-balanced summing up of the sit
uation Is the changed conditions that
confront both political parties and
the political future of this country.
There are two wings to the ReHubli-
can party-there are two wings to
the Democratic party. The sole
chance Of success Of the Democratic
party lies in getting enough Republi-
can dissatisfied votes in the insurgent
and Republican States to win. This
Is the sole problem Of the Democratic
party II 1t wishes to win the next
national election. Mr.. Blythe de-
clares:
There are hundreds Of thousands
OF Republicans in the United States
who will not vote TO make Mr.. Taft
President again. These men do not
want a Democratic President. They
are anxious to have the Republican
party remain in power; but-and
here is the point-they prefer to
have Democratic President than to
have Mr.. Taft President again! If
Mr.. Taft is renom:nated, as ne prob
ably will be, they hope the Demo-
Gratis will be wise enough to give
them a candidate for whom they can
vote with the knowledge that he will
be a real progressive President. Nor
are they making loo many specifica-
tions. They are not demanding su-
perlative qualities. A fair, average,
leyel-headed man is what they want
one who has shown reasonable in
dependence and reasonable apprecla-
ton of the responsibilities that shall
| be his.
In summing up the political condi-
tions OF the West he says: $50 far
as this section OF the country is con-
cerned, there are but two leading
Democratic candidates, Governor
Judson Harmon, nf Ohio, and Gov
ernor Woodrow Wilson, Of New Jer-
sey. OF the two, Wilson is much the
stronger. If Wilson should be nom
mated against Taft, Wilson would
carry most Of the State in this Sec
ton, with conditions as they arc.
The Progressive Republicans, who
are against Taft, would vote for Will
son-not all Of them, but most of
them. Wilson is very stronS in the
States where the revolt against the
Republican party is greatest. On
the other hand, the Old-line Demo-
crats. the former organization men
7vho helped put Parker over In 1904
the Old chaps who have hung on 70
the machincs-arc invariably fol
! Harmon. The new-thinkinS Demo
Gratis, the ProGressives, are for Will
SON. The oli-lino nen ale iOr Har-
mon.
He th;nks Wilson will hare The del
egates IL The NatiDia! !i"rlofratic
/ Convention from California. Oregon
! Hach:a&t0n, aCd several cther states
FROM the Pacific Slope and tho West
In summing NJ his interest r2vicW OF
the political situation in tho West
and passing from the question o'
T., az, ,D1 ri 1aIII II,I
when the votes arc counted and