Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-10
IF TAFT SHOULD WEAKEN.

LSioux City Journal.
The LaFollette Washington bureau
is busily exploiting the proposition that
Taft can rot be elected If nominated.
In openly advancing this argument the
insurgert strategists in effect confess
that they intend to bolt if Taft is
nominated II is only by the with
drawal Of republican votes that Taft
ran be defeated. But the club is used
freely. nevertheless. in the hope that
some of the office holding or office
seeking republicans in the south may
President Taft's recent allusion to the
of defeat evidently has been
by the insurgent leaders
as an indication that. II the threats OF
are made often enough and
loudly enough the president may be
induced to retire at the end Of his first
term rather than face certain beat
ing at the polls. So the work of disor-
ganizing the republican party goes
on.
Before deciding either TO encourage
or tolerate this destructive movement
the rational republican would do well
20 inquire whether anything construc-
tive can possibly come in its wake.
Suppose some Of the states whose 10y
atty to Taft is now undisputed should
be Jared loose. Suppose President
Taft, whose moral courage has never
been questioned, should be bludgeoned
into reluctant willingness TO confess
himself failure and retire at the
END of his first term. In what shape
would the party then find Itself?
Would LaFollette stand any chance OF
the republican nomination or
winning a victory at the polls II the
should go to him by de-
fault? Could any insurgent leader
who helped to bring about Taft's hu-
initiation By threats OF bolting expect
the party to rally Loyalty about his
standard and march In q solid phalanx
behind him to victory? Is there any
leader who might be agreed on as
candidate who could unite
the party on compromise 80 erect
lively as TO give any chance Tor VIC
tory under his leadership?
In this connection some one may
mention Roosevelt. but no one knows
better than the colonel himself how
his leadership must
prove at this time. The third term
argument alone would defeat him. But
leaving that out Of consideration. there
is enough opposition TO Roosevelt in
the republican party to make him an
impossible candidate. That he could
rot hold his own state in line for the
party was illustrated less
than a year ago. Who then? Hughes?
Hughes is out Of politics and on the
~ CD ahanHNn
his supreme court position to make
grab for the presidency In such
whirlpool as the retirement Of Presl-
dent Taft would create. Hughes would
be better candidate for guardiancy
than for the presidency. Who then:
Echo answers "Who?
with President Taft as its leader
and a platform declaring for scientific
protective revision Of the tariff, the
republican party will find its only
chance OF victory next year. Whether
the chance be long or short 1t IS the
duty of the party to grasp it and nans
ON and make the most Of 1t. The rec
ord Of the republican party during the
last three wears has been progressive.
Forgetting the tariff, it contains enough
constructive legislation achievement
to serve as a progressive platform IN
itself. AS to the tariff President Tart
has adopted the only policy under
which the republican party has the
ghost Of show OF winning. The presi-
dent is not defending the Payne law
except as a step toward adequate pro-
tectiye revision. He is proposing fur
Their revision by method that Will be
least destructive to business. He is
proposing to settle the tariff question.
not for time. but for all time. by TAX
ing IL out of politics and making fu-
ture revision business matter. The
big question that will have to be
thresned out next year Is whether the
people are ready to go back on the
protective principle OF whether they
will support an intelligent, equable ap-
;plication Of the protective principle.
President Taft is the logical leader OF
the republican party in this fight. If
the public is tired Of protection. and
not willing to support the modified ap-
plication proposed by President Taft
the party is in for licking and the
president is the man to take 1t. He
f.as defined the party policy. On the
other hand. If there is chance to win
with that policy 1t can be best con-
served under the leadership Of Presi-
dent Taft, and he has moral right to
the leadership.
Changes in County Government.
n .,,S.o To- L..