Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1912-10-24
ROOSEVELT FAILED TO GAIN
VOTES FOR HIMSELF IN
WESTERN STATES.
TAFT SENTIMENT INCREASING
Weakness of Third Term Candidate
Has been Emphasized by His Tour,
While Favorable Feeling Toward
Taft Manifested Everywhere.

Oswald F. Schuette, staff correspond
ent of the Chicago Inter Ocean, has
just completed a two weeks tour of
the Pacific coast and western states
with j. Adam Bede, former congress-
man from Minnesota, and John NJ.
Harlan of Chicago. These speakers
were sem out by the national Repub-
lican committee to trail Colonel Roose-
welt in his tour of the west. The Taft
meetings were held on the nights fol-
lowing the Bull Moose rallies. Mr..
Schuette was commissioned to make a
critical study of political conditions
and report the facts as he found them.
BY OSWALD F. SCHUETTE.
The Roosevelt sentiment in the
states west of the Mississippi river is
waning fast. The Taft strength is
growing, although weakness in the or
ganization in many states has pre-
vented the Republicans from taking
full advantage of the situation. The
Wilson forces are still confident Of
victory, but the fading Of the Roose-
welt strength has turned the brunt Of
the fight against the Democrats, and
fear Of free trade and Democratic
hard times is turning the tide to Presi-
dent Taft.
This is the present situation, as
viewed from a careful personal inves-
tigation of the political conditions that
prevail in the wake of Theodore ROose-
velt's tour of the west. 1t can be sum
med up also in another sentence.
Roosevelt has scarcely won a vote at
any point on his trip. He has had
large audiences, but none of them has
been as large as he had on either
of his last two trips through these
states. Compared to last springs pri-
mary campaign, or his tours of other
years, the meetings have been dis
heartening in their GOODNESS. This ac'
counts for the reports of angry inter
ludes that have been frequent accom-
paniments of his speeches. This rep
resents a great change in the sit
uation since the middle of August.
Gained No Converts.
What cheering and applause ha'
greeted the colonel on his presen
tour has come from men already com
mitted to his cause. In no city visit
ed on his course has there been a re
port of new converts gained. In al
most every instance the reports wer
unanimous that he had hurt himsel
and his cause either by his dictatoria
manner toward his audiences, hi
{ angry treatment of the men aroun
| him and the hosts who tried to sho0
= him hospitality, his theatrical stag
! tricks, or his kaleidoscope changes c
l opinion concerning the issues.
! Weakness of Roosevelt Emphasized
The weakness of the RooseveI
t cause was emphasized by the meet
ings which greeted John Maynard Ha,
Ian and j. Adam Bede, who are sti
: on the c~olonel's trail. At each sto
! hey made they we're told by Reput
licans that the Roosevelt meetings ha
s been anything but the rousing SUI
e cesses they had been expected, al
= the ~colonel's visit had not won hi
a vote.
: It was the same story throughout TT
= trip-in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevad
- California, Arizona, New Mexico, Coli
+ RADIO and Nebraska. Everywhere IL
6 Roosevelt leaders appeared disgrun
e led, the Taft leaders were jubilant al
the Wilson forces fearful of the ia
that the campaign was turning again
their own candidate.