New-York tribune., 1912-03-12
Element in Taft Opposition Urg.
ing the Abandonment of the
Colonel for Justice as
Candidate. =
RECALLS LA TOILETTE CASE
Wisconsin Senator Dropped
When It Was Seen He Could
Not Defeat President for
the Nomination-May
Repeat Experiment.
Lrrnm The Tribune bureau.

!
Presidential candidate is being seriously
urged by certain Of the anything to beat
Taft insurgents it was learned to-day.
There Is. they contend, no disloyalty %
Colonel Roosevelt in this proposition.
because they are fighting for a erin-
ciple, and the issue is in 10 way per-
sonal one"
They unhesitatinGly cast Senator La
Toilette into the discard as soon as thev
became convinced that the Wisconsin
Senator could not serve their purpose
and defeat the President IN the national
convention. They espCused the cause OF
Colonel Roosevelt because they believed
| him 10 be the one man who could most
effectively oppose the President. In this
! they are disappointed.
! To begin with, they submit. Colonel
Roosevelt made the irretrievable error
OF out -Heroding Herod in his Columbus
speech and thus alenated the support oe
/ such friends as Senator Lodge, senator
Borah. Representative Gardner, of Mas
! sachusetts. and others whose assistance
would have proved of the utmost value.
/ BY his advocacy of the recall of judicial
decisions Colonel Roosevelt gained no
out-and-out insurgents, for they were
! all with him anyway. But he did es-
J TRANCE thousands of moderate lnsur'
gents, driving them into the Taft camp
/ and thus strengthening the President in
stead of making gains for himself
Roosevelt Could Not Object
| Il is urged that Colonel Roosevelt.
could not object 10 such a course by tho
| insurgents, because he takes the high
ground that there is principle at stake
and that the personal rights and feel
I ings Of no man are deserving OF consid-
! Grafton as compared with the principles
at issue; that Colonel Roosevelt ap-
| proved OF the dropping OF Senator La
Toilette as soon as it became obvious
! that he was not the man fitted to az
complish the task which the insurgents
had at heart and that. therefore, If he
can be persuaded that he is not the m1r
to achieve that end he must Logically
step aside in favor of any man who can
| II is pointed out that the Roosevel.
| movement has proved disappointment
| 10 all who promoted it; that instead ot
Colonel Roosevelt's announcement tina,
] he would accept the nomination pelhS
| followed by wave Of enthusiasm
sweeping the country like prairie hre'
T. has had the wholly unexpected result
of uniting hundreds Of thousands of he-
publicans behind President TAFT Also
that. even in country which was re-
oarded as unouestionably insurgent, as
| for instance. Iowa and Colorado, MT.
Taft is securing the delegates 10 the ma
tional convention.
Now Turn to Justice Hughes
| Those who contend that the time has
come to drop Colonel Roosevelt are ure-
I ;re, tbeir associates to consider seriously
Tho adyisability of uniting their strength
benind Justice Hughes as the man VINO
| could most effectively disrupt the tart
forces and command the support OF po'h
regulars and Insurgents. SO far as can
no learned. the Justice has not been con-
suited regarding this proposition ana II
is not desired that he should pc py 'hose
,bo urge this course They argue that
ro man could refuse an overwhelming
demand that he act as the stahnaio
bearer of his party, and that the persons,
| nrefererces Of the man who Is drai'eo
I, lead his party to victory shouiu "o'
be consulted.
They submit that Colonel RooseVet
did not wish 10 become Candidate anu
that he consented TO do so only from
bigb sonse of duty after seven Cow
nrs had begged him to lead the Pro-
gressive movement. They contend tna'
II instead of consulting the New iorA
! Justice on the subject they set them'
selves TO work to arouse the sentiment
Of Republicans in his behalf oemapu
-, vuf,icion; proportions can be created
70 make it impossible for him 10 urge
,is nrafarepce for the bench as proper
ground Cor refusal.
Nav Await Stumpins Tour
There Is. of course, opposition to ths
rr,position TO drop Colonel Roosevelt
mill he has had a further trial. MAN.
., the insurgents believe that when he
takes the stump in his own behalf he
will develop strength with the rank
and file of the party which he mas mus
far failed 10 acquire. and these contend
ithat even admitting that Colonel Rooss-
volt has thus far failed to meet the ex-
nectations of the anything to beat
Taft" faction, it Is too early 10 Juuse "i
his effectiveness on the stump
They contend that while 1t might ha|'
heen wise TO drop the ex-fresideht III
! .,oa,atalv after his Columbus speech
tho campaign in his behalf has no"
gone too far to make such a step oppo'
tune at this time. especially as Co'onei
poosevelt has yielded to the representa-
,,ons of Goyernor Stubs that he must
, ,our the country and plead with the
| roor,e for a nomination. Had the ex-
president stood on his dignity ana re-
fused 10 adopt this course 1t is suggestea
that might have afforded sufncient eN-
o,so for turning TO some ether candidats.
Rut with the arrangements for
.,rr,n,np tour well under way. II Is be- :
,r.od he should have an opportunity -
demonstrate his ability to promote n's
own candidacy from the polisicai ros
trum. - .,,,
1,hose who have come to believe tnat
,,.,,ce Hughes would prove the strong
-, candidate with whom to defeat she
president at Chicago are persuaded tns'
nothing Colonel Roosevelt can now say
will Offset the injury he has done him.