The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1912-03-14
Public Men Busy in Party Politics.

ceQe Inc state ana nauOna! conventions
and the state primary election in
August. No matter what NAV be
thought or said about public Officials
giving time or thought to political
party matters, they have to do it. They
have always done it. They are doing
it now. They will do it when the men
who complain OF it today are in heaven
the only country preferable to Miss
ouri. It is all very nice to think about
"the people" selecting the men who
are to serve in public positions and
formulating platforms On which such
are to be selected but it is well TO re-
member that somebody must lead the
people and it may also be well TO re
member that the people may be easily
deceived by bad men in and out Of
public Office unless good men in pub
lie life and in private pursuits undertake
honest leadership and put forth virtuou3
propositions.
Just now the republicans OF the state
are trying to determine whether TAFT or
Roosevelt shall get the delegates from
Missouri to the national republican
convention. Governor Hadley IS lead
ing the Roosevelt forces and some Of
his personal friends and appointees
are aiding him, while officials in the
federal service and in party service are
leading the TAFT forces. They are all
public men-public servants, fer the
most part-and are equally sincere,
patriotic and devoted, though differing
in opinion and purpose as TO who should
be named for president. Somc on each
side are too radical and may 60 too far
in their methods and their remarks but
the more conservative men on each
side recognize the fact that when the
presidential preference shall have beer
honestly and fairly expressed by the
district and state conventions they will
all have to shake hands over the
bloodless chasm" and get down to
hard work to prevent the democrats
from carrying the state in November.
The republican state committee, led
by Chairman Chas. D. Morris, is not
taking any part, officially, in the
presidential contest, though the chair
man and the individual committeeman
are exercising their right Of personal
preference. The committee will give
each side a fair deal but will not
officially espousc the cause Of any can
didate fer president or any other Office
until the party voters make their own
selection. 1t is the business Of the
state committee 10 espouse the cause
OF nominated candidates. Just now
the republican state committee is heav-
lily burdened with the righteous cause
Of three Of the party nominees elected
in 1910, but who's election has been
under contest by their defeated dem
ocratic oponents ever since the official
count OF the vote cast at that election.
These contest cases have absorbed all
the money the committee could raise
and then some-and the expenses
are yet heavy burden. Because oI
the contest now going on for prssj'
dental preference it is hard fol the
committee to raise enough money ID
meet its ordinary expenses. As 500.
as the republicans OF the state ge'
through with selecting deli gates TO the
state and national conventions ih=l
will have to get busy with the work o
financing the state committee, anC
then they will plunge into the cam
paign that must precede the Angus
primary election.
Having already made Champ ClarI
their candidate Tor president ard turned
their party leadership over to Senate
Stone and Joe Shannon, the democrati,
public men are not very busy. LIE
Bill and Joe do it," seems to be thei
idea Of the situation. Bill will have Il
stay in Washington yet little Will
and Joe not daring to make an import
ant move in the absence Of his boss
the senator, there is very little activit
in democratic circles. Attorney Gen