The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-11
PRINCIPLE AND EFFICIENCY.

paign from the dual point Of principle
and cxpediency. We have contcnded
all the time that the success Of the
Democratic party next November
means industrial ruin to the nation
and particularly to North Dakota. The
Democratic party stands for free
trade-they call it tariff for revenue
but in fact it is free trade-in a raw
materials including those OF the farm,
except cotton and rice. 1t is not the
ory but history that when that party
was in power before North Dakota
wheat sold for fifty cents a hushel.
Young men who ct their politics
from a political economy Democratic
incubator may not know this. but men
who sold it for that price do. The
election OF a Democratic president
and congress mex November will pro-
duce the sa me state Of affairs again.
That is the principle for which we
contend.
The question of e%xpediency is the
means Ivy which this condition can
he prevented. The Republican party
save the nation il it is saved.
Now if all Republican candidates
would command equal strength in the
November election, 1t would matter
little who was nominated. In the
old days party loyalty was sacred.
Men voted for principle rather than
men. The conventions struggled over
candidates for the advantage of states,
but until the memorable Blaine cam.
paign the personality of the candidate
did not enter. Not SO now. Party
, ties are weaker. and the personality
of h candidates Is a controlling fac.
tor i'm the result. That is why it is
necessary to select a mar who can
command the support Of all factions
in the party. That support will give
him strength and insure the defeat Of
the Democratic party.
President Taft is not a strong man
before the people. It is not necessary
now to analyze the reasons for his
weakness. Everybody comedies it. It
is a political axiom. Yet with the
patronage of his office he is able to
force himself on the party unless the
rank and file of the party unite In "a
contest against the patronage ma
chine. 1t is not ~expedient to nolni-
nate him because of the danger of his
being defeated at the polls and the
Democratic party placed in power.
AH'N SAh"I Aio ASRSol III lIS COIIN Ell.
ton he accomplished:
Two candidates oppose him. Sena-
tor La F'ollette entered the race for
the nomination early mi made an
open campaign for support. He HAD
the support of the ablest men of his
party faction in the country. He was
the only candidate against Taft. But
he could not unite the Taft opposition
upon himself. 1t is the application o.
the personality of the candidate. He
failed TO draw men to him. Senator
l-aFollette represented a cause but
he could not unite those who were
OF the same faith. 1t is not neces-
sary to analyze the reasons for this
failure any more than it is necessary
to analyze the reasons for Taft's weak
ness before the people. The causes
may be different. but the results are
the same. Both are inexpedient.
Roosevelt was brought into the
contest by those who realized that La
Toilette could not win. He was not
brought OF by the stalwarts or in
their interests. He was brought out
by the progressive leaders who were
far-sighted enough to see he result
Of staying in the fight with LaFollette.
They realized that they were certain
of defeat in the convention. That's
why the long string of national lead
ers have Quit LaFollette and Joined
Roosevelt. That Roosevelt command
ed a strength that La Toilette failed
to get only proves the wisdom of
those who fostered the movement in
his bahalf.
The Times has discussed the impor-
lance Of carrying North Dakota for
Roosevelt because Of its influence up.
on other states. We repeat hat ar
gument. even though we believe
Roosevelt will win without it. La
Toilette. despite the contention Of
those who advocate his cause, will
not be a factor in the national con-
vention. The fight there will be be-
tween Theodore Roosevelt and Presi-
dent Taft. and If North Dakota fails
to endorse Roosevelt and Taft is NOM
mated North Dakota will be largely
to blame for the result. We are not
scolding 10 qaurreling but pointing
out facts that are as apparent to any
student Of the political situation as
they are to US.
We called attention a couple Of DAYS
ago to the danger OF Taft carrying
this state if those opposed to him
continue to divide their forces. A
few observations on this point may
make that statement clearer. In 1910
the total Republican vote cast in the
primaries for the candidates for gov.
ernor was 48.537. Sixteen or seven
teen thousand votes will decide the
presidential preference II the Repub.
lican vote is nearly evenly divided
among the three candidates. II there
are four hundred votes cast In. each
county on an average for Taft. It will
give him 18.400 votes in the forty.six
counties of the state, enough to nomi.
nate II the rest are nearly evenly d.
vided between LaFollette and Roose-
welt. II is a condition and not q the
DRY that confronts us. The Taft man.
agement 10 not n~eslecting North Da-
kota. They are playing no brass
bands and making nc speeches. These
are not the methods Mr.. Mckinley
uses. He does not care for public
opinion. He works the machine and
1t is being done in North Dakota.
We do not argue that the few La.
Toilette votes In the convention will