Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-27
Massachusetts Not.
Ing Big Roosevelt Wins In
West, Deride Standpat-
tiers Who Insist on
Party Suicide.
COLONEL HAILED As
INDUSTRIAL MOSES. 4"
Lawrence Strike Makes Voters
Think, Also SIur on PennSylVa-
mia Victory Rank and File
In Victorious Line.

Boston. - Whatever the so called
"Taft sentiment might have been ten
days ago. today it is all for Roosevelt.
The conservatives in the Republican
ranks-educators, lawyers, business
men, farmers, operatives, the backbone
of New England-were the first to hear
the note sounded by Illinois and Penn
syivania, then taken up by Nebraska
and Oregon. and today rock ribbed New
England is in line for the one leader
that can lead not alone the party, but
all the people, TO victory. The third
term cry is today too weak to echo
1t Is lost in the same ridicule that
meets Congressman Gardeners uncon-
sciously humorous demand that the
colonel meet him in Joint debate
The colonel has shown 50 strongly as
THE man. THE leader, that all class
es of Republican voters, assured until
now that Taft alone could win, turn
toward the misinformers and smilingly
utter Missouri's unwritten motto.
OF the incidental happenings that
have kindled Roosevelt sentiment to
enthusiasm none has been stronger
than the sneering comment of a Bos-
ton newspaper that the Roosevelt vic
tory in Pennsylvania was "a triumph
for professional reformers and the coal
miners" This awakened indignation
among the workers, the rank and file
of the party, who are always keenest
to detect the popular trend. The Penn
sylvania workers knew what they
wanted and voted accordingly. Those
of Massachusetts will do likewise on
Tuesday, April 80.
The Real Progressive.
In no state more than in Massachu
sets have the silent voters had more
striking cause for real deliberation on
the presidential issue. and the leading
element in this cause has been the
spectacular Lawrence strike. What
ever individual circumstances went tc
make NJ that calamity. the fact re
mains that the strike itself proved the
existence of an industrial unrest that
could mean only one thing-namely.
that the people were dissatisfied and
demanded and would bring about al
change. Would they reflect President
Taft? How could they re-elect him
obvious? Would they elect a Demo
cratic president? Perhaps since Their,
must be a change. But when has the
election of n Democratic president ever
meant anything but industrial disas
ter? Who then, was the real progress
sive, the man of vigor-an initiative
and a referendum in himself-the man
Of deeds, to whom all the people could
look for leadership out of an industrial
wilderness?
The Workingmen Answered.
The Massachusetts workingmen ask
ed this question. The candidacy of
Theodore Roosevelt answered it i'm
mediatey. But Massachusetts, one OF
the oldest of states and perhaps the
most conservative, pauses to breathe
before it begins to shout, and in the
interim its own child, Maine, declared
with emphasis for Rooseyelt-Maine. in
which the need of a strong, magnetic
leader was not half so immediate as in
Massachusetts, Nor was Massachusetts
deaf to the shouts of Illinois and Penn
sylvania In its conservatism perhaps
the Bay State was a little surprised
at the magnitude of the Roosevelt vic
tories in the west, but they were the
spoken reflections of its own opinion
rather than arguments for falling into
a line of which Massachusetts was al
ready a part.
All For Roosevelt.
The clamorers alone-the standpat
ting machine, backed by an almost
unanimous party press-did the prema-
ture shouting. invoked the obviously
sacred name of precedent" as argu
ment in favor of party suicide. The
silent voters were silent still, waiting
for the echo of their own thoughts
They heard it, not from one quarter
but from many, and perhaps no more
impressively than from the Connect
cut convention, in which the name OF
Taft was heard in silence, while that
of Roosevelt called forth cheers that
were more than significant.
New England is aroused and is all
for Roosevelt His candidacy stands
for national expediency, surrounding
any possible question of precedent
Massachusetts Republicans know Il.
and fhav will So vote