The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-08
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


The election in Vermont was the
political event of the week which has
just ended Its result has already been
discussed from every possible angle
Republican, Democrat, and Progressive
each extracting as many crumbs of
comfort as possible. As a matter of
fact, the lesson of the election can be
summed up in a single sentence: The
Republican party is divided; the Dem
ocratic party is united.
This fact does not, of course, burst
upon the country as a new discovery,
but the figures from Vermont empha-
size it. In Vermont, it is true, the
Republican majority is so large that
it can stand the loss OF 1900 votes and
still elect the Taft electors in Novem-
Der There are other States, however,
in which the deduction of a similar
ratio of votes from the regular Re-
publican ticket would inevitably result
in a Democratic victory. The question
is, therefore, can the Republicans be-
come united against its ancient enemy
within the next two months.
From one point of view, the Vermont
election has materially helped Presi-
dent Taft. 1t has brought thousands
upon thousands of Republicans through
out the country to realization of the
fact that Roosevelt's third party move
ment means the disruption OF the Re-
publican party and the election OF
Woodrow Wilson. There are a very
large number of Republicans who see
this fact much more clearly now than
they did ten days ago, and there is no
doubt that they are hesitating in fol-
lowing Mr.. Roosevelt to the extent OF
wrecking the party of which they have
been lifelong and loyal adherents.
This is unquestionably the reason
why the Roosevelt movement. which had
begun to disintegrate, is showing still
more emphatic signs of fading away.
Two of his former leaders, Ormsby
AIcHarg. who managed his Southern
contests at the Republican National
Convention, and William L. Ward, of
New York, who sacrificed his position
as national committeeman to follow
Roosevelt, have both declared for
President Taft They state that they
are Republicans, and that they never
expected to be asked TO leave their
party What is true OF these conspicu-
GUS examples is true of thousands in
the rank and file of the Republican
party, and assertions from the Roose-
welt cause, especially in the West, are
reported daily.
1t is evident that Roosevelt cannot
be elected President. In Vermont his
candidate secured third place, although
Roosevelt personally threw himself into
the breach, although the State was in
vaded by the most notable Progressive
orators, and although money was
poured out like water. Mr.. Roosevelt
may carry California, South Dakota,
and Kansas, but that he is to-day sup
ported by enough Republicans to en-
able him to carry a majority OF the
States is a proposition which not even
he would seriously advance. In Cali
fornia the Taft leaders have already
begun to build a back-hre which will
give Gov. Johnson. who is now touring
the East, considerable anxiety, while
in Kansas the Taft Republicans have
begun a Statewide campaign to Wig
orously counteract the Roosevelt SEN
timent Even in South Dakota. where
the electors placed upon the Republi-
can ticket announce that they will vote
for Roosevelt if they are elected, there
is something OF a political uprising
against their dishonest programme, and
the Republicans who want to vote the
Republican ticket, without voting for
Roosevelt electors, are talking of in
augurating radical measures