The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-21
AN IMPRA AcTIcABLB DISTINCTION.


AN IMPRACTICABLE DISTINCTION
In the course of his cyasious aud
twistings with regard 10 the Presiden
tial candidacy this year. Col. Roosevelt
has evolved what amounts i'm his case
10 distinction without difference
He says that he is wiIingto to accept the
Presidential nomination if ii is tend
cred to him This would imply an
a.oof attitude, a reserve and patience
which would he quite possible in the
ease ot some men. 1t is a position that
President Taft might occupy with dig
nifty and with consistency. One could
imagine President Taft saving that. he
would accept Il position If il were
rendered him, and quietly settling
down 10 wait the tender. if those hav.
ing control of it should see fit to cx-
tend it 10 him. The implication would
be, and naturally is in any case, that
one who is simply and honestly willing
10 accept a tender. quietly awaits the
extending of that tender without MAX
ing himself an obnoxious. uproarious
worker to have the tender made.
Right here is where Roosevelt under
takes 10 draw the distinction which
however wide il might be in the case
of a more selfcontaned man. is, in
fact, a distinction without the slight
est difference in his case. because ne
does not SIT down quietly and wait
the tender. On the contrary, he is
moving heaven and earth. so fur as
he is able 10 move either or both, to
influence the tender TO come his way.
Almost Immediately upon the an
nouucement of his willingness to accept
the nomination. he organized Roose
welt bureau TO work for his nomination.
As the Springfield Republican says, he
with ga man named Dixon from Mon
tanaf TO take charge of his political
machine and work. up sentiment and
delegates in support of his candidacy
He is extremely vocjferous every
line when he speaks about the nomina-
ion, in bringing forward the point that
he nominee ought to be the choice of
he people. He does not say the choice
IF the convention, but the choice OF the
people, his proposition being that the
lelegates should be chosen by primaries
md instructed as TO the people IS will
n naming the candidate; in fine, for
lim. This foreshadows the possibility
If bolt by the Roosevelt delegates
rom the Chicago convention, those sup
porting him and having been elected
by popular voice, claiming in their
ase higher validity than that of |
delegates sent from conventions There |
s so much Inslstence upon this, that we |
ook to see the Roosevelt claquers in |
chicago make this distinction and |
lain, If the convention is not with |
hem, that the delegates are packed, |
re suborned by Federal patronage, and
re unworthy to represent ''the peo-
Die. ~ This would be precisely the
(ooseveltlan method, and no one need
'e surprised to see the springing of
ONE such dodge in the Chicago con-
ention, in case that convention should
e for Taft, as it is almost certain
o be.
Roosevelt evidently pins his faith
pom popular clamor and straw votes.
N this view Of the case, it is interest
ng to note that the most complete
traw vote taken by any organization
his year is that which has been taken
y the Appeal TO Reason at Girard,
>ansas, That is paper devoted to the
utter extreme of violence, resistance to
iw, and contempt of government 1t
as made a postal card canvass OF its
eaders, and all its supporters, with the
esult that Eugene Debs received Co.
2S votes for the Presidency; j. j,
lcNamara received 54,756; Gompers
eceived 1925; Roosevelt 1884;
istinguished company indeed, in which
ooseVelt finds himself 80 strong. be-
ng the third after Debs, the second
fter Mcnamara. and next to Gompers
o that straw vote Taft. as one might
ave supposed from the first, was "no.
here, y receiving only 426 votes. The
narchst vote is strong for Roosevelt
nd weak for Taft; and that is a fair
ldieatioD of the standing of both be
ore the American people.
DOING 1T UP IN STYLE.