The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-24
TAFT's VICTORY DESERVED.

"
Republican party would have beer
false to its obligations had it permit
ted itself to have been swept off its
feet by the noise and buster of the
forces that were willing to crafty the
ambition of Theodore Roosevelt to be
! the nations chief xecuti again.
President Taft has made mistakes
Many of them have been magnified out
of all proper proportion. But his mis-
takes are more than offset by the many
and really wonderful accomplishments
of his administration. And whether or
not his success at Chicago is followed
by a victory in the November cleo
tons, he will take his place in the his
tory of the country as one of its ablest
and most distinguished presidents. h
will be the verdict of the historians OF
the days to come when the admirable
record that William Howard Taft has
made is submitted to the close and
calm scrutiny it deserves.
AS long as some of those who were
disappointed at Chicago continue tc
breathe, they will be sure to insist
that President Taft's denomination
was brought about by fraud. But such
insistence will not make the charge
true. His nomination was brought
about in orderly fashion according tic
all the rules hat H." prevailed in
the conduct of the Republican party
since it's recreation at the time of the
first Lincoln nomination.
Claims set up by the Roosevelt forces
that they controlled a majority of the
delegates regularly elected to the con-
vention were built on a foundation of
sand. That was made apparent by the
manner in which they away
when the tests came. Nor are Colonel
R~oosevelt's repeated assertions, that a
majority of the delegates to the con-
vention We're chosen in his favor by
the people at direct primaries, based
on facts. Primaries of that sort were
held in only IL of the states. The g
gregate number of delegates from
those states was 33S. OF this number
Mr.. LaFollette and Mr.. Taft had 104,
leaving the colonel only 234 delegates
that were chosen for him directly by
the people. And had he gone into the
convention with $40 delegates, or just
enough to have given him control, FOG
- NOdA0 navy bSOA oOACS0ACo
chosen in way similar to those that
were used in the selection of the bulk
of the Taft delegates. In fact, all CT
delegates over the 234 he received
from the direct primary states We're
chosen in the same fashion as were the
Taft delegates. And that being the
case he has no honest complaint to
make because Mr.. Taft was able to OBJ
ts in a sufficient number of delegates In
same way to assure his nominal
ton. The house of ~delegat-= that Mr..
Roosevelt and his overly enthusiastic
supporters claimed before the conven-
ton proved to be one Of straw.
That Mr.. Taft is certain to be defeat
ed at the November election is no more
than a cherished hope among the DEM
and a few misguided Republi-
who will follow Mr.. Roosevelt
he leads. Even Colonel
.~oosevelt's new party won't be in
very extensive working order at the
election. If there is anything
substance to it at all, it will prob
attract as many of the radical
Democrats as it does disgruntled radt-
ca1 Republicans. So any loss to the
Republican party in this direc-
lion is likely to be cffset by a similar
oss on the part of the Democratic
party. Nobody can tell just what the
Democrats will do at Baltimore this
week. But they will probably put up
an extreme radical against Taft. This
be certain to assure Mr.. Taft of
votes of a considerable conserva-
i've element in the Democratic party.
And between now and election day
is plenty of time for the Taft CO.
lcrts to educat the people concerning
true and virile qualities of the
and his really remarkable
achievements in the presidential office.
This is sure to give him added
among the enormous number
If independent voters in the county,
who pay little attention to the machin-
of the politicians, but who go to
he polls on election day merely de-
to vote for the man among
he candidates whom they think will
ierve the country best.
Unde all of these circumstances,
here is no merit to the contention that
dr. Taft is already as good as defeated
or a reelection.