Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-06-27
IS MOST BITTER
IN ALL HISTORY
AMERICAN POLITICS CONTAINS
NO PARALLEL FOR REPuB.
llCAN CONVENTION.
.HAT IN RING" STARTS WAR

Si6OT0ST duO AOVttOStOu tvtdIN 0dkStO
for Republican Leadershlp-cuI-
mInation Of Combat Full Of
Charges and Recrimi-
nations.
The history of American politics
contains no parallel for the RepabN-
can convention just closed. The bit
terness of the struggle was respon-
sible for more disorder, more con-
fusion and more exciting and nerve.
wracking incidents than ever attend
ed a political convention in this coun-
try.
1t required little to start demon.
stration and when once started 1t
could be quieted only after the dele
gates had completely exhausted them.
selves On Wednesday Governor Had
ley, who was popular with the crowds
at all times, took the platform to
make an explanation, a demonstra.
tion for him was started which the
Roosevelt men subsequently turned
into a demonstration for their lead
er, which lasted almost an hour.
During the reports of the creden-
tials committee on Friday the pro-
ceedings We're interrupted time and
time again by the Roosevelt men.
who thus attempted to show their dis
approval of the proceedings.
Most Bitter Battle.
Battle for the Republican presi-
Dental nomination that is without
precedent for the bitterness displayed
by the contestants and the popular
interest aroused has been waged for
the last four months by Theodore
Roosevelt and President Taft. The
country knew the fight was on when
1t learned of Roosevelt's reply to
those who asked his attitude on the
presidency after his sensational
speech at the Ohio constitutional con-
vention Feb 21:
"My hat is in the ring"
The colonel followed this challenge
up on Feb. "a by writing to seven Re-
publican governors who had urged
him to declare his position:
Il will accept the nomination for
president II 1T is rendered to me and
/ will adhere to this decision until
ference"
Taft Becomes WarIike, Too.
Taft's candidacy had taken on a
warlike tinge early in January with
the statement given out at the white
house and attributed to the presi-
dent: Nothing but death can keep
me out of the fight now"
A national Roosevelt committee was
formed in January with headquarters
in Chicago Alexander H. Revell was
made president and Edwin w. Sims,
former federal prosecutor, secretary.
Roosevelt headquarters were later re-
moved to Washington and Senator
Joseph M. Dixon placed in charge Of
the campaign. Congressman William
B. Mckinley Of Illinois was made the
Taft manager. 1t was announced that
the Taft literary bureau would re-
frain from attacking Roosevelt per-
sonally. This idea was later aban.
doned.
The president started the fireworks
by characterizing Roosevelt's plan for
recall Of court decisions as utterly
without merit, crude, fitful, unstable"
Roosevelt Defines issues.
Roosevelt, speaking in Carnegie
hall, New York. March 20, declared
the fundamental issue between nin,.
self and Taft to be:
Are the American people fit TO
govern themselves, to rule them
selves, to control themselves? l be.
lieve they are. My opponents do not"
The president, in speech at Bos.
ton March 1B. had said:
Continued iteration and reiteration
Of the proposition. Let the people
rule IL it has any Significance at sll
and is intended otherwise than to
fatter the people, is intended to be
q reflection on the government that
we have had down to the present
time"
1t was only q step to mentioning
of mildness. In one OF his early
speeches Col. Roosevelt remarked:
"Mr. Taft says cur government
should be government of all the
people by representative part of the
people. This is an excellent descrip-
ton of an oligarchy."
Roosevelt oenounces Votes.
The New York and Indiana pri.
mary decisions were given to Taft.
Roosevelt promptly denounced the
proceedings in both states as "crim.
inal farce"
The latter part of April saw the
rivals denouncing each others works
in red hot speeches all over Massa.
chusetts in their efforts to win at
the presidential preference primaries
there. Roosevelt accused Taft c1
breaking his pledges to the people.
and Taft retorted that Roosevelt had
misstated the facts about the Taft
administration and was not giving
him square deal. The primary
yielded a split delegation. with nc
advantage to either candidate.
Roosevelt Carries States.
The Massachusetts performance
was repeated with Increasing acri
mony in Ohio and New Jersey. Roose
velt carried both atatas nv hi1 n, =