The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1912-11-05


four years ago. two fierce political
enemies now Nothing is quite so
strange as politics.
Beginning last winter when the sup
porters of Roosevelt brought him out
there has been nothing quite so spec
tacular in politics as the fight In the
Republican party. The effort of Rocse-
welt to capture the Republican national
convention, Taft's success by q very
narrow margin and the bolt of Roose-
welt from the Republican party and his
organization of a new party have made
the contest of thasc cid political chums
and cronies the leading feature of the
campaign.
Wilson's Surprise Party.
Woodrow Wilson had a surprise par.
ty for the Democrats at Baltimore, and
! am thinking that he was one of the
surprised also The Democrats fur
nished entertainment for the political
onlookers first in the fight between
Bryan and Parker for the temporary
chairmanship. The only two men liv-
Ing who had run for president on the
Democratic ticket met in a sharp con-
test for this feeting honor. The sew.
eral speeches of Bryan in which he
lashed leading Democrats and de.
nounced New York democracy fur.
nished intense interest to the proceed.
tn0z The a,
Champ Clark for the nomination was
the pathetic feature of the whole cam.
paign. man who had received mo 'e
votes in the primaries, who had a
majority of the delegates on many bal.
lots, was defeated by the two-thirds
rule. which only once before operated
to defeat for the nomination a man
who had secured majority of the
convention. and that was sixty odd
years ago.
The split In the Republican party
and the fact that both Taft and Roose-
welt were candidates naturally en-
gendered personalities. Criticisms OF
public acts, charges of all kinds, were
made against the two men who had
been elected to the highest office in
the land.
The Flash Of a Gun.
Most dramatic and shocking, how.
ever. was the attempt upon Colonel
Roosevelt's life In the midst of the
hottest part of the campaign. The
assassin's bullet stopped the personali
ties OF the campaign, and for the first
time the people had q square look at
the candidates and became aware OF
the issues. AS Colonel Roosevelt was
responsible for the personal character
which the contest had assumed. both
because OF what he said and what he
caused his bitter enemies to say about
him, the peril in which he was placed
hushed every critical voice. A truce
was proclaimed in obedience to the
inherent good sense OF the American
people, who would not have q man
abused who was near the gates of
death and more particularly because
they wanted to rebuke the cowardly
attack upon mans life.
The effect of the attack upon Colo
mel Roosevelt's life no doubt helped
him In the canvass. Beyond question
many people supported him who might
have voted for one of the other candi.
dates. His brave manner and iron
nerve which enabled him to make
speech with bullet In bis body chal.
lsnged admiration and won support.
Campaign Contributions.
Not the least interesting side light
during the campaign was the investi.
CATION conducted by committee of
the senate into the expenditures dur.
Ing the campaigns of 1904 and 1908.
and the preliminary campaigns of dif.
ferent candidates seeking nominations
In 1912. While everybody knew that
big corporations had always made
campaign contributions and that all
parties had sought and received money
wherever they could get 1t, yet there
Were many startling developments dur
ing the investigation and the testi-
mony taken which, while not affecting
the present election to any great ex.
tent, will have an important bearing
upon future campaigns.
The one important result of the in
vestigation was that big corporations
and men of great wealth did not con-
tribute as freely as In years past and
the different committees have been ap-
pealing to the voters for small contri.
buttons to pay the actual necessary
campaign expenses.
II Wilson 10 Elected.
Should Governor Wilson be elected
II would mean that the Democrats
would take control of the federal gov
ernment for the first time In sixteen
years. 1t would mean changes In pol
icy, particularly in reduction of the
tariff; II would men material change
In the treatment Of public questions.
for Governor Wilson has announced
his position in terms not to be misun-
derstood. II would mean complete
change In the higher appointive offices