The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-30
WILL SUPPORT THE NOMINEE.

II seems that Col Roosevelt has
heard the talk of a possible bolt by
him and his friends of the nomination
that NAV be made at the National Re
publican Convention in Chicago in case
President Taft is renominated. And so
and publicly that he will support the
nominee Still, it must be confessed
that that notification would need some
guarantee. Col. Roosevelt cannot say
ANYTHING now that would be accepted
at its face value merely on his own su-
thority, because his action has been
such that whatever he says on this
question naturally leads TO distrust,
Nothing could he more unequivocal,
nothing more absolute and plain. than
his announcement that be would not be
a candidate again for the Presidency.
This he stated and gave as a pledge to
the American people in 1904. He re
iterated IL in 1907 and afterwards. and
even went 10 the length last year of
stating that his candidacy would be "a
national calamity And now he is
out in full cry for the nomination, He
can hardly expect, therefore, that his
statement of support of the nominee
can be received at par.
Especially is this the case when we
see that he has laid broad and firm the
ground for a bolt. He accuses Presi-
dent Taft OF being an enemy to popular
government, Of being in favor of gov
ernmeut by the classes, says that Taft
distrusts the people, that he fsvors
government by the bosses, by the
men who represent The combination of
politics and big business and illus.
trating it, says that President Taft has
in mind the bosses that should govern,
men like Senator Penrose and Senator
and Chairman Barnes of New
York as the really representative
part - of the people who ought to rule,
To be sure. Roosevelt himself has
gratefully received aid from these men,
but the idea OF President Taft receiv
ing aid from them is altogether too re-
voting TO his purified soul.
But if Roosevelt really believes that
President Taft is foe to popular gov
crnmcnt. that he believes in govern
ment bv The classes and by representa-
tives Of combined politics and business,
that hc considers corrupt bosses the
only men fit to rule the people, and
that the people are not fit to rule them
selves. all of which he charges against
President Taft, it is difficult to see how
he can reconcile himself to support him
in case Of his denomination. In what
way can Roosevelt excuse himself for
a foe of the people, an
enemy Of popular governments Either
he will stultify himself by so doing, or
else lie is insincerc in charging these
things now upon President Taft.
1t is Just as likely, as a matter of
fact, that he is making these charges
against President Taft as a foundation
for contemplated bolt Of the nomin
alton as anything else, In spite of his
disclaimer Indeed, unless he is prepar
ing the ground for bolt, it is impos
,iblc to understand why he should make
such vicious, unfounded, and altogether
untrue charges against President Taft.
His present protestation. therefore,
that he will support the nominee of
the Chicago convention, must necessar
ily be subject to reserve and doubt, and
the reason why he makes this .protesta
ton. doubtless. is because, if he did
not. he would he openly rejected and
opposed by every straight Republican
within the party organization.