Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-19

from his party teachings mainly were
they taken without material change
and without giving credit. Instead Of
| denouncing them all uneQuiv0cally az
un-American and fundamentally vici
GUS, Governor Wilson has contented
himself with pointing out what he
deems the impracticability of q bare
few of the most odious Therefore
on this the paramount issue Of the
/ campaign. President Taft has earned
the support of every thinking Ameri
can patriot.
One deplorable aspect of this cam.
paign Is what l may term the personal
/. equation made prominent by personal
abuse of the president. At the begin
ming, the campaign Of the progressives
was pitched on this low level OF per-
sonal abuse.
! And the use now being made by
them of the recent attempt on the life
Of Gel. Roosevelt by mad man at Nil.
waukee, has carried this campaign of
abuse beyond all believable bounds.
: When we contemplate the character
of President Taft. it's gentleness and
sweetness; his patience and considera.
tcness; his nobility Of soul: when we
recall his long silence and uncom.
planning endurance under these cruel
and wanton assaults--we are staggered
at the things our ears now hear from
these men.
| No sooner did the former president
throw his hat in the ring" than there
was commenced against President Taft
q campaign of detraction.e misrepresen-
tation and calumny hardly with par
allel lin American politics. He was
characterized as weak and feeble, the
tool-the dupe at best--of the Inter
ests:" he has been reviled all over
this land in terms Of coarse SANDER
as the associate and confederate OF
crooked and corrupt politicians-as
party to fraudulent conspiracy to dis
franchise the people and as the willing
recipient of a stolen nomination
And now--all but unbelievable 1T
must seem--it is cunningly and indus.
triously charged that the hateful deed
at Milwaukee must be laid at the presi-
dents door. To be sure these men
guard themselves in making direct
charges but it is argued and suggested
lin the most deadly fashion. that at
least Indirectly the onus CT the out
rage is upon President Taft in this
campaign. ....... ..
Men and women of ottumwa, do you
| tell me there is no limit OF unfairness
beyond which these men may not go!
President Taft -reactionary! the
unalterable truth is he has led In every
step OF human progress In which a
president may either influence or lead.
President Taft tool OF crooked
business? The unimpeachable record
is that he has prosecuted evil doers-
high and low, everywhere and all the
|time-as no other president before him.
President Taft to be held RESPONSE
Bile in this campaign for the outrageous
assault upon Col. Roosevelt? Suppose
the colonel had been hit by street
car or bitten by a mad dog? He was
attacked by a mad man who raved In
his delirium about the ghosts OF the
dead.
Do you tell me there is to be no end
to this unfairness and calumny?
To the justice-loving men and ,wom-
en- Of -Ottumwa now turn In the name
OF the square deal and in all serious
ness I now ask: May we trust the
reins Of government to a set Of men
who 50 shamefully violate and outrage
this rule of conduct? . ass; -, -. b..
Who are those who now assail Pres
ident Taft with ribald abuse as party
to a fraudulent convention. as -ie re-
cipient Of a stolen nomination? They
are the men who came to Chicago with
over two hundred confessedly trumpet
I'D, fraudulent contests by means OF
which and with threatening and cheap
dickering, they tried to extort q NOM
nation in a convention in which at no
time had their man within 100 votes
necessary to choice. They are the
same men who in states like Kansas
and California, have used the
name republican" as means OF secur-
ing votes under false pretense at the
coming election.
Whether the oldtime caucus and con-
vention system is the best. do not stop
to enquire. Whether a presidential
primary law should everywhere prevail
is wholly beside the point.
The former president knew the old
system was in force when he threw his
hat into the ring and he became moral
ly bound to abide the result. President
Taft was nominated this year as ne
was four years ago He was nominated
Just as were Harrison, Blaine and Gar
field. EIe is the honest, the rightful and
the only republican candidate for the
presidency.
Taft Has Accomplished Much.
Now as to the things he has accom-
plished: What did you expect Of Pres
ident Taft when you elected him? That
he put in his time chasing the will-o-the
wisp Of day dreamers and trying out
strange and impossible theories? No,
you required him to carry out the
commission of those by whom he was
chosen, the platform on which he was
elected. have read the republican. plat
form of four years ago again and
again with painstaking care. have
observed President Taft's official
course from the day Of his inaugura
ton. I have read and studied his
achievements as recorded in the his
tory of our time. Having done all these
things. challenge any man to point out
one particular in which he has MOTTO
the utmost of his ability to do Sore
deemed every pledge and in every way
i ably discharged the duties Of his high
! office To the credit Of his adninistra-
ton history must record many nota-
Bile achievement and patriotic under
taking and the Same history will fall
"a Scxrp ono hlof