The Detroit times., 1912-08-30
NOMINATION IN
CHICAGO STOLEN
FROM LAF0LLETTE
Not From Roosevelt, James
Schermerhop Tells 10000
Farmers at Their Picnic
LAUDS BRYAN FOR
FIGHT IN BALTIMORE
Roosevelt, Speaker Declares,
Gould Have Purged His Party
2 BY Like Sacrifice

--(SpeciaI) )-The annual picnic OF
The farmers Of Lenawee and Hillsdale
counties was held here today. on the
shores OF DEVILS Lake. This has been
an annual event at this spot for near
ly half century. In the neighbor-
hood OF 10000 persons were In attend
ance today-farmers. their families
and hired men.
The speaker Of the day at the ex-
ercises In the grove, following the big
picnic dinner, was James Schermer-
horn, publisher OF The Detroit Times.
formerly resident of Hudson. Mich.
In the capacity OF representative OF
his fathers newspaper, the Hudson
Gazette. Mr. Schermerhorn had often
beer present upon these exercises,
and his remarks were reminiscent OF
those occasions The speaker assumed
the role OF q reporter once again, this
time for the farmers, and brought with
him q noRpartisan's report Of the
national conventions of this year, de-
claring among other things that the
Republican nomination In Chicago
was stolen from LaFollette and
not Roosevelt.
Mr.. Schermerhorn spoke as follows:
Members of the Hillsdaie and Lenawee
Farmers Picnic association:
The last time was on this platform
some ls or 20 years ago, IL was In the
proud priviiege TO tell the readers OF
the Hudson Gazette all about thi.
greatest OF rural fessts. II you win
allow me. I would like to appear herr
this important difference! shall rs.
port to you instead OF about you, ana
I shall give you In condensed form tne
politicSi Conventions OF the year from
the viewpoint, OF q newspaper CORE
spondent, and certain impartial conciu-
sions drawn from those proceedings
Edmund Burke paid a high tribute 70
the newspaper mans calling when no
said there were three estates In par
lament. but In the reporters gallery
powerrui than they ali" 7 thought
about this much-quoted compliment to
the press when I saw our esteemed
contemporary William Jennings Bryan,
at Chicago and righting the Democratic
convention at Baltimore.
i felt that was not far out OF the
way when I used 10 sit here In the
long ago feeling in the glow OF, youth
full enthusiasm, that the humble news
paper work that l was doing was the
greatest Job In. the world. have been
sobered some by the years, but ! have
never revised that opinion.
As an editor. Mr. Bryan has led ms
party and educated the country IN
genuine progressiveness for sixteen
yearsf So wnen he went to chicago
last June TO report the Republican con-
ventIon he knew WHAT progressive
convention looks like. Well. this con-
vention did not look like a progress
sive afrair to Mr. Bryan; nor did 1t look
like q progressive affair to Mr.. Roose-
Welt. who In also an editor. and VINO
had recently come to like the looks
OF progressive conventions.
II had Ali .he appearances OF being
reactionary, steam rollered ana,r;
and Mr., Roosevelt who brought out the
In behalf OF his personally selected sue
cessor. william II. TAFT. and. who
therefore knows what a steam-rollercd
convention looks like, did not like the
at this one. He was. therefore. for
once. In entire agreement with his fell
low editor. Mr.. Bryan,
Speaking as one whose business al
Chicago was just 90 report things as
he saw them. am free 10 say, that u
was a regular convention--that is reg
ular IN It's irregularity. IL was like
other Republican conventions that had
preceded il, not unlike, indeed, the one
In 1905 that was steam-rollered Tor Mr.
Roosevelt's secretary of war. 1t has
always been case OF the people OF
national committee disposing. Having
gained some practice In 1908, when
their disposition suited that or Mr.,
H.,
able to dispose OF Mr. Roosevelts dele.
gates with neatness and dispatch this
year Some of them should have been
disposed of: others-notably In the case
fornia. Texas, washington were out
rageously stripped Of their rights. IL
was tainted convention beyond
doobt and It's offending creates
greater scandal than heretofore for Two
reasons: The primaries nxed the peo-
Pies choice so clearly. the; pilferins
process Sould not be obscured and
on the scene 20 cry stop thief" In a
high.pitchsd and far-reaching tone OF
The presidential nomination was
stolen by the Republican convention OF
islz The editorial fraternity that was
looking on when the theft occurred.
not counting Editors Bryan and Roose-
veu--were practically OF one mind on
tim OF the crime was not. Theodore
Roosevelt. The honor was snatehed
iroW man who as governor and as
senator bad earned n by being progress
snoers % ana teba.s sa ana ostnaS ioneiimS.. ao to
De progressiye:- who failed OF getting
tho honor he was Clearly entitled TO
In 1908 as he did in 1912. I mean Rob-
ert NJ LaFollette. a progressive with
out yariableness or shadow OF turning.
lt was he who really lost the nomina-
tion at Chicago through theft
hlHht WIS NitdT IL IN necessary TO
60 back into recent political history a
bit: When LaFollette went to the
United states senate he had given his
progressive ideas form and efYectfvc-
ness on the statute books OF Wiscon-
SIN. He had fought the stalwarts
OF Wisconsin to "a standstill. so
their kind had no welcome for
him when he came to washing
ton. II seems to be Inevitable
for one reformer to dfstrust another
President ROOSEVELT listened 10 Ia Isoi :
lette's advanced IDEAS. but decided that
the country was not ready for them.
When he looked for an Elisha 10 re-
ceive the mantle Of Elijah he seiectcd
the judicially minded Taft who has dc .
courtroom as his conceptfon
OF an earthly paradise. President
Rooseveft's decree. en- forced with a card
index system OF selecting delegates and
"a gtpHmI-rOfffr, was supreme. hut the
capdidaey and platform OF LaFoIlette.
representing In 1908 just what Roose-
ven battled for in 1872 produced the
one hour OF genuine acclaim that was
heard IN the armory In Chicago four
Roossveit's Followers were for TAI,
because he was Rooseveit's choice.
committed 10 the continuation fshIs
work. Rooseveits enemies were foe
= Roosevelt; he would give the country
a rest from agitation and ego. some
body was bound 10 be bamboozlA.
progressiyes like DoliiYsr. Cummins.
LaFoliette. and others-stigmatized as
-fnsfrEentE.- and irregufars-kept up
ha 0uhf wvhlln Mr RnOaayolf hunt al