Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-06
TAFT NOT FAvoRlTE
SAYS SENATOR GRIMES
Writes Letter to National Chairman
Telling of Dissatisfaction in West
Virginia Over Primaries.

The following is a letter written by
the Hon. w. G. Grimes, State Senator
Of West Virginia in reply to VIII am
b. Mckinley, Mr. Tafns campaign
manager, asking for Mr. Crimes sup
port, and pretty well defines the re-
publican situation in this section as
well as all over the state.
Hon. William b. Mckinley,
Washington, d. c
Dear Sir:
Your letter of March 18th received.
I regret very much that / must dis
agree with you as to what you state
I therein as facts. If I could express
the sentiment of the country toward
President Taft so well as did Whittier
toward Webster when he wrote "Tcha-
bod I might portray to you the feel
ing that exists in this country toward
President Taft. After a lapse of years
the country may revise It's opinion of
Taft just as Whittier did Of Webster
in THE Lost Occasion"
You say it is the general belief that
the administration of President Taft
has met with the hearty approval of
the American people Sach may be
the belief OF the politicians, or states
man, If you prefer who only come IN
contact with certain elements. but
permit me as one who mingles with
all classes Of people in the city, in the
he
men, in the mills, in the ditch, in the
shops, on the. farm and at the cross
roads to advise you that you have
been misiaformed.
cant understand why If you be-
lieye that President Taft's admins
tration meets with the approval of
the American people, you are not
willing to leave the matter UP to the
American people in presidential pref
erentiaI primaries. Why is it neces-
sary to hold conventions so early in
Southern states? If you are so sure
of President Tafts popularity with
the people, why is it necessary to de-
pend upon federal Office holders to
manipulate conventions, and select
the delegates to the state and ma
tional conventions?
l believe with all my heart that
President Taft's denomination means
his defeat, and the worst defeat of
any presidential candidate, who got
any electoral votes at all, since Nc
Clellan. | know a dozen men in and
about the small town where I live
who say emphatically they will not
vote for Taft if he is renominated.
These men include professional men,
business men and farmers. Never
since | have been old enough to OBJ
serve has there been such a senti-
ment against the President, especially
among his own party.
| believe that those who are advis
ing President Taft of his great popu-
larity, are doing him a great injus-
tice. | believe that if he knew the
real sentiment, he would much rather
gracefully retire than to force his
nomination, and be shamefully de-
feated.
! I am willing to admit that Prest-
dent Taft. in all probability, will have
majority of the delegates; but be
ware how you get them. The manner
! of their selection may become ano-
lther boomerang in the general cleo
ton.
! Nobody knows better than yourself
how these delegates are being select
ed. If snap conventions" are being
called; if federal patronage is being
used; if presidential preferential pr-
maries are being refused by COM
mittees that Taft men control. you
know it. Now. won't you answer
to yourself? Not for my good, but
for the good of the party, yourself and
your candidate. Let's be frank with
ourselves anyway. If you were whol-
" uninfluenced by bias. you would
recognize as a logical man that the
desire of the Taft supporters to avoid
leaving the matter up to the people,
is born of their knowledge that the
people are not for him.
| shall not attempt to discuss whe-
Their this opposition is Justly founded
or not; but we must recognize that it
does exist and can not be removed,
/ have no criticism of his honesty
and sincerity of purpose, but | do
know the sentiment os the people.
This sentiment will not be taagibly
manifested until the general election,
unless the people be granted a pri-
mary wherein thew can vote directly
upon the question for many of them
do not know the procedure in select
ing a presidential candidate. No one
knows better that such primaries will
not be granted them than the sup
porters of President Taft-that is,
where his supporters control the COM
mittee.
That you may know that am
speaking the truth, I boldly make
this assertion; President Taft will
not carry single primary outside of