The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-30

movement in the interest. OF Presi-
dent Taft would do well to look at the
developments of the last few days.
The Taft managers-and they include
some pretty good politicians-havc
v been scared until the last two
weeks. The president made his trip
through the west a few months ago
and expected that trip TO complete
his campaign for the nomination. He
returned to Washington thoroughly
satisfied and settled down to await
the convention. He believed the NOM
tnation was his, and he was not far
wrong.
The Times pointed out several
weeks ago That c%onceding everything
to Senator LaFollette that his most
ardent but w~cll-informcd adherents
claimed. tina. he had less than a third
of the convention strength. We said
at hat time that if Senator LaFol-
lette was nominated he would have
to secure the delegates to do il after
that time. That opinion was based
on Taft's strength In the east added
to his machine strength in tho south.
Senator LaFollettc has done Il SPLEEN
did work in arousinG the country-he
has been Il typical John tle Baptist
bu, he could not break the Taft
strength in the east. Therefore he
could not defeat Taft in the convcn-
ion. Roosevelt. representing the
same policies but with Il different per-
sonality and different methods. could.
That was why the Republican party
is demanding him as a candidate.
If the Taft management was hand
In glove with h colonel. his cam
paign would give them no concern.
But look nj the result. Taft wanted
instructed delegates from New York.
hut the leaders there arc lighting to
avoid instructions--a movement GER
tainly in favor of Roosevelt. The
rank and file of tho party in rcnnsyl-
vana sidesteppcd the party bosses and
began to work for Roosevelt dele
gates. Immediately n of Taft's adj
viserS. Senator penrosn. began to fight
to head off the Roosevelt sentiment.
In ohio nh" progressive wing of the
party refused to endorse Senator La
Toilette as a candidate, but the Roos-
eVelt boom has gathered such
strength in that state that the prcsi-
dent is now making Il tour Of tho
state IN kill if possible the Roosevelt
sentiment and carry the state for him
self. Iowa. once believed to he partly
for Taft. is conceded lost. West Nir-
cinia, a few weeks ago a Taft strong
hold. is blazing with Roosevelt en-
thtsiasm. New Jersey has u hundred
Roosevelt boosters to one for Taft.
These things show that Roosevelt
lC oatftND tho aN~o- ,,-: - -.
support from territory that nutil he
became a possibility. was for Taft,
and territory that all I.aFollettc sup
porters must admit he could not have
captured from the president.
h Taft machine has become
aroused at these conditions and from
now on will wage a vigorous war for
his nomination. They were not
scared. nor did they take any action
until the Roosevelt boom got under
headwa.'. If this boom were not
hurting the presidents chances-if it
WAS in his favor-there would be no
rushing of the president from his
duties at Washington with congress
in session, to strengthen his lines. His
political advisers would not place him
IN a position as open to criticism as
that. Taft is scared and Roosevelt
was the man who did it.
II the west shows Il disposition to
join the Roosevelt forces and thus
overcome, II they can not break, the
presidents machine strength in che
south. it is not Impossible that he will
reconsider his declaration that moth.
ing but death can keep him out OF
the convention.