Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-10-30
Henry Felg Pleads for Roosevelt.
Atwater, Mimi, Oct. %.


Atwater, Mimi, Oct. %.
Editor Tribune:
The republican voters and many
others of Kandiyohi county have
during the past year on several oc-
casions through straw votes and at
the presidential primary, as well as
at the recent state primary, demon
strated that as a whole they are pro-
gressive and against bossism. This
attitude presented an admirable
change from the old methods Of boss
ism that used to predominant and
which I hope are now thing Of the
past. Our people will stand for lead
ership, but, no more for the local or
state boss or manipulation. From
now on politics must be public, and
the man who would lead must get out
in the lime-ight Of public discussion.
He must be a man of convictions and
be not afraid to express them.
The greatest curse of national,
state and local politics today is that
we have too many trimmers. They
want to carry water on both should.
ers and some manage to do so. There
is nothing commendable nor patriotic;
i'm such course and in the end the
people will measure such persons by
the standard which they themselves
have established. We want men who
will come out boldly and publicly
and state what they stand for. Aid
I am not the first one to urge public
ity in public matters. No less man
than Theodore Roosevelt was the
first great public man to pronounce
publicity as slogan for better gov
eminent. In my opening paragraphs
/ alluded to the disnlay of progress
siveness Of our voters and I am
proud to say that I was one Of them,
for I considered it an evidence Of
popular determination to strike Il
blow for cleaner politics, and I sin
cerely hope that this determination
will go with our voters into the elec-
ton booth next Tuesday and mani
fest itself in practical action for
clean politics.
No man that comes to us with a
defective title to his nomination
should receive the slightest consider
alton; every candidate should come
to us with clean hands and evidenc
that he did not buy his nomination or
acquire it by corrupt manipulation:
In this respect we need make nc
mistake in choosing presidential
candidate, for we all know how each
Of the three leading candidates wee
nominated, and what influences were
behind them. In this respect I want
to say that I am one of those who
regard Mr.. Taft's title as absolute
ly defective from both a political and
moral aspect, and I therefore could
not vote for him even if I had no
other good reasons. Mr.. Wilson'S
nomination while apparently dictat-
ed by the Bryan influence in the con-
vention, is nevertheless not entirely
free from the suspicion Of boss con-
troi and the Influences who stood be-
hind them. The bosses were afraid
Of Bryan and so they took the lesser
Of the two Evils.
| Only one candidate of the three
comes to us with a perfectly clear
title-Theodore Roosevelt! The con-
vention that nominated him had no
bosses and had no big trusts and
corporation influences behind them
it was composed of noble and pat
riotic men and women, who felt that
the time was at hand for a new Dec
laration Of Independence. And they
fearlessly and courageously uttered
one and incorporated it in the Pro-
gressive platform. 1t is the grand
est exposition for human sights sine
Jefferson and Lincoln gave to the
world the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and the Emancipation Proc
lamation. It's new "Bill of Rights"
Mr.. Editor, and one that I believe you
and your paper can subscribe to. 1t
sta;ids ont as the beacon light AMI
hope of those who want this govern
ment to endure, and that in Lincoln s
words it may truly become Gov
ERNMENT OF, BY, AND FOR THE
PEOPLE!
have nothing against Mr.. Wilson
except that he is free trader and
publicly commended the Infamous
and perfdious Taft reciprocity.
Commencing the latter he favored a
measure that was the rankest piece
of class legislation ever put thru
congress, and as a free trader he
looks to me just as Grover Cleve-
land and his tariff policy in 1892.
And, Mr.. Editor, I am convinced that