The Mena weekly star., 1912-05-16

liar claims have been issued from
the White House and from The TAFT
Headquarters IN Washington. Mr..
Taft had gone before the primaries
for their verdict, and his orghniza-
ton had worked sirenuously
throughout Che state. Pennsylvania
voted Overwhelmingly against Mr..
Taft and ia favor of Mr.. Roosevelt
The prevailing Republican serti-
ment was more than 2 To 1 against
Taft. This verdict has followed
The great anli-Iafl sweep in lili-
nois Fla that state the anti-Iaft
vote was nearly 2ia to I. No i'm
tellieent and candid public men
could d0lbt that PENNSYLVANIA was
representative Of eastern sentiment,
and that Illinois was representative
~ middle-western sentiment Wis
cousin, 4 iittlc earlier, had gone
anti-Iafl IL fair primaries by
about 3 @ J. North Dakota Re-
puhlicans had given rait only
about 3 per cent or 4 vote IL 81
New York in Contrast.
On The day Of the Illinois pri-
maries. The New York Republican
convention was sitting al Roehes-
Ter. This conventions organization
and plans had been made good.
many weeks before The delegates
themselves were chosen The con-
Nention was wholly dominated by
the state organization, al The head
Of which was Mr. William Barnes,
Jr.. 81 Albany. The state had held
primaries under an absurd and far
eical law which left the situation
wholly in the hands Of the Repub
lican machine. Preliminary tests
of Republican sentiment from New
York City TO Buffalo, made during
previous six months. had shown
clear anti-Taft majority. The ma
chine, at an earliest stage, had made
overtures and negotiations with the
idea that it might support Roose-
welt. Later on it made an alliance
with the Taft people. In New York,
as in Pennsylvania, there is ample
reason TO believe that the alliance
was eagerly solicited from Wash
ington. Both parties in the state
Of New York have for a long time
been organized upon quasi-mili-
tary plan. This is particularly
true in New York City. The deci-
sions made by The heads Of the ma
chimes can be carried out because
there are many thousands Of or
.ganization men, under their district
or precinct leaders. who follow in
structions.
Some NeighbOrs OF Illinois.
The thing that happened in Hill
nois is undeniably what would have
happened in Indiana, Michigan and
Kentucky, if there had been presi-
Dental primaries held in such a
way as to give the Republican party
a fair chance. The Michigan Legis-
lature had adopted a good primary
law, but the Taft men, by a char
acteristic effort, kept it from going
into effect in time for use this year.
Two-thirds majorities were needed
for that purpose. The lower house
gave the needed ratio, while the
state senate, which gave a large
majority, lacked three votes of the
two-thirds. A single word from Mr..
Taft would have permitted the
Michigan voters to express their
WILL The use of the old system re-
suited in a shameful disregard of
fair play. The Roosevelt contest
ants in the state convention were
thrown out by the machine without
even chance to present their case.
The methods used in Kentucky
were even more high-handed; and
Indiana was the scene of manipu-
latiOn and fraud.
Untainted Credentials Must Control
Unless the Republican party
wishes to commit suicide at once
its titular leaders will allow the
to be organized only by
men who have untainted creden-
tials. The slightest attempt to
dominates candidate with the
help of the southern delegations
who could not be nominated by vir-
tue of votes from the Republican
states, would mean inevitable de-
feat at the polls in November. A
Republican ticket nominated under
those circumstances would not only
lose the country as a whole. but
would lose every single state in the
union