Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-18
POLITICS DAY BY DAY

the Harmon headquarters, and who was
for long time active in Chicago politics,
said on his return to Washington that he
found the Harmon sentiment in Chicago
almost overwhelming. There is some
Wilson sentiment there" said Mr. Abbot,
but was surprised to find so little talk
of Champ Clark. Presumably the Clark
sentiment is in the southern end of 1lli-
nois. Certainly 1 can say that I found
In Chicago no Wilson sentiment Whatso-
ever and Harmon sentiment everywhere. /"
Senator E. D. Smith of South Carolina
is out in an interview for Woodrow Will
son. He says:
the theory of government, and the COM
parison Of this theory with that now in
practical existence was by odds the
clearest and most convincing of any ex-
pressed on these several occasions. He,
of course, as a student-a college presi-
dent-would be considered. and is con-
sidered by a great number, a theorist-
that is, an impractical one. But his
every utterance indicated that he has a
clear comprehension of the fact that the
so-called practical politics is but an
other name for the corrupt and corrupt
ing tendencies that must sooner or later
undermine the very foundations of our
republican form of government by in
creasing the army of malcontents as we'll
as the unjustly protected number of
those specially favored.
Il believe that Gov. Wilson is the most
| available candidate that the democrats
have in the field for the presidency. His
work as Governor of New Jersey in
bringing into the fold of democracy a
state otherwise hopelessly republican, his
elimination of boss rule and corruption
in that state, illustrates his ability to put
into practice national executive the
theory that he advocates.
II am convinced in the light Of his
political career in New Jersey, his public
utterances a candidate for the presi-
dency, and. above ALL the frenzied op-
position toward him of certain news
papers. periodicals and individuals, that
he is the most formidable candidate that
the democrats can nominate for the
presidency and support against any
nominee of the republican party"
Senator Dixon. chairman of the
national Roosevelt committee gave out
the following statement this morning
regarding the situation in North Dakota:
The nation wide movement in the re-
publican party for the nomination OF
Theodore Roosevelt as it's candidate for
President is primarily based on the be-
lief that an overwhelming majority of
the republican voters themselves demand
Roosevelt's nomination. On this as
sumption we rest our whole case,
Tomorrow, for the first time in the
history of American politics. the voters
!! the medium of statewide presidential
preference primary law, held under the
authority of the state itself. will be
given an opportunity to express at the
polls their choice of a presidential can
| didate to be voted for in the November
elections. Tomorrow in North Dakota
| republican voters themselves will by
their ballots say whether they do or
do not want Mr.. Taft as the republican
nominee for President.
Unfortunately a fierce factional fight
between republican leaders in that
state for the control of the state or
ganization has caused a temporary di-
vision in the anti-Taft ranks, with the
| result that the antiTaft feeling among
| republicans in North Dakota will be
given expression in the support of two
| anti-Taft delegations to the republican
| national convention. In the balloting
tomorrow there will be three delegate
tickets in the field. first, the Taft
ticket: second, the anti-Taft ticket.
backed by Senator Gronna and his
ticket: third, the delegate ticket back
I ed by Representative Hanna and his
friends, known as the Roosevelt
| ticket, but both unequfvically anti
Taft No matter whether the Hanna
| Roosevelt ticket wins or whether the
GronnaLa Toilette ticket wins, the North
| Dakota delegation will be anti-Taft and
pro-Roosevelt at Chicago. To get a true
yard stick of measurement as to the Tart
and anti-Taft sentiment among North
| Dakota republicans 1t is only neces-
sary to add the votes cast for the two
| anti-Taft delegate tickets together and
then compare the total ant-Taft
strength with the number of votes cast
| for the Taft delegate ticket in North
| Dakota. Only by that method can we
| arrive at the truth respecting the
wishes of the North Dakota republicans
as to whether or not Taft shall be the
nominee of the republican party"
| Taft headquarters gave out the follow
ing today:
"Col. Roosevelt. in an address at Fargo,
| n. D., April Z. 1908, said:
| LIN Gov. Taft and his associates we
| sent to the Filipinos as upright. as con-
scientious and as able group of adj
ministrators as ever any country has
been blessed with having. With them
| and under them we have associated the
best men among the Ffiiydnos, 50 that
the great majority OF the officials IN