The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-08-09
OBSERVATIONS.


the continent; he is a man in public
life and independent in his thinking
and politics; what he writs has inter-
ested me so much that pass it on;
he says:
There was probably never in our
history more curious or mixed sit
uation pending national election,
and with my long trip through our
western country have tried to make
fair aud absolutely impartial investi-
CATION. l was in Chicago during
portion of the sessions of the Republi-
can national committee, and it is en-
tirely within the facts to state that
the rulings are being generally accept
ed as just and in accord with the trad
itions and preceudents of the Re-
publican party. Viewing them myself
as an independent, l can hardly see
how the committee could have done
differently if any party organization
was to be maintained. l believe that
the findings Of that committee, what
ever may be the opinion of the method
itself, will be generally sustained by
the rank and file of the Republican
party. 1t needed only the presence
of the third-term candidate himself
in Chicago to make the cry of larceny
and outrage absurd. l had unusual
opportunities on the Pacific coast to
get the opinions of interested persons
whose judgment was worth taking,
and | have no doubt in my own mind
that the new party program will prove
a fasco and leave its head among the
worst discredited men in the nation.
Moreover, l had opportunity in sew
eral states to talk with men who went
Galahad in their minds as to the third
term candidate, but who came home
sadder and wiser men, and in some
cases not only that, but angry, be-
cause they felt that their moral stand
ard of aspirations had been capitalized
by politician who was clearly not
seeking anybody's good in particular
but endeavoring to utilize the moral
hopes of vast number of people for
his own selfish ends. One such gen.
tleman, college man and person of
considerable consequence in his neigh
borhood, said to me, "My actual con-
tact with Roosevelt was one of the
cruellest disillusions of my entire life.
In the entire period of my stay in
Chicago l did not hear or see thing
in connection with the Roosevelt
campaign which did not disgust me
and make me ashamed of myself that l
had anything to do with it. had
spent my time and money in what l
believed, and do still believe to be a
great moral-political awakening, only
to find at Chicago that more more ad-
mirable characters in the contest
there were not with US, but against
us; and that my efforts had been
spent for vain buffer, whom should
have been ashamed to have my son
see representative of man of the
nation" That testimony in various
forms over and over again came to
my ears. 1t was the severest from
the men who had had the best op-
portunity to see the man who posed
as the moral deliverer in our politics.
He thinks that the convention would
gladly have united on some other man
than the two leading candidates il
they had been withdrawn; but Roose-
velt's determination to have the NOM
nation himself made many disguised
and others angry; and he met two
delegates, who were first for Roose-
welt, but are now committed to Taft
He says: II had been led to believe
that Washington and Oregon were
crazy in the throes of the Roosevelt,
frenzy, but the findings of the con.
vention either produced the remark
able revulsion of feeling, or the notion
which we on the Atlantic seaboare
were given about the feeling of the
far west was greatly exaggerated
I-Observer.
Certainly had no difficulty in finding
many men of the most influntial type
politically and otherwise, who arr
planning to support the president, ant
shall be greatly surprised if when thu
November election comes the radica
forces are not very much startlet
themselves. This does not mean tina
the opinion of these states is not yer.
strong, and even hot. for advanced
Democracy. But it is saying that tn
recession has already begun. O
course one should never prophes.
unless one knows; but / venture tn
opinoin nevertheless, that when tn
election comes the strength of Presi
dent Taft on the Pacific coast itsel