The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-04-14
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


Whatever else may happen in this
spectacular campaign, one thing IS GER
tain. The fight between Taft and
Roosevelt will be fought to the bitter
end There can be no compromise.
President Taft cannot step aside.
There is no reason why he should be
asked to do so Roosevelt will not with
draw. He is not built that way. The
struggle will be carried into the national
convention. The outcome viii be the
denomination of the President, who al
ready has one-third Of the total number
Of delegates, and who is assured of a
very large majority The talk of a
compromise candidate seems illogical
and absurd The Republican party may
be defeated with Taft as its candidate;
it is certain to lose, with any other name
at the head of its ticket. 1t cannot in
dorse President Tafts administration
and then confess its weakness by nam
ing a new standard-bearer. If the
President should be refused a renomi-
nation by his party, his friends, and
they are legion, would resent the action.
They know that ne has been faithful
and efficient A compromise candidate
would not placate or win over the
Roosevelt contingent. They want Theo-
dore or nobody. So the talk about a
compromise selection might as well be
dismissed unless the Republican party
intends to commit political suicide
1t is true that the Roosevelt stock
went up a few points because of the re-
suit in Illinois. The prime factor in the
Illinois situation, however, was not so
much Roosevelt as il was Lorimer. The
, snti-Lorimer sentiment, which is almost
universal, found in Roosevelt a point of
capitalization. Roosevelt, with good
political judgment, touched the sore spot
in Illinois and gained thereby; but if
Roosevelt had not been in the race, the
revulsion against Lorimer would have
discovered some other means of mani
Testing itself. This Illinois victory and
the showing made in Pennsylvania yes
terday are the only substantial achieve
Hents of the Roosevelt campaign. He
. has not been factor in his own State
of New York. In Michigan, where Gov.
Osborn is his avowed adherent, he
secured only handful of delegates,
and their rival convention was farce.
In other States he has obtained a few
scattering delegates, and most of these
have contests on their hands.
There can be no overlooking the fact,
however, that Roosevelt is constantly
playing to put the administration upon
the defensive He is forcing the fight
al along the line He has a remarlIa-
bic facility for chameleonie changes, and
already the memory of his Columbus
speech seems to have passed out of the
public mind He is now engaged in
criticising President Taft, and especially
the men who are supporting Taft. He
is winning applause because he is at
lacking the, political bosses. He is
against Lorimer in Illinois, he de-
nounces. Barnes in New York, he sacri-
fees Penrose in Pennsylvania. He
knows that the trend of public sentiment
during the past decade has been away
from the domination of the political
boss, and he is seeking to accentuate |
and take advantage of this fact. He has
apparently forgotten all about the M
itiative, the referendum, and the recall |
and he is silent on the tariff. His slo-
gan is now Down with the boss be-
cause he finds that it is most popular
with the masses. He, can hammer the
bosses with perfect safety and with GER
tsinty OF. applause, and he is doing it to
: his hearts content.
Meanwhile, President Taft proceeds
with dignity and unruf1ed temper. His
personal attitude is the keynote of his
campaign Nobody is attacking Roose-
yelt, nobody is being betrayed into ex-
cited language. The President occa-
sionally points out the danger which is
threatened IN the assault upon the IN
dependence of the judiciary, and the
Presidents friends are educating the
country to a knowledge of the good
work accomplished by his administra-
lion. Occasionally. there is some pro-
test against this placidity and a desire
to see some one deliver at Roosevelt a
counterblow It is evident, however.
that the President does not intend TO
Dc in any wise responsible for increas-
ing the difficulties of the situation What
ever division there may be in the Re
publican party. it must be Of Roosevelt's
making. The President win not IN
crease II BY entering into an unseennIy
contest It IS believed, apparently that