The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-16
RANDOM CLIPPINGS
Pennsylvania's Predicament

one of the stories told in 'Roughing
IT." brings on a brawl about a re-
mark touching Pennsylvania cleo
ton. One OF the party insisted that
an election in Pennsylvania, what
ever its results, bore but small re-
lation to the larger and weightics
affairs of this world. Whereupon
there ensued a discussion which
ended in leaving the question open
as to just how much of a figure a
Pennsylvania election can cut in de-
termining final results of great
movements.
This is still an open question, and
accordingly still open to debate,
The Roosevelt sweep in Pennsyl-
vania ON Saturday makes the ques-
ton much more interesting. Mr..
Taft's managers are said TO be as
founded at results. This is not
strange II there is a state where
what calls itself Conservatism" in
our politics has been dominant ir
both parties for generations, it is
Pennsylvania The Democrats have
long had their troubles with the
party organization there. The Re-
publicans, as a conservative party,
never, until the rise of Rooseveltism,
afflicted with the divisions which
have ragged in the Democracy for
years, have had little occasion to
consider lines of cleavage between
bodies of Pennsylvania Republic
cans. As opponents and representa-
tives of conservatism as opposed to
radicalism, the presidents managers
must have felt that Pennsylvania
could not be changed overnight.
When we get the total figures of
this strange election, we may posi-
bly, find that Republicans who have
been charged with secretly favoring
the Roosevelt candidacy have failed
to feel the weight of obligation rest
ing upon them to free themselves Of
such suspicion. We must await
the detailed official returns in order
to find whether or not they rallied
to the support of conservatism as
men in their delicate position should
have rallied. What is now revealed,
in the partial returns, is that tho
industrial centers have given echo
to the speech at Columbus, and The
more direct appeal to the industrial
workers made in the more radical
speech at Carnegie Hall. But this
is not yet the spirit of Pennsylvania
Great as has been the increase in
her industrial population, the domi-
nant spirit of Pennsylvania, and
particularly the dominant spirit Of
Pennsylvania Republicanism, when
fully expressed, is one of conservat-
ism. The Laird of Skibo, though he
and all Of his encourage were de-
clared for Taft, may not, perhaps,
be fairly held responsible for tho
wave Of radicalism which has swept
their Pennsylvania preserves. Mr.
Baer may not be to blame that that
wave has washed away the Reading
Railway tracks at man, points. But
Senator Penrose, who is presumed to
stand for all of the conservative Re-
publicanism of all the state, may at
least feel himself called to explain
if final returns show the conserva-
tive vote to have been left unorgan'
lied and apathetic. Mr.. Morgan Is
across seas, but how could he, afte"
the Tennessee Iron Company deal,
be expevted to oppose the colonel in
Pennsylvania? 1t may be that all
Of these gentlemen were overconf-
dent OF the presidents success. Over
confidence Is always dangerous in
politics. Anyway, we stand WITH
those of Mark Twaias heroes in
Montana who swore that Pennsyl-
vania election is not tine last word in