Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-10-10
III. r. DENTON, Editor.
THURSDAY. OCTOBER 10. 1912.
VOTE THE TICKET

placed upon the republican ticket as
electors to be voted upon in November
have issued a statement that if elected
they will vote in electoral college for
Theodore Roosevelt for president.
This puts the question up to the voter
squarely. The Reporter and Farmer
had been in hopes that the republicans
of South Dakota could bury their
differences and get together. There is
no question bur what the progressives,
as they had been called, secured a
majority of the nominees on the state
ticket at the June primaries. The
stalwart faction accepted the defeat of
their candidates with good grace and
were giving their hearty support to
the ticket nominated. The convention
at Chicago nominated President Taft
for a second term and adopted a plat
form that ssvored too much of what is
called "stand patism" TO suit the
gentlemen who had been selected to
conduct the convention at Huron and
every man nominated as a candidate
for a presidential elector was outspoken
in his denunciation of the Chicago con-
vention, of Taft and announced his
intention to vote for Roosevelt if
elected. Then came the general dis
sention over the state. A meeting was
called in Huron, a sop was thrown out
that we would be granted The Little
White Ballot and every republican
allowed to vote il at the November
election and if a majority detided in
favor of President Taft, the electors
would vote for him in the college. But
the stalwart element was not satisfied.
The members could not believe that
electors who would not be bound by
the action of a national convention
would follow the wishes of the party
as expressed by "The Little White
Ballot should Taft get a majority at
the polls in November. So they called
a meeting at Mitchell and adopted
resolutions antagnnistic to Roosevelt
and to every man upon the state ticket
who did not come out and openly
endorse Taft and insist upon Taft
electors upon the republican ticket.
We take the position that both sides
are in the wrong. We deplore the
fact that We are not to be permitted to
vote for u choice for president-we
are disfranchised. We cannot and will
not vote for Theodore Roosevelt. We
have never been one of his admirers.
W. do not believe he made good as
president of the greatest country on
earth. We think him a flour iusher''
a gallery player" and "a big noise"
Roosevelt started many things while
he wos president that no one could
finish and then forced the nomination
and election of Taft upon the Ameri-
a people. President Taft tried TO
keep Roosevelt's promises to the
country. He made himself unpopular.
Roosevelt tried to assist him in 1910
and made speeches in several states
and wherever he went the republican
party met defeat. Then to try and
bolster up himself the willy Theodore
decided to toss the president over and
make a grand stand play. He first
gave his support to LaFollette and
then he discovered that President Taft
was the stronger of the two so he
tossed my hat in the ring.i'a He had
many contests Instituted in the Chi
rago convention. The delegations
favorable to Taft were seated. a
compromise candidate was selected.
The stalwarts were willing to nominate
Governor Hadley of Missouri, as a
compromise candidate. Not with Roose-
welt. He must be the candidate. He
then called a rump convention and it
nominated him for president. He is not
a republican. Has withdrawn his men,
hership from the republican clubs and
announces that that party has left the
people. We are not going to advise our
readers what to do in the present crisis.
We are not going to vote for Roose-
welt. We should much prefer to vote
for Mephistopheles. Our readers must
make their own<chice upon presidential
electors without suggestions from us.
Upon congressional, state and county
tickets the nominees were fairly and
squassly nominated. They are each and
every n of them capable and compe-
tent men and worthy Of the support Of
every republican voter. We sincerely
hope for their election. We believe
that q man who voted in the primaries
. q republican owes it to himself "a
support the ticket therein nominated.
The fact that Roosevelt has bolted the
action Of amajority of a national repub.
lican convention no republican
for boiling other nominees Of the party.
Be q republican upon the state ticket
and vote where you please upon ths
national ticket. Roosevelt is no mors
OF a republican than Debs or Wilson.
VI 49, M 49,. ~