The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-10-12

sg all day yesterday in his work OK
. ressing the North Dakota voters
~ n invading Minnesota for the
|A qrpose.
seches have contained a bitter
ARA ut of Colonel Roosevelt. The
burdeA ~ is utterances is Woodrow
WILSON, . presidency AS an adj
Vocate or ection Of the New Jer-
sey governe se nomination he had
much to do $, aging about, the Ne
Taft. But, his criticism OF the presi-
dent is slight when compared with the
scathing criticism which he heaps
upon the head of the colonel. Mr..
Bryan is at his best in these speeches
---lle was never in better voice and ap-
parently never in better spirits
More than ordinary wit and sarcasm
characterize his speeches. His satir-
ical reproduction of the two speeches
which the colonel, according to the
Nebraskan, probably carried with him
to Chicago, one to be delivered in the
event of his nomination, and the other
to be delivered In the event of his fall
ure to secure the nomination, con-
vulsed his audiences, his description
of the steam roller which he charges
Colonel Roosevelt with having con-
structed being another bit of satire
that takes well with his hearers.
Three Conclusions.
But, these are only some of the out
ward evidences of what is going on
In the minds of the North Dakota
voters.
Conditions may change between now
and election day, but the present sit
uation would point to these three con-
clusions. Wilson is i'll the lead in the
presidential race; Roosevelt's strength
is uncertain. but considerable: Taft is
possibly third in the race, but his
strength is constantly growing.
1t the primary fight, Taft was a
negligible quantity. No effort was
made to poll his strongest vote which
had been greatly reduced because of
his reciprocity talk. Much of the reg
ular Roosevelt strength was thrown
to Roosevelt who had formed an alli-
ance with the candidacy of l.. B.
Hanna for governor and who was sup
ported by Hanna's friends.
LaFollette won by an easy margin.
Today conditions are different, all
though in many respects similar. Lit
tie is being done for Taft and the
strength he is developing is the re-
suits of natural conditions, such as
have tended to make the president
stronger all over the country. North
Dakota is a new and lusty state with
the most progressive citizenship in the
tcountry. Its large agricultural popu-
uation is prosperous and wants no
change in tariff conditions SO far as
their own products are concerned.
1t was this feeling that awakened
SO much hostility towards the Taft
reciprocity treaty: they shy little
at the possible Wilson ideal of the
tariff although there seems to be a
general feeling that the democrats,
under Wilson may be relied upon to
\ take care of the farmer.
The fight between Roosevelt and
Wilson takes into consideration the
distribution of the progressive vote.
In the primary the progressives
were divided. Many sincere progress
sives joined hands with the Roosevelt
stalwart strength in voting for Roose-
welt, but the majority of them sup
ported the progressives represented by
LaF'ollette.
| The Roosevelt forces are making
every possible effort to carry for Roose-
welt, that element OF strength that
showed itself kindly disposed to La
| Toilette. Some of the men who voted
| for LaFollette will undoubtedly vote
for Roosevelt. But it lis the Judgment
of most men who are in position to
know and whose Judgment does not
appear biased that the majority of the
strength developed by LaFollette in
the primary Will go to Wilson in the
election, while small portion of it
will go to Taft.
1t is expected that the coming of
! Continued on Page Ten.