Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-02-20
TAFT OR ROOSEVELT?

II 1t proves true that Senator La
Toilette is out of the race for pres
ident We shall favor the nomina-
ton of President Taft as against
the candidacy Of Theodore Roose-
welt. :" In the first place we
are opposed to the third term idea
and therefore are opposed to
Roosevets nomination. Secondly
we are opposed to the methods
pursued by Roosevelt and his
friends in undermining Senator
LaFollette in his candidacy
Roosevelt's progressive ideas are
very little in advance of w. H.
Taft's SO we might better continue
Taft's administration than to ac-
cept Roosevelt's.
The above Is taken from the Grand
Rapids (Wis.) Post, a progressive"
LaFollette newspaper and shows con-
clusively two things. 1t is evident
from this authority that the LaFol-
lette boom has collapsed and it is
certain that Roosevelt Is charged
with its destruction. Nobody can
question the self-evident truths of
these two positions. The LaFollette
men are thus facing a dilemma
they are between the devil and the
deep blue sea. They must either
throw their strength to the man who
was instrumental In defeating the
hopes of their candidate, or they
must turn to President Taft as the
lesser of two evils"
The Post, in the above editorial,
truthfully remarks that "Roosevelt's
progressive ideas are very little In
advance of W. H. Taft's, so we might
better continue Taft's administration
than accept RoOsevelts." This ad-
vice, coming from a strongly pro-La-
Toilette newspaper, published in the
heart of his own camp. is significant. |
II can only mean that very great |
portion Of the LaFOlIette following
will go TO Taft when defeat for their
own candidate is shown to be certain.
They will support Taft because they
believe that his progressive ideas"
are fully as advanced as Roosevelt's
and, In addition, they win cast their
ballots that way because they can
not endorse the sage of oyster Bay
and his third term proclivities.
The radicals in the Republican
party are sorely put to 1t, just now
With LaFollette out of the race, their
only hope lies in Roosevelt. and his
silence is causing no end of heart
burnlngs and speculation. While all {
this is going on In the camp of the /,
enemy" President Tafts strength is I
growing daily and we believe will I
continue to increase until his nomi- {
nation at the Chicago convention shall {
be but a matter of counting the bal I
lots. With all his boasted populari- 4
ty. we do not believe that Roosevelt 4
can stampede the Chicago convention g
nor claim the support among the Re- s
publlcans of the country that once I
was his. OF course. some Of the La {
Toilette newspapers are clamoring v
for his candidacy, but they are mere n
~ ''whlstling to keep up their cOur- v
age" and they cannot hope to carry y
'ht NNiiStiNuhohs Lar ultlle men q
with them a
II Roosevelt should come out, and
declares himself a candidate for the
nomination. he would at once arouse
a storm OF protest and plunge him
self and his friends In bitter fight
which would, in all probability. re- =
suit in his overthrow. in his repudia- y,
ion by the Republican party Of the ;,
nation. The great rank and ile Of
he people love fair play, They ad- !,
nire a man who will stick to his con- I,
'ictions. who means what he SAYS. :,
md who has the courage to say IL. =
Roosevelt has already declared. in no y
Uncertain language, that under no :,
circumstances" would he accept =
for a third term. For :
him 20 endeavor 90 evade all that
hat statement implies by subterfuge.
md by explanations that Il applied =
o some other period. or some other
condition. win not be endorsed by =
ne people generally. although some =,
Z the more radical "progressives" =.
nay accept Il as gospel He has said =,
/. now let him stick 70 Il. He may -
e sticking 20 il" for an the eoun-
~ knows 70 the contrary but. II he ~
hould 'renig" on that proposition.
'e believe that he would stir up a
SHIT that could only result IN his de- \
aat. He may realize this and Is thus be
eeping silence. hoping that the call Ne
'r him viii become 50 insistent that No
e cannet evade the responsibility n
Z accepting" or he may believe IN
iat he has already said all that Is bu
and II the radical pro an
shah continue 70 butt their IN