The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-10-18
FORMER MASTER Of
NATIONAL GRANGE
SPEAKS OUT
Frank Discussion of Political
Situation From Farmers
Standpoint.
SHOULD SUPPORT TAFT
Hon. N. J. Bachelor, Former Cover
nor of New Hampshire, and Head
of National Grange, who for Years
Has Fought for the Farmer Makes
Pertinent Address in New York.

EettiHent ADDRESS IN New York.
| venture to say that at no time
since the war has presidential election
involved so much of critical situation
Tor the farmers of the United States
as does the election to be held next
November. Prior elections have
brought up serious issues in which the
farmers have been keenly interested
with all other citizens. These issues
were chiefly political. turning upon i'm
portant questions of policy in admin
istration, and affecting the economic
life of our people, including the farm.
ers, almost exclusively in connection
with the protective tariff. Now, how
ever, we have the tariff to fight again,
and great deal more is in the balance
also. We must resolutely fact the
truth. We are threatened with an up
setting of our institutions and plunge
into socialism which would be peculiar
ly dangerous to the farmers, as it
would strike at the very foundation
of their occupation and independence.
This issue, is, of course, national in
its scope, and SO intense is the clash
controversy and so spectacular are the
movements of the opposing forces,
that the local affairs of our various
state governments are necessarily of
minor interest at the time. There are
other years in which state questions
can be more closely considered This
year the absorbing question in every
ones mind is of the problem that our
great and prosperous country must
nj D,,I =
tain its greatness and prosperity. The
farmers must do all they can to help to
solve this problem in the right way.
They have high reputation for intel
ligence and cool-headed. practical wis
dom. If they stand together pretty
well, the decision will be in their
hands. For these reasons and because
of activities and associations of life
time as farmer, l am glad to have
the opportunity to say something on
this occasion, and I will speak frankly.
Mr.. Roosevelt and His New Party.
The present campaign is made re-
markable and critical by one conspic-
uous circumstance - Mr.. Roosevelt's
independent dash for third term in
the White House Mr.. Roosevelt's
first dash this year was for the Re-
publican nomination for President at
the Chicago convention in June. He
loudly claimed that he would surely
obtain this nomination and no one
doubts but that, if he had obtained it,
he would have seen no occasion what
ever for any third party for any pur-
pose, progressive or otherwise. But
he did not obtain the Republican NOM
nation which he coveted The regu-
larly- Republican conven-
ton, following its orderly procedure
established for many years, renomina-
ted President Taft.
And now Mr.. Roosevelt, gathering
about him as many as he can of the
progressive governors and leaders who
tried to get the Republica omination
for him. has organized new party
and has had himself nominated for
President by this party, and is now
engaged in trying to reach the White
House again by these means. This
man. heretofore so highly honored by
the republican party, has now set forth
in desperate effort to disintegrate
and destroy that party and out of the
ruins of it to establish a new party
of which he shall be the undisputed
dictator This is an extraordinary
challenge to fling in the face of the
American people. and naturally the
people of the whole country must rely
upon the robust Americanism of the
farmer to deal with this presumptuous
challenge.
Farmers and Canadian Reciprocity.
In getting this new party together
Mr.. Roosevelt. with what is often
spoken of as his cleverness in practi-
cal politics, makes a bid for votes in
almost every direction He promises
an abundance of attractive things for
all the classes who have many votes.
for the workingman, for all the people
of the cities. and also some things for
the farmers. In what he declares for
with the idea of pleasing the farmers,
the principal feature in the demand in
his platform for the repeal of the
Canadian Reciprocity Act.
Now, I am especially interested in
this matter of reciprocity. I was ac-
lively engaged in the great fight made
by the American farmers in opposi-
ton to the Canadian treaty and the
subsequent legislation AS master of
the National Grange and Chairman
of the Legislative Committee of that
great organization at the time the
reciprocity agreement was made, it was
my duty to protest against it and OPP
TOar.:.u.J - -. c-Y