The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-06-27
IS MOST BITTER
N ALL HISTORY
AMERICAN POLITICS CONTAINS
NO PARALLEL FOR REPuB-
LICAN CONVENTION.
HAT IN RING" STARTS WAR
Disorder and Confusion Mark Battle
for Republican Lcadership-Cui-
niinatlon Of Combat Full Of
Charges and Recrimi-
nations.

/ nations.
The history of American politics
contains no parallel for the Republi
can convention just closed. The bit
| terness OF the struggle was respon
sible for more disorder, more con
fusion and more exciting and nerve
wracking incidents than ever attend
ed political convention in this coun
try.
1t required little to start demon
stration and when once started !
could be quieted only after the dele
gates had completely exhausted them
! selves. On Wednesday Governor Had
ley. who was popular with the crowds
! at all times, took the platform t
make an explanation, demonstra
ton for him was started which tn,
Roosevelt men subsequently turned
into demonstration for their lead
| er, which lasted almost an hour.
During the reports of the creden
tials committee on Friday the pro
ceedings were interrupted time ane
time again by the Roosevelt men
| who thus attempted to show their dis
approval of the proceedings.
Most Bitter Battle.
Battle for the Republican presi-
Dental nomination that is without
precedent for the bitterness displayed
| by the contestants and the popular
interest aroused has been waged FOL
| the last four months by Theodore
Roosevelt and President Taft. The
country knew the fight was on when
| 1t learned of Roosevelt's reply &c
those who asked his attitude on the
presidency after his sensational
speech at the Ohio constitutional con
vention Feb. 81:
| my hat is in the ring
The colonel followed this challenge
up on Feb. "a by writing to seven Re
publican governors who had urged
him to declare his position:
II will accept the nomination fos
president If it is rendered to me and
! i will adhere to this decision until
! the convention has expressed its pre-
| ference"
Taft Becomes Warlike, Too.
Taft's candidacy had taken on a
warlike tinge early in January with
| the statement given out at the white
house and attributed to the presi-
dent: Nothing but death can keep
me out Of the fight now"
| A national Roosevelt committee was
| formed in January with headquarters
In Chicago. Alexander H. Revell was
made president and Edwin w. Sims,
former federal prosecutor, secretary.
Roosevelt headquarters were later re-
moved to Washington and Senator
Joseph M. Dixon placed in charge OF
the. campaign. Congressman William
B. Mckinley of Illinois was made the
Taft manager. 1t was announced that
the Taft literary bureau would re
train from attacking Roosevelt per
sonally This idea was later abaE
doned.
The president started the fireworks
by characterizing Roosevelt's plan for
recall of court decisions as utterly
without merit, crude. ftful. unstable. ;.
Roosevelt Defines issues.
Roosevelt, speaking in Carnegia
hall, New York, March 20, declared
| the fundamental issue between him
self and Taft to be:
Are the American people fit to
govern themselves. to rule them
selves, to control themselves? | be-
lieve they ares My opponents do not. .
The president, in a speech at Bos-
ton March IS, had said:
"Continued iteration and reiteration
Of the proposition, Let the people
rule il it has any significance at all
and Is intended otherwise than to
natter the people, is intended to be
a reflection on the government that
we have had down to the present
1 time"
1t was only step to mentioning
names, This began with some degree
Of mildness In one of his early
speeches Col. Roosevelt remarked:
"Mr. Taft says cur government
should be a government OF all. the
people by representative part of the
people This is an excellent descrip-
ton of an oligarchy."
Roosevelt Denounces Votes.
The New York and Indiana pri
mary decisions were given to Taft
Roosevelt promptly denounced the
proceedings in both states as a 'crim
! jnal farce"
| The latter part of April saw the
rivals denouncing esch others works
in red hot speeches all over Massa
chusetts in their efforts to win al
the presidential preference primarie.
there. Roosevelt accused Taft 81
breaking his pledges to the people
and Taft retorted that Roosevelt hat
misstated the facts about the~ TAT
administration and was not giyins
him a square deal. The primary
yielded a split delegation. with nj
advantage to either candidate
Roosevelt Carries States.
The Massachusetts Performance.
was repeated with increasing acri
mony in Ohio and New Jersey. Roose
welt carried both states by big ma
jorities. but Taft was given the Obi,
Z, delegates at large by the state con
vention. an act which Roosevelt Gale,
pure brigandage."
1 In Upper Circles.