The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-09

NUI III IN0IhUul
That is the Question the New
York Convention is
Debating.
Rochester, n. :. April 9.-Whether
or not New York states four dele
gates-at-large to the republican ma
tional convention at Chicago shall be
instructed to vote for the renomina-
ton of President Taft is Il question up
in which the l,015 delegates to the re-
publican state convention are divided
when the first days session began at
noon today.
United States Senator Elihu Root is
Heading the forces in favor of instruc-
tions. while State Chairman VIM.
Barns. Jr.. believes an uninstructed
delegation would he the wiser course,
In as much as it is conceded that the
delegation will he favorable to the re-
nomination of the president. Chair
Taft over the long distance telephone
yesterday and the president is under
stood to have said that either an in
structed or uninstructed delegation
would be agreea BILE to him. in as much
as practically all the delegates are for
him. Chairman Barnes told some of
his conferees today that it looked like
a fight on the convention floor II an
agreement could not he reached in the
committee tonight. but he expressed
confidence that in that contingency
the majority of the convention would
line up against an instructed delega-
tion.
Chairman Buffers Speech.
Denunciation of the critics of the
republican party, within and without
it's ranks. of political patent medi-
cine men," of the men who would de-
stroy the Independent judiciary" and
Of those who tell us that we must
buy their political patent medicine or
fail to cary the next presidential elcc-
ton" formed the keynote of the ad
dress before the republican state con-
vention here today of Nicholas Murray
Butler. president of Columbia univer-
sity, the conventions temporary chair
man.
"The Supreme Issue of 1912" was
the subject of DR.. Buffers address.
This he defined as the maintenance
Of our republican form of govern
ment." In conclusion. he declared
that the chief measures of progress
confronting the nation were the enact
ment of a. workingman's compensa-
tion law enactment of proper mone-
tary legislation: revision of the tariff,
supplementary legislation to the anti
trust law: judicial settlement of inter-
national disputes; economy i'll govern
ment, and legislation to shorten the
laws delays He said in part:
What criticism is made of the re-
publican administration of the nation
during the past sixteen years? There
is. first. the honest and fair criticism
of our opponents from whom we differ
In many matters Of fundamental poll
tical policy. This criticism is ma
tural and necessary incident in the
conduct Of a republican form of gov
ernment. Second, there is criticism
from an element which. however nu-
mcrous. is certainly in full possession
of tbs powers Of speech, and which is
found in part within the ranks of our
own party and in part within the
ranks of the democratic party. 1t in
cludes the whole of the socialist party.
as we'll as some of those whose men,
tai condition is one of such hlissful
elevation that they cannot find any
|
to them.
Behind the Times.
These critics tell us that we are
behind the times; that we are. in the
significant language of the gaming
table. stand patters: that We have lost
touch with the march of progress
that we are out of sympathy with the
satfsfa ction of the deepest human
needs and with the alienation of hui
p~i,,
rights above human rights: and that
some means--violent if possible.
peaceable If necessary--must bc found
to free the government from our par
alyzing control
ITO one who knows the political
history of the United States. these
charges seem strange indeed. One
wonders whether he is really listening
to the speeci, of sane men or to the
incoherent rawlings of Bedlam.
"The answer comes back that our
whole form of government is askew;
that the republicans and the dem
Ocrats are equally at fault: that all
departments of the government are
controlled by special and material in
terests: and that the people. whose
government it is. have no longer any
statements were made of the govern
ment of Russia in the seventeenth
century. or of the government of
China under the Manchu kings. or Of
the government of an unreformed
Turkey, they would neither surprise
nor alarm us. But they are made of
the government of the United States.
These statements are SO preposterous.
so contrary to recorded and demon-
strated fact, and intrinsically so ab-
surd. that unless We were constantly
hearing and reading them we might
have difficulty in persuading ourselves
that they are really made.
"These extraordinary statements ap-
PEAR to mean. SO far as they mean
anything intelligihle. either that the
American people are incompetent for
self-governnlent. or that they have
created governmental machinery
which. while in form under popular
control. is really managed by private
and special interests. Examine for
la moment these alternatives. II the
American people are incompetent for
then 1t can make lit
tie difference what program we pro-
pose or what candidates we adopt
Sooner or later a people incompetent
for self-government will pass under
the heel uf a despot. where they be-
long.
Representative Government Failure.
1T appears. on farther inquiry, that
what ia really meant is that represen-
tative government and representative
institutions are a failure. and that
they must he swept aside to mako
way for direct democracy. In par
ticuiar. it appears that the most char
acteristic and benefcient Of American
OF tpVt{ t1No fn1 s,.