The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-03

ignorant or INSCRIPTIONS among boss
ruled or Wall-Street-ruled newspapers
still talk about the chance of ever vet
defeating the will of the people. 1t is
only because of their ignorance that
they can say this; for the ordinary,
plain man with common sense can see
that the rank and file have determined
to have their way.
Is bossism, then, "a false issue and
a sham" as Mr.. Taft says? ct us see.
This is what the republicans Of North
Cafolina think about it. After in
structing delegates for me, the thous-
and delegates assembled in the repub-
lican state convention at Raleigh by
unanimous vote adopted this resolu-
ton:
Whereas, President Taft did on the
seventeenth day of March by single
order withdraw from the senate the
nominations of ten citizens of North
Carolina withou assigning any reason
therefor and without any charges
against the character or qualifications
or said nominees; it being understood
that the fate of the nominees is to
await the actions of this convention
the appointments to be awarded to the
fractional leaders VIII shall deliver the
largest number .of delegates to Mr..
Taft:
W therefore resolve and declare
that this action of the president is ILL
advised. i~ndefensible. %subversive of
good government and good morals,
and in fragrant violation of the
statutes governing the civil service.
I'VE therefore declare that Presi-
dent Taft has underestimated the
pride and self-respect OF the republic
cans of North Carolina in supposing
that we would participate in a politi-
merchandise of men.
w unhesitatingly repudiate, re-
sent, and rebuke the whole proceed
ings and all parties thereto"
That is what republicans have to say
about the question whether public Of
flee shall he used by men to get mas
terry over the voters. or whether the
voters should remain masters them
selves. The republican voters of North
Carolina have had a good example of
bossism. and they have decided that
it is not a SHIN or a false issue. but real
and true.
That is one way in which bossism
becomes a real issue and a live issue.
Another way is that which has been
used in the state of Washington. AL
though there was no statewide pri-
mary required by law there. the coun-
ty committees were authorized by the
law to order the election of delegates
to the state convention at primaries.
This was done in two counties. one of
them including Seattle. and in both
the primaries were carried by the
Roosevelt delegates. In all. the Roose-
Welt forces carried eighteen counties;
the Taft forces only six counties. the
remaining counties being divided or
contested. The state committee, which
was in the control Of Taft men chosen
was unprecedented, and arbitrarily de-
cided the contests. The "Post-Intelli-
gencer," which is a pro-Taft paper.
published the story that the state COM
mittee, in an effort to appear fair,
seated M Roosevelt delegation, and
then, having found that it had mis-
counted. without further evidence re-
versed itself in order to secure a Taft
majority. 1t unseated Roosevelt dele
gates, including a hundred and twenty
one delegates legally elected at the
primaries. and by substituting dele
gates chosen by the bosses undertook
to steal the state. This is the way
the Taft men held their convention.
The locked doors of the Taft conven-
ton hall We're Guarded by a platoon
Of policemen to prevent the entrance
of the rightful delegates. A clear ma
jority of the delegates. however, met
in conformity with the regular call
for the convention and elected Roose-
Welt delegates to the national v
ton in accordance with the will of the
voters. In the state of Washington
the issue is a real issue and a live is
suo-the issue between the rank and
file on the one side. and the bosses on
the other.
Similar efforts to substitute the will
of the bosses for the will Of the peo-
pie We're made in Kentucky, in Indi-
ana, in Michigan, in New York and no.
toriously in the south. nd elsewhere
in state after state throughout the
union. In some cases these efforts
have appeared to be temporarily sue
%cessful: in other cases they have been
defeaed by the voters; and in still 9TH
er cases, where the voters had no
chance to express their own will d.
rectly. such efforts have been partly
frustrated by those who have made
common cause with the rank and file.
Now the fight that once seemed almost
victory. 1t has been proved that moth
ing can Withstand the deliberate judg-
ment Of the people, not even the de.
ltberate judgment of the bosses. In
those places where the honest and de-
cent citizens. the plain people. the
rank and file, nave had a chance to
fight. they a " done their W fight
ing, and, nine times out of ten. have
overwhelmingly won. And where these
citizens. these plain people. who be-
long to the rank and file. have been
denied the chance to fight, we pro-
gressives hav been fighting their bat
ties. and now nave made 1t certain
that they will have the right in the
future to fight for themselves.
Dur cause is the cause Of justice for
the rank and file. When special I'm
~terests scheme to deprive the people
of their property in the natural re-
sources of the country. we stand for
the right of the people to control that
property against the special interests.
When the If induatrv apA 1oiA