The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-05
SENATOR'S cn.1pr's DISCRETION

tie by Senator @lapp. ana the ldtter s
espousal of the candidacy of Theo-
dore Roosevelt olg5lt to open the eyes
Of North Dakotans to the folly OF fur
ther supporting q. candidate who has
not "a scintilla of a chance Of winning.
1t will be remembered that Senator
Clapp was one OF the stannchest sup
porters Of the Wisconsin a He
spoke In the campaign in Ohio In
I which the I.aFolleke followers tried
To secure the state for the senator.
Senator Clapp stood by his guns to the
I last in that state. But he is now sup
porting Roosevelt.
With the already long and ever
growing list OF mel OF national prom
inence who have quit L4aFollette and
gone to- Roosevelt, there must be some
reason for the change. To charge
that tho men who have deserted the
L.aFollett standard with doing so for
Interior motives would be to accuse
the men who Rave fought the pro-
gressive battles. with political cupi-
dity. and no = Follet7e adherent
would stand for such a charge, and
rightly so. To say that Senator La
Toilette has deserted his cause would
he as unjust as the other. 1t is, there
fore. necessary to look elsewhere for
the explanation. The search need
not he long.
h reason for these assertions of
I.aFollette is the simple fact. as we
have repeatedly said. that the men
who are changing to Roosevelt real
ize that La Toilette is beaten In the
convention and that further support
Of his candidacy simply enhances the
chances of President Taft to be nomi-
mated. Senator LaFollette has not
changed: the conditions are simply
against him. The men who are de
sorting him and working for Roose-
volt are not doing SO from Interior
motives; they are taking the only
course possible to prevent the nomi-
nation Of President Taft.
Now let us apply these facts to
North Dakota. The LaFollette adher-
rnts claim they are supporting him
because OF the principles he repre-
sents. Conceded. Does not Theodore
Roosevelt represent the same prin-
ciples and was he not the father OF
the policies which Senator LaFollette
npholds? Then those who support
Roosevelt instead of LaFollette sacri-
iiCe Io pIiIlElplSs. puL IL ny SuppOIl-
ing La Toilette they fail and by sup
porting Roosevelt they succeed in put
ting those principles into operation
in the government, 1t seems clear
that the thing to do is to support
Roosevelt. That would seem to APP
peal to the intelligence.
What reasons lie back of the disin-
%clination Of the LaTollette adherents
to join the Roosevelt movement In
his state? One is the absurd bug
aboo that the movement is a scheme
OF the so-called stalwarts. A few
weeks g those who We're using that
argument said Roosevelt and Taft
were working hand in glove for Taft's
nomination. 1t almost makes one
blush with pity to recall that argu-
ment to the attention of those who
used 1t. The public is too generous
to laugh over the hole in which the
zeal of those prefervid adherents of
Senator LaFollette led them. Even
before that these same people were
assuring the public hat Roosevelt
would not accept. True many Repub-
licans. thoroughly honest. did not feel
like endorsing Roosevelt until they
knew from his wv lips what he would
do. They are not included in the cat
alogue above. The point we are max
ing is that those who are using tho
stalwart scarecrow have been wrong
twice before and events have proven
them wrong A sensible survey Of the
Roosevelt movement in this state
should convince n one that they are
still o The ablest and most in
fuential progressives are identified
with the Roosevelt movement. There
are those also identified with it who
have not been identified with the pro-
gressivc faction Of the party. But
these facts only prove what has been
the keystone of the demand for Roos-
evelt-that he "a unite all factions
within the party and win, while SEN
ator LaFollette can not. In the lace
OF such things. what is left as grounds
for supporting Senator LaFollette?
Just n thing-.the e that the suc-
cess Of the Roosevelt movement in
North Dakota will j%eopardize the in
terests Of those candidates who have
attached their candidates. to that of
LaFollette. There il no reason for
such belief. but the people are being
told that because. other candidates
have aligned themselves with Roose-
relt, his success is their success. It
is a reflection on the intelligence of
the voter to be told that because he
supports Roosevelt. perforce. he has