The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-18
TAFT SENTIMENT GROWING.

From all parts of the country the re-
port comes that President Taft S
strength is growing. The Hon. William
r. Mckinney, manager OF the Taft
campaign, reports that all over the
country there is an increasing Taft
active in the contested States. 1t is
now said that President Taft is prac-
tically certain of the Iowa delegation,
in spite of Cummins IS candidacy, and it
seems TO he certain that, as between
Taft and Roosevelt, Taft Will get the
though primarily that delegation will
be for La Toilette The same is true
OF the two Dakotas. and probably also
Of Minnesota.
There is no mistaking the fact that
since the wild and woody speech which
Roosevelt delivered in Columbus, Ohio,
his chances have very materially weak
ened. Many who have been his strong.
est supporters in the past. utterly repu-
date the sentiments which he made use
of in that speech; men like Senators
Root of New York, and Lodge of Mass
achusetts, heretofore supposed to have
been especially friendly 70 Roosevelt.
The Hon. Andrew d. White, veteran
statesman and politician, says of tho
Roosevelt programme:
The carrying out ruthlessly OF the
whims and freaks OF great bodies OF the
people. regardless of minorities. In fact
the trampling down OF the rights Of MI
nortties by brute force exercised by
majoritieS, has more than anything else
brought on revolutions and destroyed
states. The idea that assemblages OF
people who have never fully considered
ana, indeed, are not competent TO con-
slider judicial questions, should reverse
the careful decisions OF the courts. Is for
eign not only 10 all precedents OF good
government. but to the simplest ideas OF
common sense.
There is no question but that the COM
mon sense of the American people re-
volts at the enormous folly and reck-
lesSness which Roosevelt was guilty of
IN that speech.
Aside from that, there appears to be
genuine revolt amongst the radical
progressivees against Roosevelt. 1T is
stated, and with truth, that when LA
Toilette entered the field as II candi-
date on the progressive side, no one
else had the courage to "throw his hat
into the ring Roosevelt undoubtedly
gave LA Toilette encouragement and
reason to believe that he himself would
not be q candidates.; in fact, he was
stating all the time that he would not
be, and even writing that he would con
slider his candidacy a National calam-
ity. And. so La Toilette went in; but
it is evident now that those who pre-
tended to support him, like Plnchot,
Governor Johnson, Governor Sdubbs,
and others were all the time for Roose-
welt aud that they used La Toilette
simply as stop-gap TO center the pro-
gressive sentiment upon for the time
being until Roosevelt got ready to an
nouuce himself for the candidacy. Ii
was Pinchot in fact, who broke down
the La Toilette boom by prevailing
upon the progressive Republican con-
veut;on in Ohio to refrain from naming
him as its candidate. Pinchot was espe,
cially active in this, and immediately
thereafter nc came out for Roosevelt
thus showing his treachery to La Fol
lette, and the double dealing that had
been going on.
All this is naturally a source OF
strength to President Taft; for the
friends of La Toilette are extremely
bitter against Roosevelt, and La Fol
lette himself insists that he is still IN
the ring for the Presidential NOMINATION
and he is openly denouncing Roosevelt
Things are clearing up very well, and
Taft is getting the advantage. moi
only of the calm, sound Judgment oi
the American people in their endorse
ment of his able administration, but il
the throat-cutting quarrels Of the pro
gressive faction.