Arizona republican., 1912-05-17
A Plain Statement

II Frequently happens in the life of d newspaper that it's opinions and policy do not harmonize with the ideas Of a part of the public Espe- cially is that true if the newspaper happens 10 have definite principles for which it makes the practice of standing regardless of results And this remark is doubly true in the case of political stress, where the ideas of men are sharply defined.
 It happens that such a situation exists right now It happens that The Republican. which has been a consistent supporter of the candidacy of President William Howard Taft. has thereby incurred the enmity of some of the self appointed leaders of the Roosevelt movement At least one ot these distinguished gentlemen is complaining that The Republican is not fair"
 So far as The Republican knows there has never been any criticism by the rank and file of the RoOse- welt men. This paper entertains the greatest respect for them; and it be- Heves it has their respect in turn It clearly recognizes the fact that they have precisely the same right to their opinions and beliefs that The Republican claims for itself
 It happens, however that the leadership" of the Roosevelt forces is not of character to excite any particular enthusiasm among the rank and file of those who are ad- mirers of the former president As is we'll known this leadership is in control of two men. one of them is the ex-Rev. Fisher, once sort of preacher of the ultra sensational type. but now claiming kinship with the legal fraternity. Second in com lv self advertised as the local repre- sentative of the Roosevelt bureau MT Heard has recently complained of the "unfairness" of The Repub- Hcan because this paper has chosen to tell the truth about political events rather than turn itself into a bureau for the glorifictaion of MT Heard
 The policy of The Republican, it may be said is just what it has always been. It prints the news if the news is pleasant or the reverse Its opinions find place only in it's editorial columns If the perform ances of the two gentlemen named do not look well when told of in print, that is not the fault of this newspaper It would seem the bet ter way, if d man wants the columns of the public press to reflect his glory and honor. 50 to conduct his practices that the truth will contain no hint of criticism.
 And it is a fact that the RoOse- welt adherents, some of them at least, do not view with cOmplacency the quality of their leadership They are not in the fight themselves for advertising purposes and they are rather opposed to the actions of oth- CT men who are using the movement for that purpose. There is wide divergence between the aims and methods of the privates and the generals" The Republican freely comedies that the purposes of the rank and file of the Roosevelt sup porters are above reproach At the same time it is convinced the lead CTS" are concerned rather with self glorification than anything else
 So. after all, the head and front of The Republicans offending lies in the fact that it has told the truth It has given the news as the news occurred and it expects to continue that policy. It is unfortunate that the news is not more palatabIe to the sub captain of the Roosevelt forces. but that is the fault of the sub-cap- tain and not of The Republican.