The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-07-05
SOME PLAIN WORDS.


ments on the outcome of the re-
publican national convention as fol
lows;
William Howard Taft is the re-
publican candidate for president. He
was nominated as fairly as was
Lincoln Harrison and much more so
than was Hayes. He received TWEEN
ty-one more votes than a majority
of the whole convention. The charge
is made that some of the delegates
supporting him were not rightfully
seated. The right of these delegates
was first passed upon by the ma
tional committee, by the committee
on credentials, one member from
each state selected by the delegates
from his state, and finally by the
whole convention. The title of the
delegates was decided in the same
way as were the delegates to all pre-
viOus republican national conven-
tons. No rules or precincts were
violated.
There were some 256 contesting
delegates on behalf of Colonel Roose-
welt. The very large majority of
these contests were without merit,
and were turned down by the
Roosevelt members of the national
committee and of the credentials
committee. The only contests back
ed by the Roosevelt faction that APP
peared to be worthy of consideration
were those from California, Texas
and Washington. The majority of
the delegates decided against them.
"In the final vote Taft received SCI
votes, Roosevelt 107, and 344 not
voting, which were for Roosevelt,
making a total for Roosevelt of 451
-89 less than a majority. Had he
been given all the contesting dele
gates from California, Texas and
Washington, he would not have had
majority of the convention. This
is the situation. We believe that 1t
would have been much better for
the party had some new man been
selected. We should have been bet
ter pleased with the nomination Of
Roosevelt than that of Taft, but the
latter was nominated, and is the
candidate of the republican party 4,
"a new party may be formed by
the republicans dissatisfied with the
nomination of President Taft. That
is their right. But if they do this
they are no longer members of the
g. O. p. We notice that several can
didates for office in this state seek
ing the republican nomination, in the
first flush of the news from Chicago,
say they will not support President
Taft for election. By what right
have they to seek a nomination as
That is a question that
might just as we'll be settled right
now.
eff republican candidates for Of
fee repudiate the head the ticket.
they certainly forfeit all claim OF
support from republicans, who pro-
pose to remain republicans. They
might as logically be candidates for
the democratic nomination, announc-
ing that they do not propose to sup
port men nominated at Baltimore.
There is not the slightest objection
to all these distinguished gentlemen
becoming independent candidates, free
from all party loyalty or obligation,
and making their campaign on their
own merits. 1t seems to us that this
is the proper and manly thing to do.
"While each citizen has the consti-
tutional right to vote as he pleases,
so long as we have political parties,
the men seeking favor from any par
ty should be loyal to the head of the
ticket If they feel that they can
not be, they have their remedy.
There is much talk of forming a
new political party. That may be the
wise thing to do. At least it will
be the honest thing, if the proposed
members cannot conscientiOusly sup
port either the republican or demo-
cratic or other parties. But the man
who proposes to support this third
party should confine their efforts to
that party, and not try to crawl into
office either as republican or demo
Gratis. Come out in the open for a
square deal"