The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-04


election in 1904 he took no steps
whatever to revise the Dingley tariff
law.
Troubles Have Grown.
| The republican national platform
OF 1908 called for an Immediate ex-
traordinary session Of congress in the
event Of Taft's election to revise the
tariff. In obedience to his party's
platform Presiden, Taft called the
which produced the Aidrich-Sayne
law. and the presidents troubles and
his party's complications have grown
and become more entangled from the
day he signed that law.
That law gave the progressives.
headed by LaFollette. Cummins,
Bristow. Stubbs and others. substan-
ttal footing for their opposition to
the Taft administration and afforded
pie on the question. In addition
''here have been a myriad other trou-
,lesome complications. all intended
4 to weaken the president and to bring
about bitter discord in the ranks Of
his party. and this discord has been
fomented from within as we'll as
without.
1t has been this discord. these com.
plicattons. that have led republica ms
entirely friendly to the president to
declare that while he could force his
own denomination 1t was exceedingly
doubtful II he could be reelected.
Democratic Victories.
Especially have these comments
become insistcnt since the state cleo
tions Of 1910. when Ohio reelected
Governor Harmon. New York elected
Governor Dix, Massachusetts elected
Governor Foss. New Jersey elected
Governor Wilson Connecticut elected
Governor Baldwin and Maine elected
Governor Plaisted.
And these democratic victories
were accompanied by the election Of
democratic house of representa-
tives. the first democratic house since
Cleveland's second administration,
and in addition by material reduc-
ton in the republican majority in
the United States senate. There have
| republican defeats of 1910. Chief
among them we're the AldrichPayne
tariff law and the continued agitation
by republican administration of
the Sherman antitrust Law.
With the assembling Of congress in
Washington in December last the
declarations that the president could
not be reelected If renonlinated took
on a more emphatic tone.
This was nearly three months be-
fore ex-President Roosevelt formally
said. II will accept the nomination
for president II 1t is rendered to me-"
ROoscvclt's Speeches.
Since the ex-president thus public
ly announced his position, and has
followed it by frequent speeches.
most of them containing severe per-
sonal criticisms Of II not open at
tacks upon President Taft, and es-
pecially since Roosevelt's speech at
Columbus. o., in which he demand
ed the recall of judicial decisions
President Taft's old-time popularity
has been revived to certain extent
This resuscitation. however. accord
ing to the general testimony, has
been due entirely to Roosevelt's at
tacks and Roosevelt's conduct. and
there is no doubt that the attitude
OF the ex-president toward President
Taft has tended to solidify the busi-
ness interests of the country in ia
lvor Of Taft.
Bot the. problem is. have these at
tacks removed in the minds OF the
rank and file OF the voters the funda-
mental objections to Taft and his ad-
mintstration as recorded in the elec-
tions Of 1910? -.
lieve that the states Of Indiana, New
York, Ohio. New Jersey, Connecticut.
Iowa and Illinois. with a total cleo
toral vote Of 147 would again cast
their electoral vote for Taft. They
base their assertions on the fact that
In 1908 the following were the Taft
pluralities in the states mentioned:
Indiana, 1o.731: New York, 202.602:
Ohio. 6a,5a1; New Jersey. s2.758;
Connecticut. 44.soo; Iowa, 74,439,
and Illinois. 1922.
While the presidents advisers SAN
guinely cite for your ediflcation and
possible instruction the foregoing re-
suits in a number of the great COM
mercial states. and while few feel
that former President Roosevelt's re-
cent attitude has tended to soltdify
the vote of these states for Taft,
there are we'll known Taft republi-
they do know and what they do
not know. that they have no means
Of knowing. the real strength Of
Roosevelt in many quarters. What
they do know, an dwhat they do
frankly admit is that the former
presidents conduct has stirred depths
In the republican party which. endan-
ger Taft'S reelecffOn