The Washington times., 1912-04-15
HUMILIATING THE PRESIDENT.

Manager Mckinley, of the Taft denomination
campaign ally OF Cannon and Lormer and Penrose,
disappointed in the failure of New York to instruct
for his candidate, shocked by the tremendous anti
Taft vote in Illinois, and dazed and astounded by the
overwhelming Roosevelt victory in Pennsylvania, has
finally emerged from the political wreck and ruin
about him long enough to assail Mr.. Roosevelt and
his friends for humiliating the President.
Casting aside his useless tabulations Of fictitious
claims Of strength for Mr.. Taft, Manager Mckinley
can do nothing but rage heplessly and indulge in
personalities.
This charge Of somebody humiiating the Presi-
dent Of the United States though as used by Mr. Nc
kinley, il hardly deserves to be taken seriously,
should have passing word Of attention. There is
another side to it which he does not mention.
1t is quite true that the President is being humil.
lated. When the head of his party, sitting in the
White House, finds himself so thoroughly repudiated
by Republican voters that he can command only
about one vote in forty in North Dakota; that he
can make no showing save one OF lamentabe weak
ness in Wisconsin; that he is buried in an avalanche
of adverse votes in Illinois, and that even Pennsyl-
vania rock-rbbed Republican.State, votes against
him two to one, and in many localities much more
than that, crushing the Penrose machine in the
operation is certainly cause for humiliation to the
President who is thus repudated.
publican voters have had anything like fair chance
to express themselves they have refused utterly to
line up for Taft. They have gone to such lengths
in this as to disclose to the country that the political
weakness Of the President is pitiabe. g..
But who is responsible for this humiliation
Leaving out of consideration how far Mr.. Taft is
himself responsible, what about Manager Mckinley
and the men allied with him?
Mr.. Mckinley yoked President Taft and William
Lorimer together in Illinois. Humiliation followed
Mr.. Mckinley yoked President Taft and Senator Pen.
rose together in Pennsylvania The people have
repudated them both. Throughout the campaign
Mr.. Mckinley has consistently followed the policy
not Of trying to prevent alliances between the Pres
dent and discredited bosses and corrupt political ma
Chimes but he has in every State encouraged such
alliances. So have all the political eutenants and
flunkeys about the President The President himself
had nothing but sneers and denuncations for the
progressive leaders and voters in the Republican
party. He has preferred to cast in his lot with tn:
Old Guard. He has exhibited such friendness to
the reactionaries that Manager Mckinley has found
no difficulty in getting him to line up with the re.
dictionary leaders and their discredted organizations
What is happening?
Simply this, the people are striking at the
bosses the machines, and the President wherever the
Presidential primary makes it possible for them tc
put themselves on record.
The results, of course, are humiliatng to the
President, they are humating to Mr. Mckinley
they are painful and abhorrent to Lorimer Penrose
Smoot Crane, and all the rest of the machine tribe
For this, nobody is to blame but the President
himself, the men who have misled him.. The coun
try will not take seriously the notion that there has
been any humiliating of the President except the
humiliang that he and his leaders and allies have
brought upon him.
1t may be added, however that there is more
humiliation coming. II is i'll time for the bosses
their machines, and the gentlemen who permit them
selves to be used by the bosses and the machines
or to be led into alliance with them.