The Washington times., 1912-05-01
MASSACHUSETTS ENDS THE FIGHT.

The returns which indicate that Massachusetts,
has given sweeping victory to Theodore Roosevelt
mark the end of the Republican pre-convention cam
paign. Roosevelt will be nominated at Chicago,
probably by reclamation.
State after State, all the way from Atlantic to
Pacific has given demonstration of the purpose of the
people, Wherever they have been able to employ the
ballot instead of the soapbox as their instrument OF
expression they have declared against Taft. North
Dakota defeated him more than 80 to |; Wisconslns
majority against him has not been counted yet;
Nebraska gave Roosevelt a substantial majority over
both Taft and La Toilette, while La Toilette took Sec
ond place in the race; Illinois delivered the first
verdict on one of the ma jor States and Roosevelt
won by 2 to l. Pennsylvania went with landslide
that far surpassed the widest hopes of Roosevelts
EXTREMIST supporters; Oregon added its solid delega
ton; and now comes Massachusetts, supposed to be
the Gibraltar Of Taftism and conservatism.
There has been no deviation from the rule
Everywhere the Presidential primary has given It's
verdict against Taft.
For several weeks-certainy ever since the Hi
nois voteit has been perfectly plain that the people,
given chance, would not have Taft. But less than
one-fourth of the States has the Presidential primary.
The Taft machnists proposed cyncaDy to 60 right
ahead and seize the delegations Of the South hrou n
their postmasters and of the other non-primary
alliances with the reactionary bosses.' They cared
nothing for the peoples wishes, nothing for the fate
of the Republican party. If only they could budgcon
enough chatte-delegates into line to force the NOM
inaton they would then take the chance of party
wreck and national calamity.
The alliance with the bosses was too patent, too
fragrant The whole rule-or-ruin program was too
strong for the national stomach. The warnings that
came from State after State where the popular voice
received hearing we're too imperative. AT length
the whole campaign of mendacity and bossism has
crumbed to pieces.
There is no longer danger that any possible
methods will muster majority of votes for Taft
He stands to lose practically all the delegates from
this time forth The Southern mercenaries have
been dropping away from him slice Pennsylvania
voted; those yet remaining have been delaying their
deserton only till they should hear from Massach-
sets, with the final word Today they have it
Massachusetts is for Roosevelt and it means that
the South, in major part will be for him.
There has never been campaign to parallel this
Roosevelt started late, without organization or money
The State and city machines everywhere were op
posed to him. The great interests were bitterly
antagonistc Men who had been his lifelong friend:
and his political benefcaries went over to Taft
Nobody was left to Roosevelt except the plain people
and the chance in few States, to express them
selves by primary vote.
Never before has the patronage power and polit
ical prestige of national Administration been thus
impotent before an uprising of the people The fig
ure of Taft has been nothing less than pathetic from
the very beginning. At first he would not fight ane
he lost then he set about to fight and he wa
, crushed His own judgment was correct; he neve
wanted to attempt to fight, for he knew he didn'
know how to fight He proved the excellence of tha
Judgment when he turned loose the mud batteries ant
the guns worked more effectively at the breech thai
at the muzzle.
. After Pennsylvania, The Times said that the fgh
was over. After Massachusetts,, everybody knows
is over. That is all the difference Massachusett
makes.