The Washington times., 1912-08-17
NEW ENGLAND FALLING INTO LINE.

Small wonder that the managers Of old-line pol
itcs are worried about the tendencies Of political
development. Rhode Island received Colonel Roose-
welt with open arms and the singing of hymns and
shouting Of militant battle cries yesterday. 1t has
been fashionable to list that State as one of the three
most likely to be carried by Taft 1t has been placed
along with Utah and Vermont; some enthsuiasts
have even been willing to bet that all three of them
would 60 for Taft and some Others that no State
outside Of these three would give their electoral votes
to him.
The outpouring for Roosevelt at Providence is
described as quite unlike anything political that the
State ever saw before. Business men, professional
people, and workers thronged the streets so that
twice passage was made impossible, and the Pro-
gressive chieftain had to stop and make impromptu
speeches to the crowds. His regular meeting had to
be divided, an extra address being made to huge
overflow gathering.
The audiences behaved like those at the Chicago
convention. There was the same half-religious fer
vor; sacred and patriotic songs we're sung by the
thousands. Roosevelt denounced the bosses and
likewise the self-seeking purpose and inspiration Of
the bosses who have made Rhode Island an Aldrch
barony for many years. and he was cheered to the
echo.
Cannot the regular" political managers under
stand what this all means? They seem to be getting
the idea, vaguely, wonderngly, dimly.
After the Chicago convention of theft and skull
duggery, they went away proclaimng that their per-
Torrance had finished Roosevelt; they were sure
they understood the psychology of the public mind,
and that after the defeat at the June convention
there would be slump of interest in the Progress
sive campaign. They thought Roosevelt would be
thenceforward a recedng rather than a growing
figure. Therein they were wrong. The uprising Of
spontaneous sentiment that swept Roosevelt into
troll of every primary was not the incident of
ment. 1t was the climax of great movement, the
crystallizaton following disntegration that we now
know had been going on East and West North and
South alike.
The Providence outpouring and enthusiasm mean
that the election is going to carry to the whole
try the same spirit and determination that marked
the primary fights State by State. Instead of dozen
States getting chance to express themselves in the
way they did in the pre-convention primaries, four
dozen all actuated by the same zeal and purpose,
will underwrite the expression that the primaries
made so emphatic. There will be no such thing as
stealing this election. 1t is long way from 1876
and 1884.
The soft tones and circuitous phrases which DR.
Wilson is now employing, are proving as Intellectual
to maintain confidence and ZEAL as are the tariff
vetoes and stanch torysm of President Taft The
explanation of the Providence outburst is simply that
the campaign is going to be continuation of the
awakening that was started during the pre-con
venton fight The trend is all toward Roosevelt and
the Progressive cause. The feeling of confidence
which the Progressives, with better perceptions OF
real public opinion, have all along entertained, is
now reflected in the depression, the genuine scare
of the old party managers. They know that some
thing has broken loose, but they don't know wha
it is, or how to deal with it.