Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-07-04
Hide Taken OFF Roosevelt.

Until Roosevelt came into the open
as a candidate for the presidency FIVE
months ago, there was strong and
rapidly growing Progressive movement
within the Republican party. 1t was
based upon clearly defined principles.
1t stood forth as the representative of
modern political thought on fundamen-
tai democracy. 1t had assumed nation
al proportions. 1t was united.
Unto this movement, when it gave
promise of national success, Roosevelt
projected his ambition to be president
a third time. He spent weeks careful
ly planning spontaneous CALI Tor him
self. He responded by announcing that
he would be receptive candidate.
His candidacy began to drag. He and
his friends were in despair.
"Then came his defeat in North Da-
kota. He became desperate. An enor-
nous campaign fund was raised
Headquarters were opened in New
York, Washington and Chicago, and
states east and west. Newspaper
writers were engaged at large prices
to boom his candidacy.
Special trains were hired and the
receptive candidate started in frantic
pursuit of the nomination In the his
tory of American politics there has
never been in a primary campaign or a
campaign for presidential nomination,
an approach to the extravagant ex-
penditures made in this campaign.
Men VIGOROUSLY identified with the
steel trust and the harvester trust be-
came his most active supporters.
Leading reactionaries, standpatters and
political bosses of the Hanna and Quay
sort became his closest political repre-
sentatives in many states.
"a number Of the newer recruits tC
the Republican Progressive cause, mer
who before 1909, with three or four ex,
ceptions, had either been Indifferent OF
Opposed to the Progressive movement
being the noisiest supporters Of Roose
welt. the Winner.
ut mattered not to them that Roose
welt had co-operated with Aldrich OF
legislation during the entire sever
lyears he was president. They forgot
that it was only when Roosevelt wa!
out Of Office and in Africa, through the
united efforts of men who for years haC
been fighting special interests, that tn,
Progressive cause became a nationa
movement. They forgot that Roose
welt was for Taft in 1910, when Tai
was denouncing all Progressiyes al
pirates and traitors.
That Roosevelt waited until little
more than year ago, balancing the
chances before deciding whether to cas-
in HE lot with the Progressives in this
presidential year, counted for nothing
with the class Of Progressives whC
wanted to win not real Progressive
victory just victory.
And they did win precisely thai
kind Of a victory. They carried over,
whelmingly the great standpat state.
of Illinois and Pennsylvania. That
stamped the Roosevelt candidacy with
its true character. No real Progressive
could have secured anything like such a
vote in either of those two states. II
had, however, the outward seeming OF
success, the sort Of success that intoxi-
Gates the crowd 1t enabled Roosevelt
TO win in two or three real Progressive
states. Fortunately it did not enable
him to secure the nomination, WHICH
WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED THE PRO
IGEEssvE MOVEMENT AND DEFEATED
REAL ACHIEVEMENT FOR YEARS.
Upon Theodore Roosevelt and his
followers rests the responsibility of
having divided the Progressives in their
first national contest Stimulated by
an oyermastering desire to win, they
denounced loyalty to convictions and
principle as stubborn selfshness.
In the convention they put forward
no platform, no issues, They made no
fight against the reactionary platform
adopted. They substituted vulgar per