Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-20
North Dakota Primary Results
CIasSed as Anti-Taft.
ROOSEVELT BUREAU VIEW
Manager Declares La Toilette Dele
gates Will Eventually Switch.
CONTRARY OPINIONS VOICED
Rap for the Colonel's Campaign Tao
tics From the Wisconsin SEN
ator's Headquarters.

Col. Rhosevelt's supporters are claim
ing today that the RESULT of the primaries
in North Dakota. yesterday. under which
the state will send a delegation to the
republican national convention instructed
for La Toilette. is body blow for Pres
ident Taft and his political friends. They
claim, too. that the North Dakota dele
gates will swing 10 Roosevelt as soon as
IL becomes evident at the convention that
La Toilette cannot be nominated, for,
says Senator Nixon. director of the ma
tional Roosevelt bureau. the ten dele
gates elected to tin convention are first.
last and all the time anti-Taft-'
From the Taft headquarters, on the
other hand comes. the statement that the
primaries in North Dakota yesterday
proved conclusively- the contentious OF
President TAFT that state law for such
primaries, specifically guarded by all the
necessary machinery, Is absolutely nee
essary unless 'soap-b.'N' primary rules
are to prevail and the CONTEST for the re
publican nomination for President is 10
degenerate into national scandal.
That La Toilette is the Anly republican
candidate for the presidency VINO mas any
real popular strength is the contentlon
of the supporters of the WiSA fonsln SEN
ator contained in a statement issued to-
day by his campaign committee mere, 1oi-
lowing the announcement Of the primary
results in North Dakota They declare
that Col Roosevelt'S candidacy is being
supported by an "unhoH alliance OF en-
thusiasts and standpatteTs,' and that the
people have seen through this alliance
They predict victory in all other progress
sive states.
Position of La Follettee Committee.
~ ,f
Senator La Follette's campaign gavN, out
today the following statement with ref
erence to the North Dakota result:
The results of the North Dakota pAi-
maries. the first surely republican stat>>
to indicate Its choice. demonstrate the,
truth Of the statements which have been
made by this headquarters from time to
time as to the state of the public mind
with reference to the presidential nOmi-
nation. In these statements it has been
commended that the people will not &C
cept a reactionary candidate or one
whose record has been that of compro-
missing and temporizinS with special in
terests
The results prove that the time is gone
by, SO far as the west is concerned,
where mere promises of a candidate will
suff1ce to win votes. The decision of the
republicans of North Dakota rested not
only on the platform offered. but upon the
records of the candidates The over
whelming votes by which North Dakota
determined that Mr.. La Toilette Of the
three candidates could most truly be de-
pended upon to represent their convic-
tons should be matter to cause serious
reflection on the part of the man to
win" republicans. The only republican
who thus far has demonstrated in a state
wide contest that he has a substantial
following and can win is Mr.. La Toilette.
The decisive character of the victory is
the more impressive when it is borne in
mind that in North Dakota the Roosevelt
candidacy united the standpatters and all
of the progressives that the misleading
character of the colonel's campaign in
the state could induce to desert the La
Toilette standard. That this unholy alli-
ance was so signally defeated In North
Dakota may be taken an indication Of
mary states.
Disguise Penetrated.
The voters have no part in the deals
and trades of politicians. and if given OPP
portunity will repudiate every political
combination which seeks to confuse the
issue with the object to win a victory for
an Individual. The Roosevelt campaign
in North Dakota rested for success upon
a combination of misguided enthusiasts
and designing standpatters wearing a
mask of progressivism. The public pen
etrated the disguise.
Mr.. La Follette's campaign does not
rely for strength upon the support of So
called political leaders, but rests upon
the firm basis of direct appeal to the
voters of the party. The result of Tues
days primary establishes the firm
character of its base. and ii will con-
tinue to be prosecuted in all of the pop
ular primary states by means of the
direct appeal 10 republican voters. The
next of the popular primary states to
elect delegates will be Wisconsin, then
will follow Nebraska, Oregon and Cali
fornia- and in each and other states Mr..
La Foilette's candidacy will be submitted
just as it was in North Dakota. We are
as confident of the outcome are
that our candidate is the only one in the
field who has thus far demonstrated that
he has any popular strength anywhere
else than in the vaporings of press
agents.
Says It Humiliated Taft.