The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1912-10-22
STATE POLITICS
A Very Unsatisfactory Condition
of the Presidential Cam.
paign.

Sioux Falls, oct. 22.-The leaders
of that faction Of South Dakota repub-
licans which is supporting Roosevelt
for president profess to believe that
the statement issued a few days ago by
the i've Roosevelt electors who were
placed upon ihe republican ticket has
clarified the political atmosphere in
South Dakota so far as the electoral tic
ket is concerned. In this statement
the electors said:
Believing that Theodore Roosevelt is
the choice of the majority of the repub-
licans of this state for president and
that the battle this fall in the state
and in the nation is between Theodore
Roosevelt and protection, aud Woodrow
Wilson and free trade. we will support
Theodore Roosevelt for president.
However, if Roosevelt cannot be
elected, and it should become Il contest
between Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Wilson,
and our votes should thereby defeat
democratic principles and free trade
policies, we would vote foreMr. Taft.
While the Roosevelt republicans are
hopeful that this declaration will
unite the republicans of the state in
support of the electoral ticket, it is
perhaps needless to say that the Taft
republicans Of South Dakota do not
look with favor upon the proposition
They say that if they voted for the
Roosevelt electors it would place them
in the position of voting for Roosevelt
for first choice for president. when, as
a matter of fact, they prefer any of the
other candidates now in the field to
him.
The views of the radical Taft men
are thus set forth by the Scotland
G tizen-Republican, n of the leading
republican newspapers of the southern
part of the state:
1.-THE electors Of the various states do
not meet in a body, but the electors Of
each state meet separately ON a certain
day and cast the votes of their respec-
tive states. The vote is then sealed
and sent to Washington, where it is
counted with those from other states.
Mr.. Van Sykes vote would be cast
and counted Cor Roosevelt and that
would be the end of his authority. If
neither candidate receives a majority
the duty will devolve upon the house
OF representatives, to make a selection.
1t is a shrewd scheme to get Taft votes
cast for Roosevelt"
The statement of Mr.. Van Slyke,
which drew out the above comment,
was similar to the statement which has
since been issued to the public over the
signatures of all five Roosevelt cleo
tors.
The Roosevelt republican leaders de-
clare the opposition to the Roosevelt
electors is confined to the Taft repub-
licans in only a few of the larger cities
of the state, with Sioux Falls as the
center Of the opposition They further
declare that when anyone gets out
among the farmers in the interior Of
the state, and among che residents of
the smaller towns throughout the state,
republicans generally, without regard
to whether they are Taft or Roosevelt
men, are supporting the Roosevelt
electors who We're placed on the regu-
lar republican ticket.
This is disputed by the anti Roose-
welt men, who say the opposition to
what they term the theft of the
presidential electors is distributed in
all parts of the state, and point es-
pecislly TO the Black Hills. where the
normal republican majority for presi
dent il past campaigns has been IL the
~neighborhood of 1000 or 1900, while
this year they declare the Elack Hills,
because of the placing of Roosevelt
electors On the regular republican
ticket, will return a majority of not
less than 1000 for The Wilson electors.