The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1912-07-04
Three American Giants in Politics.

the people have looked upon three big
men in national politics and talked
agout them as leaders without discus
ing seriously wila; either Q: them
stands for.
Looming above the other two for the
time being, Theodore Roosevelt has
been most in the public eye because
his return to national politics was spec
tacular and sensational. Having served
one term as president by the law Of
succession from the vice presidency
following the assassination Of the be-
loved President Mckinley; having beer
elected TO further term by an over
whelming popular majority, and having
been privileged 10 select his successor,
he retired from the presidency as strong
or stronger than at any time in his pub
lie career. 1t was natural, therefore,
that he should have found mighty
following when he again appeared as a
a candidate for president at time Of
political unrest ard sensational agita-
iion; and it is not at all strange that he
went into the national republican con-
vention with delegations from great re-
publican states pledged to nominate
him.
But the fact that he opposed William
Howard Taft, the man he had favored
so strongly four years ago, and for
whose nomination and election he had
used every resource at his command,
raised the question, What's the mat
ter with Tait1" and put the president
and his friends in a peculiar attitude.
They felt that the long established
custom Of giving president Two terms
should be observed at this time and
that the time.honored conviction that
no president should be given third
term Tin succession or otherwise)
should not be surrendered or waived in
behalf oil Col. Roosevelt or any other
man. And the friends Of the president
knew OF no good reason why the re-
publican party should repudiate him
at the end Of his first term and take up
man who had been honored TO the
limit BY the party and who now pro-
poses measures that the wisest party
leaders cannot approve and that are
not readily approved by the business or
the industrial interests Of the country.
And the attitude Of Colonel Roosevelt
toward the president was offensive
from the day he cast his hat in the ring,
Small wonder it is therefore that
President Taft and his friends began
an aggressive campaign and that the
president himself took the platform to
defend his record and to ask Of the
republican voters the support and co
operation TO which he felt he wac en-
titled. The campaign made his per
sonality as much a matter Of public
comment as the personality Of Colonel
Roosevelt.
Along came William J. Bryan, always
conspicuous, because always aggressive.
He was arayed against the big men in
his own party. He occupied the same
attitude the democratic party organiza
ton as that occupied by Roosevelt
toward the republican party organiza
tion. His fight made him almost a:
conspicuous among the democrats al
was Roosevelt among the republicans
The battle Of these giants has beer
f,ught and the smoke cleared away
William Howard TAFT stands under tn,
banner Of the great and glorious oil
republican patty with the authority Il
lead it once mcre-to advocate it
principles and Its policies TO speak 10
Its leaders and to command them, ART
TO assure the people that the govern
ment is to be administered with wisdom
aud success. Having executed ad
mirably the promises his party mad
to the people four years ago, and hav
ing won the confidence Of the gres
men who lead his party and Of the cor
servative citizenship Of the country h
will have the support Of loyal reput
licans in every state in the union.
Colonel Roosevelt may fight and Nj
pYuso rosv Goht hnt nv Taft M lopue