Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-02-09

INDICATIONS OF TAFT ANXIETY.
There are many things in evidence
which prove that President Taft is be-
ginning to realize that the Republican
nomination is not his for the demand
ing. One Of the most interesting ones
is his change of policy toward the
newspapers. 1t may not be generally
known to the lay reader that copies of
public speeches are procured by news
agencies like the Associated Press and
mailed to the newspapers in advance.
subject to whatever changes are later
made in the text and to be used when
released in the telegraph report to the
paper. This is don to avoid the otha-
wise almost prohibitive cost of trans
uniting the speeches by wire and *he
i1npossibility of getting them into type
without delay by the papers. Public
men who have consideration for public
opinion. always prepare copies of i'm
portant addresses in this manner for
the public.
President Taft has been a notable
exception. His public addresses even
in his official capacity have never been
given to the press in advance, and his
messages to congress have often la
to be transmitted by wire. When he
made his western tour last fall not a
copy of his addresses were given to the
news agencies and as result, the pub
lie at large new little Of what he said
When he started on his recent cam
paign tour through Ohio a few days
ago, every paper i'll the country had
copies of his addresses several days in
in policy lies in the fact that the pres.
ident has begun to realize that publ:
sentiment is real power in a repub
lie. He is scared. So long as no dan.
ger threatened his denomination, he
cared nothing. Those who think The
president is without shrewd political
advice are mistaken. His machine i,
cludes pastmasters in the art, as wit
ness Senators Penrose and Lodge. They
were not mistaken. They were able to
accurately measure the strength Of
Senator LaFollette and they kenw that
at his best he would have less than Il
third of the delegates to the national
convention. The political advisers OF
the president were justified in assurin 2
him that his nomination was assured.
It was.
Less than two months ago Theodore
Roosevelt was suggested as candi.
date. Immediately the presidents adj
visers saw danger. Within ten days
after the Roosevelt movement was
started they sought to have the New
York delegation instructed for TAFT,
the president himself making trip to
New York to accomplish the purpose.
While the New York leaders were not
Jealous for Roosevelt, they preferred
him to Taft and the plan to have an
instructed Taft delegation fell Fat.
Then came the detection in West Vir.
ginia following one which was CROWN,
in Michigan and which was augmented
by those in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Kansas, Missouri and North Dakota
It was machine, not very substan-
TALLY built, it is true, supplemented
with the presidential patronage, against
the popular demand Of the people. The
machine worked silently and the Office
holders were to see that Taft delegates
are named and instructed. But the con-
idence in Theodore Roosevelt was Sd
great that even Taft's managers saw
that they, too, must reach the public
or be crowded off the sidewalk. That
is why the president has changed his
policy of catering to the newspapers
instead of ignoring them as formerly.
1t is the best evidence possible that the
Taft managers are scared.
There are some Republicans in North
Dakota who believe that the Roosevelt
movement is in the interests of Taft,
just how they are unable to explain.
Truth is, this impression comes from,
the fact that some of the states and
parts of states that were for Senator
LaFollette before the Roosevelt move
ment was started are joining in it. In.
stead of indicating condition favor
able to Taft, this proves that realizing
the impossibility of nominating LaFol.
lette, these sections intend to use their
power to help defeat him, by joining
forces with those sections which have
left Taft and gone to Roosevelt. We
do not assert, but the logic of the stu
alton proves the reverse. All the La.
Toilette strength that can be kept from
Roosevelt helps Taft, because at the
best LaFollette cannot be nominated,
and the votes held to him and away
from Roosevelt might allow Taft to win.
This logis is based on condition
which we do not admit for a moment
will exist, for unless things change
and the Roosevelt supporters become
over confident or neglectful, he will
have big majority Of the delegates
when the convention assemblies. But
it is rather significant that in the Taft
strongholds of the east the Roosevelt
movement is held up as menace to
Taft and in the LaFollette strongholls
of the west it is held up as menace
to LaFollette. The only one who can