Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-06
QUESTION OF PRINCIPLES,
HE ASSERTS, NOT PERSONS
Declares William Barnes, Jr., of New York the
Real Head of the Taft Canvass at Chicago
and That No Progressive Delegate Can
Afford to Aid This Boss

Mr.. Roots personality becomes unim-
portant in view of Mr. Barness telegram.
Mr.. Barnes stands as the representative
of the very worst forms of bosssm In
politics. No progressive delegates can
afford to vote for any man proposed by
Mr.. Barnes and his allies, for any such
vote is vote against popular rule and
against the basic principles not merely
Of the Republican party, but of decent
American citizenship. This is not fac
tional fight In the ranks Of the Republ-
can party 1t is a fight between the
plain people the rank and file of the
Republican party making up the i'm
mense majority of that party on the ono
side. and on the other, the bosses with
back of them the great sinister special
interests which are endeavoring to sus-
tain the cause of privilege by perpetual
ing the combination between crooked
politics and crooked business.
CLAIMS PEOPLE ARE FOR HIM.
There have been direct presidential
preferential primaries so far in the
States Of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massa-
chusetts Ohio. New Jersey. North
Dakota. Maryland, California, Oregon
and Nebraska. In these States the popu-
lar vote against Mr.. Taft has been be-
tween two and three to one, and often
over that, and he has secured only IS
delegates out OF a total of 344.
In certain other States. Minnesota,
Missouri. Kansas, --aine New Hamp-
shire. Oklahoma. North Carolina, West
Virginia. Washington and Vermont. there
were primaries which. while not direct
presidential primaries. still give a rough
approximation Of the actual sentiment OF
the States. In these States secured 15i
delegates and Mr.. Taft secured II. with
three uninstructed. In those cases where
the republican voters have had fair
chance to express their convictions they
have repudiated Mr.. Taft so completely
that he has been able to obtain less than
one eighth Of the delegates his popular
vote being but one in three or four and In
some cases only one In nine or ten
The great majority Of the Republican
party have unequivocally repudiated Mr..
| Taft. II the wishes of the republican
voters could be gwen fair expression, Mr..
Taft would have corporals guard In
the convention. Under these circum.
stances. II is fitting and appropriate that
Mr.. Barnes should be CHOSEN to lead the
|
override the expressed wish of the rank
and file of the party, and to give the
nomination to the candidate whom the
party has explicitly and beyond all ques.
ton repudiated.
SUMMARIZES HIS PLATFORM.
| Mr. Barnes In the telegram above quot
ed states that the doctrines which have
advocated are subversive of our form OF
government. The doctrines that ! have
advocated are: First, the right of the
people to rule. and second. their duty SC
to rule as to bring about not merely DO
litical but also social and Industrial Jus
tice. These doctrines are subversive only
Of the form Of government for which Mr.
Barnes stands. that Is, Of government BY
the bosses for the special interests.
Mr.. Barnes has always been frank HI
thoroughly distrusts the people. and say!
So He disbeleves In democracy In hi!
preaching and In It's practices he embed
les boss rule In It's most offensive form
The kind OF representative government h,
believes in Is that In which the represen
tatives shall represent not the people blu
Mr.. Barnes and the other bosses
Mr.. Taft's nomination at Chicago cal
only be brought about by multiplying tn
will Of the people, and by fraudulent,
, seating q sufficient number OF boss-pick
ed and boss-controlled delegates In tn,
place OF those who have been legal,
, elected by the people themselves. Amonl
all the bosses Of the United States. anon.
r all the men who represent the combina
ton Of privileges in business and privil
ege In politics, there Is probably no othe
man more eminently fit than Mr.. Barne
70 be entrusted with the carrying out 0
such program,
The program cannot possibly sue
coed II the convention Is left TO It
Z self Our opponents have shown tina
, they will stop at nothing In the ef
fort TO subvert the will OF the peopl
duly and deliberately expressed. Blu
In spite of all the efforts the conven
ton II left to itself will he heavil
, against Mr. Taft. His whole chance o
r winning depends not upon the vote o
the national convention but upon hi
, hopes and plans for securing imprope
y action by the national committee.
TRUSTS NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
The national committee consists q
\ men chosen four years ago. In theor
tnelr functions are ineTely 10 ueClu
! honestly and fairly election cases af
= fecting the prima facie rights of dele
gates to seats and to prefer ftr TEN
porary chairman some man who wi
n be acceptable to the convention. Nj
Barnes's telegram quoted above show
that In reality the purpose of certai
= among them Is to Illustrate the will {
I. the people and to secure such organ
, zation. OF the convention as will max
!, the will of the bosses paramount owe
. the will OF the people. ! do not be
= lieve that the national committee. a
=. a whole. will follow the lead Of NJ
+. Barnes and his allies in this matter
!. The success OF Mr. Barnes at Chcag
y the possibility Of his nominating NJ
Taft. depends upon his ability to thwa
the deliberate Judgment of the peopl
y. TO upset the popular verdict of the ran
. and file Of the Republican party give
: at thu primaries. and to substitute for
n the decision OF those political boss,
n who have stood IN the past and VT
Anon stand for AhA destruction Ut -p0ll