The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-19

lature all the delegates ran on one
ticket. the Taft and Roosevelt dele
gates alike binding themselves t,
abide by the result No delegates
were elected by districts. Mr.. Taft
sent an urgent appeal to California
just before the primary election, an
appeal which showed his complete
asquiescence in what was done-and
unless he was prepared then to pro-
test, it was dishonorable to protest af-
forwards
Taft Condones Robbery
Yet on the plea of henchman of
Mr.. Patrick Calhoun's thirty-seven
adherents of Mr.. Taft on the national
committee, robbed the people Of Cali
fornia of their rights and seated the
two Taft-Calhoun delegates. OF these
thirty-seven men, four represented
the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, the
Philippines and Porto Rico. Twelve
represented states that went demo-
cratic four years ago. Fourteen came
from republican states, every one of
which had repudiated Mr.. Taft and
his committeeman at the primaries
held this spring. In other words, Of
the thirty-seven- Taft men who in
Mr.. Taft's interest robbed the over
voters of the great republican state
of California of their rights, sixteen
represented no republican electoral
vote whatever, and fourteen repre-
sented republican states whose voters
by overwhelming majorities had re-
pudiated the men themselves and Mr..
Taft also at the primaries held this
spring. There remain out of the
only seven men, six of
these representing states where the
republican voters have had no chance
to express their preference for presi-
dent, or in other words, out of the 81
men on the national committee who
in Mr.. Taft's interest disfranchised
California SO far as two Of it's dele
gates are concerned, but one single
man represented a state where the
majority was republican and where,
when 1t had chance it had not re-
pudiated both the man himself and
Mr.. Taft himself. The action of the
committee in seating the Taft dele
gates from Washington was even
worse; and In the other states 1 have
named 1t was at least as bad.
Results OF Taft's Theory
This is Mr.. Taft's theory of gov
eminent of the people by a repre-
sentative part" of the people when it
practice Of this theory, under the pre-
tense of needing the forms of democ-
racy, 1t Is but one step farther to cast
aside all pretense whatever; and Mr..
Taft's lieutenants have taken this
step again and again; from swindling
the people by sharp political tricks
they have gone to the point of DELHI
crate theft. Mr.. Taft in encouraging
what was done in the Ohio state con-
vention showed his anxious desire to
defeat the will Of the people by sharp
trickery which kept just within the
law But in electing and seating the
committeeman have put. on the tenn
porary roll of the convention from
California, Washington, Arizona, Ken
tueky, Indiana, Texas and other states
a. much larger step towards dishon-
esty has been taken. These delegates
represent deliberate theft, deliberate
robbery. The action Of Mr.. Taft's
supporters in these eases raises a
question even more more vital than
those that have legitimately been
raised in this campaign. Before dis
cussing questions dealing with the
right of the people to rule and secure
social and industrial justice, it is nee
essary, to settle once for all that when
the decision has been made by the
people it shall not be reversed by
force and fraud. We have right to
ask every honest man among our OPP
ponents, whatever may be his views as
to the principles we advocate, heart
fly to support us in this fight for the
elementary, the fundamental homes
ties of politics. The first and great
est issue before us is the issue of
theft. Every honest citizen should
join with us in the fight for honesty
against theft and corruption.
Vital Test of Democracy
1t is not to be wondered at that our
opponents have been very bitter; for
the lineup in this crisis is one that
cuts deep to the foundations Of gov
eminent. Our democracy is NOW put
to a vital test for the conflict is be-
tween human rights, on the one side,
and on the other special privilege as
serted as property right. The part
ing of the ways has come. The re-
publican party must definitely stand
on one side or the other. 1t must
stand, by deeds and not merely by
empty phrases, for the rights of HUI
mainly, or else it must stand for
special privilege Our opponents are
fond of calling themselves regular re-
publicans. In reality they have no
title to membership in any party that
is true to the principles of Abraham
Lincoln. They are fighting for the
cause of special privilege and their
chief strength is drawn from the BEN
eficiaries of entrenched economic and
social injustice. I do not in the least
mean that they are all of them or
even a majority of them influenced
by improper motives any more than
/ could say the same thing of the
men in the north who during the
civil war were favorable to slavery
and hostile to the union.
Backed BY Selfish Interests
But most of the master spirits
among them have a strong selfish in
terest in resisting the campaign
against industrial wrong. The real
masters among our opponents are Of
ten by no means the men nominally
in the forefront. These real masters
of the reactionary forces have a tre-
mendous personal interest in perpet-
uating the rule of the boss in politics
with as its necessary accompaniment
the safeguarding of privilege and the
enlarging of the sphere of special in
terest. They are the men who stand
back of the ordinary political leaders