Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-12
laFolistts Says Bryan Forced Issue to
Victory Regardless Of Self, While
Reossvslt Was Bound to Have Nom
inatien or Wreck Party = Says
coIonsl's Contests Were Tainted.

was a towering figure Of moral power
and patriotic devotion to civic right
eousness.
Roosevelt at Chicago. backed by
money from the stock-watering oper-
ations Of the steel trust and the har-
vester trust. organizing what are now
confessed to have been fake contests
as to nearly 200 delegates in order to
control the republican convention and
secure his own nomination. refusing to
aid in making progressive platform,
bound to have the nomination or de-
stroy the republican party. was a most
striking example Of misdirected power
and unworthy ambition.
Same Opportunities Open.
Roosevelt had as great an opportu-
nifty to serve the progressive cause at
Chicago as Bryan had at Baltimore.
But Roosevelt was serving the man.
not the cause. He wanted one thing
he wanted the nomination. And yet he
did not have enough votes to nominate
himself upon an honest basis. He did
have enough delegates in that conven-
ton ultimately to have nominated
real progressive and adopted stron.
progressive platform. He could even
have nominated Hadley on SUCH. q
platform, and progressive republics
could have supported Hadlsy In much
the same spirit Is hundreds of thou
sands OF them will now support Wilson.
Neither Hadley nor Wilson are veter-
ans in the progressive ranks. Neither
Of them has been tried by the seyerest
tests. Both appear to be men Of high
ideals whose records tho short give
promise.
But Roosevelt would not consider
Hadley. He would have no one but
himself. At the first suggestion of Had
ley he ordered the third party maneI-
vers lest he lose his followers.
Where Was the Evidence?
IF he had the evidence to prove that
Taft could not be honestly and fairly
nominated why did he not direct his
lieutenants to present that evidence
to the national committee and then to
the convention and to the country so
clearly that the convention would not
have dared to nominate Taft and that
Taft could not in honor have accepted
the nomination il made.
1.-THE reason is avious. An analysis
Of the testimony will convince ua
that neither Taft nor Roosevelt has 4
majority Of honestly or regularly
elected delegates This the managers
on both sides well understood. Each
candidate was trying to seat suffi-
cient number Of fraddulently creden-
tailed delegates added to those reg
ularly chosen to support him to secure
control Of the convention and steam
roll the nomination. 1t was pro-
ceeding with which each was ac-
quainted and which each had sane
toned in prior conventions.
Was In Glass House.
This explains the conduct Of Roosee
velt He could not enter upon such an
analysis of the evidence that would
prove Taft's regularly elected dele
gates in the majority without inevita-
bly, explosing his delegates to an ex-
animation so critical as to expose the
falsity OF his own contention that he
had an honestly elected majority of the
delegates. He therefore deliberately
choose to claim everything. to cry
fraud and to bully the national COM
mittee and the convention; and having
thus created a condition, to make II
impossible to make calm examination
Of cases on merit, carry the convention
by storm.
THAT this Is the true psychology Of
the Roosevelt proceedings becomes
perfectly plain. He was there to force
his own nomination or smash the con-
vention. He was not there to preserve
the integrity Of the republican party
and make It an instrument for the
promotion Of progressive principles and
the restoration OF government to the
people. Otherwise he would have d.
rected his floor managers to contest
every inch Of the ground for q pro-
gressive platform before the commit
tee on resolutions ana in the open
convention.
Had But One idsa.
But Mr.. Roosevelt was not gov
erned by suggestion Of that spirit OF
high patriotic and unselfish purpose
OF which Bryan furnished such . mag
nificent example one week later, At
Baltimore. Instead he Sil3ed the public
ear with sound and fury. He ruthless
~ sacrificed everything to the one Idea
OF his being the one candidate. He
gagged his followers In the convention
without puitins oss |. : g: e:
upon which the public could base 1
definite intelligent Judgment regaSdinx
the validity Of Tafts nomination. he
submitted no suggestion ~ to-a psaf-
form OF progressive principles. he
clamased loudly for purstnS the eon-