Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-03-27
TAFT OR ROOSEVELT.

Not in many campaigns has thefe
been so much interest shown IN ma
tional politics, as is shown today In
he strife between William Howard
Taft and Theodore Roosevelt for the
republican presidential nomination IN
June. The sign is an encouraging
one, for so long as the individual voters
of the nation interest themselves
in politics and carry their Intelligent
convictions to the polls no fear need
be had of the ultimate triumph OF a
democratic government.
In the present campaign the strife
appears to sum itself up in the aver
age individual mind too much upon
personal issues and the real principles
at stake are ignored oy many.
Roosevelt is very popular man
and his popularity. his magnetic IN
f1uence over masses of men, his gen.
orally sound reasoning. all tend to
make his candidacy appeal to the pop
ular mind. But when the Roosevelt
supporter il asked why he lends his
support to the ex-president the great
majority will answer in substantially
these words, "He amt afraid of any
thing" Pressed to tell what he &C.
tually &C .omplished during his two
terms in the White House and not
more than one in ten of his support
ers can name more than one or two
accomplishments, acknowledged to be
above the average requirement OF
presidents in times Of peace. To be
sure Theodore Roosevelt did much
while he was president. but the
above is cited only to show that his
support in general is coming from the
result of his extraordinary personali-
ty rather than from the study of the
records of the two men and the prin-
ciples upon which they stand today.
Ask these same men why they dc
not support Taft. and the majority
will answer you, because his reciproc'
ity pact was blow to the farmer. for
getting that Roosevelt himself was {
believer in and supporter of the rec
iprocity pact. Pressed for further
reasons you will be unable to get more
than one or two from the great ma
jority, and the reason given is Away
a debatable one.
The Monitor supports Taft, knowing
full we'll that it's readers are possibly
very evenly divided between Taft ant
Roosevelt. But for itself. after care
full study of the situation. it canno
support Theodore ROOSEVELT in tAi
campaign against Taft.
Summing the situation up by pro
cess of elimination, the Monitor look!
at it in about this light: Taft ha.
made some mistakes and has been un
sparingly criticized for them, but OF
the whole. as vigorous enforcer O.
the Sherman Law, as prime move
for international arbitration and as
strengthened of the civil service tn,
Monitor cannot see why he should b.
cast aside for the third term aspira
ton of a man whose real ACCOMPLISH
ments as a president were not phe
nomenal and especially since the wis
dom of the principles upon which tn
latter is now running is very cues
tionable. Taft has served but thre
years as president, yet putting thos
three years accomplishments besid
the seven and almost eight of Thee
dore Roosevelt's, we ask if your sobe
Judgment does not tell you thu
Tafts record compares very favor,
bly, with that of him who said +
would accept third term under r
circumstance land we all believe |
meant what he said at the tlme.) F
now desires to overthrow a preceden
held sacred since George Wasbin
toms time, at the same time throwi,
an able man who desires reelecti
out of office, for no tangible or logic;
moral, social or political reason.