The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-08-08
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
COMMITTEE WOULD BE FAIR.

The republican state committee
has taken notice of the dissatisfac-
tiOn of Taft followers over the action
of the Huron convention in selecting
Roosevelt men as electors. Yhe
Huron convention left open the ques-
ton OF whom the electors should sup
port, though there is no doubt it was
expected they would support Roose-
welt. Now the state committee and
candidates, In a meeting at Huron,
have passed a resolution instructing
the state executive committee to sub
init to the voters In November the
matter of instructing the electors
named by the republican state con-
ventfon. The details OF the plan have
not been worked out, but the idea is
to have the republican voters of the
state say in November whether the
republican electors should vote Taft
or Roosevelt. This amounts to a re-
view Of the Chicago convention by
the voters themselves.
The republican state convention
was confronted with a choice between
two evils. The Endorsement of Taft
would amount to approval of a nom
ination obtained by unfair means and
without regard to the best interests
OF the party. For the electors to run
as republicans and then vote for the
candidate of another party would be
to appropriate the name Of the re-
publican party for n who has de-
clared himself it's implacable enemy.
The state convention did not
choose either horn of this dilemma
and now the state committee also
gAvQJ00 uOLOI 1l1llldtlOu VI JuG 4utaIlOl.
The committee at least wishes to be
fair. There is not a particle of doubt
that q very large majority Of repub-
licans in this state repudiate Taft.
Yet the committee wants to give the
Taft men full opportunity to con-
vince the majority that Taft is the
man whom the republican electors
are bound to support. Ii they, repre-
senting the ~undisputed majority at
Huron, had possessed the spirit man
Tested by the Taft majority in the
national committee. they would have
said the Taft men in the state were
entitled to no consideration.
However, Notwithstanding the
manifest desire of the state com
mittee to show the utmost fairness,
it is doubtful IL the latest plan proves
acceptable either to the radical Taft
men or to Roosevelt. The Taft re-
~publicans consider Taft the regular
nominee of the party and therefore
will not admit that there is any
question to refer to the voters. On
the other hand, when a similar plan
was proposed in Pennsylvania, Roose-
velt said most emphatically that it
would not do; that the new party
must have no entanglements with
either of the old parties. Whether he
will veto the same suggestion for
South Dakota remains to be seen. II
he does, it would mean a set of cleo
tors for the new party would go on
the ballot by petition.
What the state committee wants
to do Ia to secure general republican
support for the state ticket. 1t does
not want to defeat the state ticket in
IN attempt to settle the dispute over
the national ticket. At least the
plan proposed would give the Taft
men a chance to vote for their candi-
date, a privilege they have demanded
as their right. Further. this plan
gives progressive republicans in this
state a chance to postpone deciding
whether they shall remain in the re-
publican party o. join the one.
M->es#
THE THIRD PARTY.
Not unnaturally the tendency in
the development OF affairs by the
new progressive party is toward a
distinct organization. In Minnesota
all but one of the republican electors