The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-18
jest BEFORE THE BATTLE.

On the Ass IA this state Of the great
est contest ever waged in the repub-
Nean parry, I. may be we'll to call at
tsntten 20 the essentials involved. It
q . contest within the republican
parry q determine 81 far as North
Dakota u concerned, Who shat: he the
republican candidate for president.
There are hat two c~ontenders in
the national convention. They are
Taft and Roosevelt. LaFollette is not
IN element there even though North
Dakota be at-en 10 him. His only
indaeaee or power With the votes
that are tied 20 him, il any are. will
be TO keep those votes from Roose-
velt and thus lid In the nomination
of 1aft. North Dakota does not
q Taft nominated but every vota
cast for LaFoiictte tomorrow will be
in Taft's interests.
So far as this state il concerned
there are two reasons for desiring that
Tai. be not nominated. one is the
hos.titty e~nseHdeYed by his unfair
Canadian reciprocity pact. Farmers
lost Thousands Of dollars because Of
the depression in prics which preced-
ed the Canadian election a. which it
Ho Az pdIt "OAiu Ue Idtl-
fed. This depression was proven by
the advance Of nearly eight cents the
day following the detea. OF the agree
raent in congress.
h democrats believe they can de-
feat Taft IN the election. but they
know they can not defeat Roosevelt.
That Is why. as we have repeatedly
pointed ont. the democrats are talking
and working for LAFolle,,e. They
know that an Enforcement Of him by
North Dakota Will aid in tn. nomina-
ton OF the republican candidate
whom they can most easily defeat.
Thst 10 why Bryan spoke in North
Dakota in the interests Of LaFollette
and Why 20 many democrats are work
ing for him and will vote for him To-
morrow. North Dakota faces the
problem Of defeating the least desired
candidate ~ Wal! az the one most cas-
ily debated by the democrats in the
person Of Taft, by giving her vote to-
morrow TO the only man who can de-
feat Taft in the convention and who
is su1e TO win Owe any democrat IN
November, or accepting one OF the
two evils sought to be avoided.
Senator LaFollette in all the
speeches he delivered in the state did
not enumerate the votes he expected
TO have in the convention. He could
not without being caught. He said
his delegates would stick till the ION.
vention adjourned. and that means
that he will not permit them, IL he
can help II. to 80 to any other man,
not even to prevent the nomination
Of Taft. He will have less than fifty
votes in the convention and he knows
It. He does not state specific facts
to his audiences but deals in uncsr-
tai se%heraiities. Those who vote for
him will be largely responsible for the
nomination Of Taft, II the convention
chooses him. and they will be to that
extent responsible for the success Of
the democrats in November IL that
occurs. They Will be responsible for
the ruin that will come to North Da.
hota farmers from the success Of ths
democratic party IL that party sue.
cesds.
II the threat Of free trade with
Canada lowered the price Of Ameri-
can wheat eight cents. and It did.
what would actual free trade in ali
farm products Al the democrats pro.
pose to do II they get in power. do to
all farm products: Giving North Da.
keta's vote TO LaFoilette tomorrow 4,
pledging the state TO that result I'm.
less the other states rally the more
strongly to the Roosevelt banner and
overcome The evil We will have
brought on ourselves.
These are serious business and not
partisan problems that every man in
North Dakota wants to seriously con-
slider in the last hours Of the cam.
paign. After all will the personal vic.
tory, II one II secured. pay for eight
cents a bushel less on wheat? VIII II
reeompsnss the voter for the differ.
nse OF .6fty cent wheat under the
last democratic administration and
what 1t brings today: That danger
ID what IL being voted on tomorrow.
Isn't II worthy Of one last serious
thought beEofe the ballot Is cast to-.
morrow?
ROOSEVELT "a PRo0HEaervE.