The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-05
COLONEL SAYS he
sees PARTY DOOM
Defeat Ahead If Leaders Do
Not Listen to Demands Of
Awakened Public
BRANDS TAFT AS
A RETROCREssIvE
Strong Arm Men Will Keep
Roosevelt Supportes Out
Of Convention at Par
kers5urg

PARKERSBuRG. W. VA. April T..
After twelve hour ride along the
south bank OF the Ohio river. Colonel
Roosevelt reached this politically
seething town tonight to fling another
volley Of brickhats into the Taft cam
paign. Talking to an audience Of 1900
that crowded the auditorium. the COZ
onel pitched into the West Virginia
Taft leaders and again decried the
assertion Of President Taft that he Is
a progressive.
When the President aiigns himself
with the bosses, who are trying BY
every conceivable means to retard the
natural progress of this nation by
working with ttSesspeciai interests, II
IL hard to see hi he may be classi-
fed as progressive. said Roosevelt
He must keep step with the times
Those who faH ID do this cannot but
be classed a. retr0GreSsiSe-"
Secs Pa1ly Doom.
Roosevelt with sharp emphasis re-
iterated his propaiesy that II the Re-
publican leaders do not listen to the
demand Of the awakened party now
they will find an even harder battle
ahead Of them Ia3er on. To save the
party, he declared. they must readjust
their step and catch up"
Parkersburg = In the throes Of a
sizzling pre-conyontion battle. and the
coionel's advent tonight was the oc-
casion for an DID time campaign
whoop. Red lr& lighted the streets.
bands played ana the air was alive
with the political spirit. The town
holds It's Republican county conven-
ton Saturday. and from the looks Of
things tonight 1t IL to be boisterous
affair. Under the West Virginia law
II Will be a mass convention. at which
ali enrolled Republican voters arr
supposed to drop around and vote for
the election OF delegates to the dis
trict convention sxssA the State con-
vention. The district convention Is TO
elect two delegates to Chicago. and
the State convention. made UP OF dele
gates from all over West Virginia,
will pick out the six delegates at
large,
Steam Roller Shown.
So as to prevent the county conveh>
ton from running away from them.
the machine, which Is controlled by
the Taft forces. has hit upon an eA-
pedient to keep the Roosevelt adher-
ents out The Taftites. after dill
gent search here, picked out the
smallest hall in the city, seating less
than 500. and into this some 5000
enrolled Republicans will try to
squeeze themselves.
Strong Arm Men Employed.
Inasmuch as the Taft forces hold
the upper hand and will have the
hau guarded by their own TRUSTEES,
the Roosevelt people have got the idea
that a plot Is under way to block them
from getting into the hall. Strong
arm men have been pressed into re-
QUESTION by the Taft boosters for
the distinct purpose OF keeping the
Roosevelt partisans in the street, there
to await the action of the Taft CO.
hcrts.
Governor Giasscock, who got board
the T~.sevelt special at Huntington.
early in the day. told all about tho
Taft leaders conspiracy" as Rocse-
veit's train sped along to Parkersburg.
The colonel decided to whack the Taft
folks and expose the whole trick.
The ex-President urged the Roose-
welt adherents to see that the Taft
managers do not crowd them out Of
the convention hall
Bangs the Bosses.
IT wish you had direct primary
you viii have to take what you can
ges.f . In tho conversation which yoa are
to have as a substitute for the pri-
mary, the bosses will try to misrepre-
sent you. ask that you make It
point Of soinE to that convention and
staying there long enough to see that
your vote ~ REGISTERED. ask every
supporter Of mine to see that not a
crooked vote IL cast for me. or against
me. hope you win try to see that
no corruption. no fraud obtains at
that convention. ] do not want to
profit by any fraudulent vote. and
wsrt our opronents TO take the anne
attitude. let II he square desi."
The colonel alluded to 4 district.
convention in Statewide. w. Va. at
which the Roosevelt men claimed to
he In the matoritv. but were counted
ont Nv the o~~nsiticn leaders.
1.-THE cnnv*s cot after them AFTER
the convention" the colonel went on,
"Rnd dNrsaNH FOR ou~ saAle~ates Then
CONTINUED IN Third m - -