The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-22
FIGHTING THE WAR OVER

Vinton Eagle: The Sioux City Jour.
nal in recent editorial has shown
that the denomination OF Ex-President
Roosevelt would be like fighting the
war over. No administration ever
pleases the people, Under an unwrit.
ten law of the Republican party a
President OF Its choosing is given a
second term to close the work in hand,
and as an endorsement of the good
work he has done. President Roosevelt
made likely neither more nor less
mistakes than had any of his predeces-
sors- The same thing may be said OF
President Taft. President Roosevelt is
in the past. President Taft is In the
present. We easier remember the mis-
takes of President Taft than those of
President Roosevelt. President Taft
is doing his work today. Nearly four
years have passed since President
Roosevelt committed an error. The en-
cyclopedia is with us today and we
can readily see the mistakes of the
present President; those of three, two
or one year ago are forgotten and our
mind only reverts to those striking
things which we believe were right.
Striking sentences of President Roose-
welt can be as easily remembered to-
day as the day he uttered them, hut
scores of errors can be checked up
where the compiler collates the ma.
terial and puts it on the printed page.
The good of every President outlaws
his errors. There may be thousand
and one errors, but there are at least
a thousand and one good things to be
checked up When the Credit Mobiler
and the Whisky Ring frauds were ex-
posed 1t was thought that was the last
of the Republican party. Not so. In the
last fifty years the Republican party
has lost only two national elections.
In the denomination of President
Taft the Republican party at least un-
dertakes to sustain him in the good
work he has done. Should he be de-
feated for this denomination the Repub-
lican party would condemn him and
by condemning him would condemn
itself. His rejection by the Chicago
convention would be nothing short of
qualification.
In renominating Elk President
Roosevelt it would be like fighting the
war over again. Instead of attending
to the work Of the present the party
would be compelled to go back eight
years and defend itself against every
charge made by it's political enemies.
The Democratic and other political
parties would compile and make a list
of the sins Of omission and commits
sion. These would he put UP to the
Republican party in such manner as
to put the party on the defensive all
through the campaign A number of
acts of Ex-President Roosevelt have
been thrown into the discard. They
looked good at the time but events
happening since show them to be un-
useable. The work President Taft
is doing was only thought of six to
eight years ago. 1t was in the agita.
ton period. 1t isn't likely that the
millennium will be reached in Tafts
time but good start will be made
and 1t will be the duty of the Republi.
can party to follow up this work to it's
completion.
As to what might be brought up dur.
ing the Roosevelt campaign it il
should be his misfortune to be renomi.
mated the Sioux City Journal gives the
following list:
Explanation that the prejudice
against a third term is mere piffle:
that Washington and Jefferson were
wrong about it; that in the case OF
Roosevelt third term would be a sec
ond term
Explanation that after making Taft
his successor, Roosevelt was under
no obligation to help make the Taft
administration a success, but on the
contrary, was left free to knock it
to his friends, thereby encouraging
them to fight the administration pro.
gram every step of the way.
Explanation that 1t was cheaper TO
jar Panama loose from Colombia and
grab canal site than to buy n title
through dickering with the rigbtful
owners.
Explanation that the steel trust was
good trust: that it was all right to
leave 1t free from prosecution for eight
years; that it was good business 10